Essay on Americas Role in the Vietnam War - 4756 Words

Americas Role in the Vietnam War Before the 2nd World War, Vietnam was a colony of France. During the war, French Indo China was occupied by the Japanese. When the war was over, the French took the place of the Japanese in Vietnam. In the period between 1945 and 1954 there was a struggle for independence headed by the communist Vietminh, headed by Ho Chi Minh, against the French rulers of Indochina. In August 1945 Vietminh guerrillas seized the capital city of Hanoi. They fought for an independent Vietnam, with Ho Chi Minh as their president. During this uprising the French lost their colony and they wanted to regain their power. This started a long war in 1946. During this war, the former emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai, was given†¦show more content†¦The main intention was that Vietnam would after these elections once again become one country. However the Geneva truce crumbled. Diem decided not to hold free elections. This was to his benefit as his opposer, Ho Chi Minh would probably have won the elections. H e in return started to train guerrillas to oppose the government forces in the south. These guerrillas, the Viet Cong (meaning: Vietnamese communist), began attacks on the U.S. military installations in 1957. The Americans still believed strongly in the domino theory. They were afraid that if Vietnam was to become communist, the countries and regions around Vietnam would also turn communist. Like when you push over a domino, it would trigger off a whole set of dominoes. The Americans felt it as their duty to prohibit this from happening. In April 1961 the U.S. signed a treaty of amity and economic relations with South Vietnam. In December of that year the first American troops arrived in Vietnam. A year later they had gone from 400 troops to 11.200 American troops in Vietnam. The Diem government was having substantial difficulty with coping with the unrest in South Vietnam. On November 1 1963, the Diem regime was overthrown in a military coup. Diem was executed in this coup and succ eeded by an army general called Nguyen Thieu. He created, together with General Nguyen Cao Ky, a military council in 1965. During elections in 1967 Thieu became the president of South Vietnam. In 1963 JohnsonShow MoreRelatedPresident Lyndon B. Johnson1227 Words   |  5 Pagesdecisions, public scrutiny, and more. Because of this, the role of president can be considered one of the most difficult jobs in America. It is no wonder why individuals who attain the prestigious position will sometimes decide not to run for reelection. For President Lyndon B. Johnson, it was circumstance that led to his decision to refrain from being president for another four years. By 1968, America’s effort to secure a genuine victory in Vietnam was severely hindered by the Tet Offensive. This criticalRead MoreEssay on Vietnam and Korean Wars Ruined Americas Image566 Words   |  3 PagesThe Vietnam War and Korean War greatly changed America forever. It was the longest war fought in America’s history, lasting from 1950 to 1973. Both of the Wars ruined America’s self-image by waging war against the people of Korea and Vietnam becoming the first time in history the United Stat es failed to accomplish its stated war aims, to preserve a separate, independent, non-communist government. The elections had great effects on the America, as the communist parties of Korea and Vietnam led millionsRead MoreBody1018 Words   |  5 PagesRey Chavez HST 203 Fall 2017 United States in the World Essay Throughout the course of history, war has been a major influencer in many societies. It was no secret that the United States had a very powerful military that could change the course of any war they join. World War II had the potential of changing the world to a fascist dominated bureaucracy. December 7, 1941, the Sleeping Giant was awoken at the attack on Pearl Harbor. With the help of the American government and theRead MoreThe Vietnam War And Its Impact On American Society1082 Words   |  5 PagesThe Vietnam War Millions suffered. Nearly sixty thousand died. Hundreds of thousands protested. The Vietnam War, an event considered to be one of the most important in U.S. history, became one of the most controversial as well. It was the longest battle fought in American history, lasting from Nov 1, 1955 to April 30, 1975. The Vietnam War tainted America’s prideful self-image, becoming the first time the United States had ever failed in accomplishing its objective in war – preserve an independentRead MoreEssay The Power of Ideology1484 Words   |  6 Pagesideologies, there would be no call to use such a disparaging weapon. The ideas of influential leaders, both right and wrong, are more potent in war than what is universally understood. The world in actuality is ruled by them, and contrasting ideologies cause massive collateral damage. Conflicting ideologies of Communism and Capitalism were set aside in World War II when the Russians and the Americans united as allies to face Nazi G ermany as the common enemy. With the defeat of Germany, Russia and theRead MoreEssay about Analyzing the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War727 Words   |  3 PagesAnalyzing the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War In order to validate the statement, â€Å"The years from 1952 to 1975 in U.S. history were marked by tremendous political and social turmoil that led to major changes in American society,† one would have to evaluate the role played by the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War in bringing about and contributing to those changes. 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Therefore, many Americans lost all faith in their government on November 4, 1979 when the report came that the American Iranian embassy had been overrun. This lack of trust is referred to as the â€Å"credibility gap†, but after ten years, this gap had grown into a gorge that many believed was not fillable. Both the Energy Crisis and the Vietnam War played a vital role in conditioning America’s response to the IranianRead MoreInfluence of the Media in the Anti-War Movement of the 60s and 70s1600 Words   |  7 PagesDuring h is testimony to the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations, John Kerry mentioned that in his opinion, â€Å"there is nothing in South Vietnam which could have happened that realistically threatens the United States of America.† In that same testimony, Kerry discussed that most people â€Å"did not even know the difference between communism and democracy. They only wanted to work in rice paddies without helicopters strafing them and bombs with napalm burning their villages and tearing their country apartRead MoreThe Vietnam War Cost the U.S. More than Money Essay902 Words   |  4 PagesU.S.A Involvement in Vietnam War Direct U.S. military involvement in The Vietnam War, the nations longest, cost fifty-eight thousand American lives. Only the Civil War and the two world wars were deadlier for Americans. During the decade of Vietnam start in 1964, the U.S Treasury spent over $140 billion on the war, enough money to fund urban regeneration projects in every major American city . In spite of these enormous costs and their accompanying public and private disturbance for the American

Divine Comedy and Dante Free Essays

Dante Alighieri’s â€Å"The Divine Comedy† is a poem written in first person that tells of Dante’s altered-ego pilgrimage through the three realms of death, Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise while trying to reach spiritual maturity and an understanding of God’s love while attaining salvation. Dante creates an imaginative correspondence between a soul’s sin on Earth and the punishment one receives in Hell. â€Å"In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself in a dark wood where the straightway was lost. We will write a custom essay sample on Divine Comedy and Dante or any similar topic only for you Order Now (Canto I, pg. 11). Throughout â€Å"The Divine Comedy†, this is the only reference Dante, in my opinion, is referring to that â€Å"dark place† we all find ourselves in at some point in time in our own life. I, as Dante’s Pilgrim, have found myself in this â€Å"dark place† or â€Å"dark wood† once I lost sight of the â€Å"beaten path† or â€Å"where the straightway was lost† that I was travelling (life). But, it was during this time that I was lost that I not only found myself, but most importantly, I found my soul. I found the straightway path to my soul while in the dark wood. It is at this dark place or dark wood, that one begins not only to search for answers to one’s sin but to seek answers to the questions of the heart and mind. It is here, of the straightway lost, where the heart and mind no longer struggle for right vs. wrong but to harvest peace. Peace within one’s soul. The peace of one’s soul is born once the heart and mind become one and with this peace one will continue to search for God’s salvation just as Dante’s Pilgrim. The path to Paradise begins in Hell. † (Dante – The Divine Comedy. When Dante enters Hell on Good Friday, he reads the following posted above the gates of Hell as he is about to enter (Canto III, line 9): â€Å"Abandon all hope ye who enter here†. To leave Hell, Dante and his self-ego, must go through all nine circles of Hell, the deeper the circle, the more grave the sin and the sin’s punishment. The gravest punishment is that no one cares nor will help another while in Hell. Dante recognizes that those in Hell have chosen to be in Hell by their own choice but most importantly Dante learns to recognize and detest man’s sinful nature and the power of evil, and the need to guard against it. Hell has no hope. At times, it seems, more often than enough, that both the world and society are becoming increasingly hopeless. To lose hope is to lose life. To lose life is to gain Hell. Living is caring and hoping for the well being of man for today and for days to follow. In the Divine Comedy, to leave Hell, one must go through nine circles of Hell. But, for us, are the nine circles of hell the nine hours in the day that we inject ourselves into society? At the end of every day, do we journey through nine circles of Hell? Do we abandon all hope as we enter the day? â€Å"The path to Paradise begins in Hell. † If this is to be true, then tomorrow may I awake in Paradise. How to cite Divine Comedy and Dante, Papers

A Farewell to Arms A Love Story Essay Example For Students

A Farewell to Arms A Love Story Essay A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway, is a typical love story. A Romeo and his Juliet placed against the odds. In this novel, Romeo is Frederick Henry and Juliet is Catherine Barkley. Their love affair must survive the obstacles of World War I. The background of war-torn Italy adds to the tragedy of the love story. The war affects the emotions and values of each character. The love between Catherine and Frederick must outlast long separations, life-threatening war-time situations, and the uncertainty of each others whereabouts or condition. This novel is a beautiful love story of two people who need each other in a period of upheaval. Frederick Henry is an American who serves as a lieutenant in the Italian army to a group of ambulance drivers. Hemingway portrays Frederick as a lost man searching for order and value in his life. Frederick disagrees with the war he is fighting. It is too chaotic and immoral for him to rationalize its cause. He fights anyway, because the army puts some form of discipline in his life. At the start of the novel, Frederick drinks and travels from one house of prostitution to another and yet he is discontent because his life is very unsettled. He befriends a priest because he admires the fact that the priest lives his life by a set of values that give him an orderly lifestyle. Further into the novel, Frederick becomes involved with Catherine Barkley. He slowly falls in love with her and, in his love for her, he finds commitment. Their relationship brings some order and value to his life. Compared to this new form of order in his life, Frederick sees the losing Italian army as total chaos and disorder where he had previously seen discipline and control. He can no longer remain a part of something that is so disorderly and so, he deserts the Italian army. Fredericks desertion from the Italian army is the turning point of the novel. This is the significance of the title, A Farewell to Arms. When Frederick puts aside his involvement in the war, he realizes that Catherine is the order and value in his life and that he does not need anything else to give meaning to his life. At the conclusion of this novel, Frederick realizes that he cannot base his life on another person or thing because, ultimately, they will leave or disappoint him. He realizes that the order and values necessary to face the world must come from within himself. Catherine Barkley is an English volunteer nurse who serves in Italy. She is considered very experienced when it comes to love and loss since she has already been confronted with the death of a loved one when her fiance was killed earlier in the war. The reader is not as well acquainted with Catherines inner thoughts and feelings as we are with those of Frederick. The story is told through Fredericks eyes and the reader only meets Catherine through the dialogue  between her and Frederick or through his personal interpretations of her actions. Catherine already possesses the knowledge that her own life cannot be dependent on another. She learned this lesson through the death of her fiance. Her love for Frederick is what her life revolves around, yet she knows not to rely on him to be the order in her life. Had she been dependent on Frederick for the order in her life, she would not have been able to allow him to participate in the war for fear of losing her own stability with his death. .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c , .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c .postImageUrl , .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c , .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c:hover , .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c:visited , .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c:active { border:0!important; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c:active , .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0566b544c95cd65fb067adcf903e972c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Love Argumentative EssayThe theme that Hemingway emphasizes throughout the novel is the search for order in a chaotic world. Hemingway conveys this through Fredericks own personal search during the chaos of World War I. Catherine has found strength within herself to lead her through life. This is what Frederick must come to realize. Through his involvement with Catherine, Frederick slowly finds his own inner strength. Fredericks affair with Catherine prompts him to leave his wild life of prostitutes and drink. He becomes aware of an element of stability in their affair and realizes that the war that he was involved in was too chaotic, so he deserts the army. He and Catherine make a life for themselves totally isolated from everything and everyone else. Frederick believes that his life is now completely in order and that his values are in perspective, yet he still seems discontented. He continuously has to convince himself that he has a fine life. He has not yet reached Catherines level that enables her to be perfectly happy in their love and yet not dependent on it for all comfort and support. Frederick still has to find that within himself. Until the conclusion of the novel, Frederick still relies on Catherine as the source of order in his life. With the end of their affair when Catherine dies giving birth to their stillborn love-child, Frederick realizes that he cannot depend on any one person, such as Catherine, or any thing, such as religion, war, or frivolity, for order and discipline. Hemingway describes Fredericks enlightenment best in the final paragraph of the novel when Frederick sees Catherines corpse for the first and last time. Fredericks reaction was that it was like saying good-by to a statue. Frederick realizes that Catherine was only a symbol of the order and strength in his life. Strength to face life must come from within him and only he will be able to get himself through his own life. He will have to learn to depend on himself. Frederick realizes this and is able to get on with his life on his own. After a while went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain. He did not mour n or feel like his own life had ended with her death, rather he was able to continue on with his newfound inner strength and face his world alone. This novel succeeds  in getting Hemingways message across. Fredericks realization causes the reader to reflect on his/her own life and on what institutions they depend on in their own lives. I enjoyed this novel because I learned along with Frederick that I must face my life on my own. The strength to face my problems cannot come from any other source because no other source can ever be as permanent as the strength that I can find within myself.