The war in Vietnam to do this day has gone down as one of the influential and controversial wars in United States history. The war lasted from 1955 to 1975.The nation as a whole began to uproar over the war and the major consequences of the war. There were many reasons why so many Americans were against the war. Public opinion steadily turned against the war following 1967 and by 1970 only a third of Americans believed that the U.S. had not made a mistake by sending troops to fight in Vietnam (Wikipedia). Not to mention, many young people protested because they were the ones being drafted while others were against the war because the anti-war movement grew increasingly popular among the counterculture and drug culture in American society and
The Vietnam War was the first war to be televised in the history of American wars. The coverage in the media was depicted differently than usual. This was due to the fact that the violent actions in Vietnam and America was happening unnoticed by the rest of the world, therefore television, which was becoming the most popular form of a source for news, was the only outlet to show the rest of the world what was occurring in these countries. Television was also used as a form of propaganda to influence the audience on the reporter’s point of view. This was done using visual elements, which allowed the audience the feel as they were part of the war and to sympathise with the citizens that were dying or were being brutally hurt.
This confidence was shattered in 1968. Where Viet Cong fighters attacked over 100 cities and tied down a larger US and South Vietnamese force in just 2 days. Which caused the US to question their involvement in Vietnam. Initially, Vietnam was to be the symbol of fighting communism it became a symbol defeat.
Everything celebrities say or do is noted by the media and usually gets leaked to the public very quickly. In comparison to the time and media of the 70’s, in today’s world we are able to pretty much get any information on almost anyone at any given time. The levels of privacy have gone down due to the media engagement and the advancement of technology. The activeness of today’s media can be similar to that of the five thief’s trying to place recording devices in the Democratic Party’s headquarters. With every news story, any piece of information can be blown out of proportion and altered to appeal to a bigger audience.
The war also inspired many to protest through music or broadcasts. A secondary source, “The first ‘television war” is a depiction of the Vietnam War visualized through the perspective of the cameramen. Though initially the television broadcasted only positive information, though, as the war seemed to have no ending in sight and public opinion turned against the war as well as selective conscription of Australians the television started to broadcast horrifying images and stories reflecting off the of the opinion of the people further strengthening criticism against the war. Another type of media known as protest music gained a vast amount of popularity in turn becoming a part of culture itself such as “Smiley” sung by Ronnie Burns which outlined the terrible experiences Australians faced during the war. Soon many songs as well as television broadcasts were mirrored upon the attitudes towards historical issues such as the Vietnam War inspiring many people to
The Impacts of the American Revolution on Great Britain When it comes time for you to write the fall of the British Empire, I will gladly supply you with the great many documents in my possession.- Benjamin Franklin. The impacts of America today are both wide, and numerous, and they have been for as long as the country has existed. The effects of the American Revolution rippled both far and wide, perhaps no more so than in Great Britain. On average, empires only last for 250, so GReat BRitian was approaching its expiration date. With an already damaged economy and a population tired of war, Britain was sure to be affected by the revolution, and it was.
Intro: The Vietnam War is one of the most protested wars in American history. Before the end of the war, many gave speeches and rallied against the war crimes that were being committed by American Soldiers in South East Asia. The following paper will use the Pentadic method to critique John F. Kerry’s “Vietnam Veterans Against the War” speech. Through this analysis, it will become apparent that the purpose is the most dominant element in Kerry’s speech, and that John F. Kerry’s speech meets the requirements it requires for an artifact to be considered strongly effective.
1) This incident, known as the Gulf of Tonkin resolution is considered to be America’s official entrance in the war. The Gulf of Tonkin resolution made it apparent that very few individuals would disagree with the decision to support South Vietnam with the United States military. Protests against the Vietnam War did not start until the draft was increased in October of 1965. Between the months of February and October the draft rate had significantly increased by thirty thousand soldiers a month.
The Vietnam War gives valuable lessons that can be used in the present-day war campaigns. For one, the Vietnam War was based on deception that is the trend today as with the insurgents and terrorist groups. Though U.S. and South Vietnamese forces managed to hold off the Communist attacks, the offensive shocked and demoralized not only their forces but as well as the American public and further eroded support for the war effort. The victory gained by the ‘Tet offensive’ (CNN, 1988) that triggered the deliberate and shameful withdrawal of US forces from the region.
My Lai had a lasting impact on the war-weary American public. Demands to withdraw from Vietnam continued to grow. A movement against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War began amongst peace activists, students, and members of the hippie movement. Anti-war marches received huge support in early 1968 after the successful Tet Offensive by North Vietnamese troops.
The media censorship during the Vietnam War affected the perception of many U.S. citizens, because the Vietnam War was “the first war that issued full freedom of press”, this meant giving the media the freedom to show the whole world how they saw war (par.1). A lot of the media showed lack of the truth in their showings. The media made also made a big impact on the U.S. citizens because most of them were against the war. The media that was most known were the more dramatic ones because they were the ones that drawled attention audience, which were Americans and the enemy. The technology during this time was much better so things could be transferred to television much quicker grasping the attention of American citizens.
Although the American Civil War is normally seen as something that threatened to tear our great country apart, their are many great inventions and innovations that resulted from this time. Some of these advancements include railroads, the telegraph, long-range weapons, and the ancestor of all machine guns, the gatling gun. Many of these inventions went on to play a huge role in how the civil war played out. While others, such as the cotton gin, had minimal effect on the war, but a direct effect on both the men in service, and the people back home. Early war technology was seen as very dull, and ineffective.
The Tet offensive, which took place on the 31st of January 1968, had huge significance on the political landscape of America, and public opinion on the war in Vietnam. After the Tet offensive, public support for the war plummeted, and with ever increasing support in the anti-war movement and protests, the war in Vietnam was no longer justifiable to the American public. As a result of this president Johnson stepped down from running for re-election, leaving an anti-war democrat running against an anti-war republican. This meant that Nixon was elected, which arguably ended the Vietnam War, due to his change in tactics.
One of the main effects from the war is the body count. Over 3 million Vietnamese citizens and 58,000 American troops had died in the bloodshed along with thousands more wounded. The use of Agent Orange not only destroyed Vietnam’s environment, but also caused health problems for the Vietnamese and the American troops using them, eventually leading to cancer. Society wise, the war had changed the way the public saw the U.S government. There was a widespread distrust of the
In world war I and II, returning soldiers were recognized as heroes. The war in Vietnam completely changed this perspective as returning soldiers were frowned upon and strongly criticized. Anti war protests and the media turned the American people against returning soldiers. Veterans began committing suicide when they Witnessed first hand that their own country didn't care for or support them. Soldiers and veterans suffer immensely from mental disorders resulting from the horrors they've witnessed in war.