How did the legacy of the Vietnam War affect recent U.S. defense policy and practice?
by
benboy55 (student)
How did the legacy of the Vietnam War affect recent U.S. defense policy and practice?
This literature review examines all aspects of the Vietnam War from its roots in French Indochina to its conclusion during the Nixon Administration. In addition, examples of modern defense policy for the last decade will be discussed.
The United States’ conflict in Vietnam began with its Imperialistic French rulers. Following World War II, many European countries with overseas colonies in Asia and Africa gave them up and allowed them to become their own countries. Not so with France. France held on to its holdings in Indochina, including Vietnam. This did not sit well with the Vietnamese people, as the French colonial government was displaced in the Japanese occupation of the country. And so, the Vietnamese people rebelled. They were led by Ho Chi Minh, a man who organized the Viet Cong during WWII and wanted to convert Vietnam to a classless, European society. In response to the uprising, the French instituted a puppet emperor, by the name of Bao Dai. However, public support of the new ruler was almost non-existent. Thus, the Viet-Cong’s guerilla tactics were wildly successful. Across the Pacific, America was unsympathetic to France’s problems. But this changed over the years because of three occurrences. The first was China’s fall to communism. This worried leaders and Washington and led to the development of the Domino Theory. Several years later, the United States became militarily involved in Korea; again, evidence of the Domino Theory. Both of these events led to the third, which was the change in the general image of France. Before, they were depicted as imperialistic tyrants brutally suppressing a colony. This opinion changed during the Truman administration. The French image became that of staunch anti-communists. This led to American’s providing more and more support for the war. However, after the battle of Dienbienphu, France negotiated a temporary cease-fire and pulled out of Vietnam (Hook and Spanier 112-116).
