This Essay considers whether or not the Vietnam War can be seen as watershed in American history, and assesses the perceptions of the people to the involvement in this conflict. Furthermore it will examine if America as a country learned from that experience. As it is not possible to explore all the different opinions about this conflict and to discuss all the statements after the withdrawal from Southeast Asia, I will show my point of view in regarding some real actions (meaning everything happening outside the thoughts as speeches, orders, decisions etc.) that have been undertaken by politicians and the U.S. forces. The main weight of this discussion will focus on foreign policy as the effects of this provide clear understanding. Due to the vast scope of this topic I am only able to highlight a few events and developments and thus e.g. the full domestic issue cannot be covered.
In the aftermath of this war the opinions about the consequences and lessons were widespread and controversial (Ravenal,1978,p.9); so the NEXIS search found 493 articles containing "lessons of Vietnam," and the 135 pieces of this sort carried in the The New York Times and the The Washington Post contained references to fully 31 separate "lessons"( Melanson,1991,p.7). Different myths and suggestions about the cause of the defeat were discussed although the majority agreed to have Vietnam "Never Again" (Ravenal,1978). Nearly all of the arguments have seen the Vietnam war as a failure: Some judged the U.S. involvement as wrong in itself, others considered the intervention as a "noble cause" (Herring,1981,p.596; Melanson,1991) or blamed the "home front" for the debacle, but even they recognised that the war should have been fought differently. The lessons drawn by the politicians differed totally, but the decisions of all Nixon′s subsequent successors were influenced by their attitude towards the legacies of Vietnam. It was a great illuminating failure because in the following years this issue did not vanish. The memories of the Vietnam war remained a part of thinking and so influenced important decisions over the years; it could not been forgotten because in nearly all major U.S. interventions the comparison with Indochina was discussed.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Can the Vietnam War be accurately seen as a 'great illuminating failure' for the American people?
- Foreign Policy After the Vietnam War
- Lessons from Vietnam for Military Strategy
- Lessons from Vietnam for Political Strategy
- The Reagan Era
- The Ford Era
- The Carter Era
- U.S. Interventions After the Vietnam War
- The Persian Gulf War
- The Afghanistan War
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay examines whether the Vietnam War can be considered a turning point in American history, evaluating public perception of U.S. involvement in the conflict and assessing whether America learned from its experience. The author focuses on real actions undertaken by politicians and the U.S. forces, primarily analyzing foreign policy implications.
- The Vietnam War as a watershed moment in American history
- Public perception and lessons learned from the Vietnam War
- The impact of the Vietnam War on U.S. foreign policy
- The role of military strategy and political strategy in post-Vietnam War interventions
- The evolution of U.S. involvement in global conflicts in the aftermath of Vietnam
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The essay begins by exploring the pervasive debate regarding the legacy of the Vietnam War, highlighting diverse interpretations of its significance. The author argues that the war constituted a "great illuminating failure," influencing subsequent U.S. actions and shaping foreign policy decisions.
The essay then delves into the lessons drawn from Vietnam regarding military strategy. The author analyzes how the experience informed new approaches to military organization, deployment patterns, and weapons systems, emphasizing the lasting impact of the "ghost of Vietnam" on military planning.
The essay subsequently examines the political lessons learned from the Vietnam War, focusing on the changing dynamics of U.S. involvement in global conflicts. The author explores the contrasting approaches of presidents Reagan, Ford, and Carter to the Vietnam War's legacy, revealing how their respective perceptions shaped their foreign policy strategies.
Finally, the essay analyzes specific U.S. interventions following the Vietnam War, specifically the Persian Gulf War and the Afghanistan War. The author examines how these engagements reflected the lessons learned from Vietnam, demonstrating a shift towards a more cautious approach to international conflict.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary keywords and focus topics of the essay include: Vietnam War, U.S. foreign policy, military strategy, political strategy, public perception, lessons learned, interventions, Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan War, "Vietnam syndrome."
- Quote paper
- Peter Tilman Schuessler (Author), 2002, Can the Vietnam War be accurately seen as a 'great illuminating failure' for the American people?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/8913
