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Essays on Vietnam War

🇻🇳 understanding the vietnam war: why write an essay.

The Vietnam War, a pivotal conflict in the 20th century, offers a rich tapestry of historical, political, and social complexities. Writing an essay about this topic is not just an academic exercise; it's an opportunity to delve into a multifaceted war with profound global implications. Exploring the Vietnam War through an essay allows us to gain insight into the human cost, political decisions, and lasting impacts of the conflict. 📚

📝 Vietnam War Essay Topics

Choosing the perfect topic for your Vietnam War essay requires careful consideration. It involves finding an aspect that piques your interest and aligns with your goals as a writer:

🗣️ Vietnam War Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay on the Vietnam War demands a strong stance on a particular issue related to the conflict. Characteristics of this type of essay include presenting a clear position and supporting it with evidence. Here are ten engaging topics:

• The role of media in shaping public opinion during the Vietnam War.
• Was the Vietnam War justified from a moral perspective?
• The impact of the Vietnam War on American society and politics.
• Assessing the effectiveness of U.S. military strategy in Vietnam.
• The influence of anti-war protests on U.S. government decisions.
• The long-term consequences of Agent Orange and chemical warfare.
• The significance of the My Lai Massacre in the Vietnam War narrative.
• Comparing the Vietnam War to other 20th-century conflicts.
• The role of foreign powers in the Vietnam War: U.S. vs. USSR.
• The legacy of the Vietnam War in modern geopolitics.

🌍 Vietnam War Cause and Effect Essay

A cause and effect essay on the Vietnam War explores the factors that led to the conflict and its far-reaching consequences. Characteristics of this type of essay include analyzing both the causes and outcomes. Here are ten thought-provoking topics:

• The causes and effects of the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.
• How the Cold War rivalry between the U.S. and USSR contributed to the Vietnam War.
• The impact of the draft and conscription on American society.
• Consequences of the Vietnam War on Vietnamese civilians and their communities.
• The ecological damage caused by defoliants and chemical warfare.
• The influence of the Vietnam War on the anti-war movement.
• How the Vietnam War reshaped U.S. foreign policy in Southeast Asia.
• The economic aftermath of the Vietnam War for both the U.S. and Vietnam.
• Effects of post-war reconciliation and diplomacy between the U.S. and Vietnam.
• Long-term repercussions of the Vietnam War on veterans and their families.

🤷‍♂️ Vietnam War Opinion Essay

An opinion essay on the Vietnam War allows you to express your perspective on various aspects of the conflict. Characteristics of this type of essay include sharing your viewpoint and supporting it with reasoning. Here are ten intriguing topics:

• My personal stance on the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War.
• Was the Vietnam War an unwinnable conflict from the start?
• The role of media bias in shaping public perception of the Vietnam War.
• Do I believe the U.S. should have intervened in Vietnam?
• The significance of the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War narrative.
• My thoughts on the impact of the Vietnam War on veterans' mental health.
• Was the Vietnam War primarily a civil conflict or part of the Cold War?
• The moral implications of using napalm and Agent Orange in Vietnam.
• My perspective on the role of diplomacy in ending the Vietnam War.
• The lasting lessons we can learn from the Vietnam War experience.

📖 Vietnam War Informative Essay

An informative essay on the Vietnam War aims to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the conflict. Characteristics of this type of essay include presenting factual information and historical context. Here are ten informative topics:

• The historical background of Vietnam leading up to the war.
• Profiles of key figures and leaders in the Vietnam War.
• A chronological overview of major events during the conflict.
• The experiences of soldiers on both sides of the Vietnam War.
• The significance of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in the war effort.
• The cultural and social impact of the Vietnam War on the U.S.
• The aftermath of the Vietnam War for the Vietnamese people.
• The role of the media in shaping public opinion about the war.
• The different phases and strategies of the Vietnam War.
• Comparing and contrasting U.S. and Vietnamese perspectives on the war.

✍️ Vietnam War Essay Example

📜 vietnam war thesis statement examples.

1. "The Vietnam War profoundly shaped the trajectory of the United States in the 20th century, influencing both domestic policies and international relations."

2. "The media played a pivotal role in shaping public opinion and perceptions of the Vietnam War, ultimately affecting government decisions and the course of the conflict."

3. "The Vietnam War remains a complex and contested chapter in history, with diverse perspectives on its causes, consequences, and ethical implications."

4. "The experiences of Vietnam War veterans highlight the lasting psychological and emotional scars of combat, underscoring the need for comprehensive support and recognition."

5. "The Vietnam War serves as a cautionary tale of the limitations of military power and the importance of diplomacy and international cooperation in resolving conflicts."

📝 Vietnam War Essay Introduction Paragraph Examples

1. The Vietnam War stands as a pivotal moment in history, marked by complex political maneuvering, profound social change, and human sacrifice. Its significance stretches far beyond the battlegrounds, shaping the course of nations and altering the lives of countless individuals.

2. As we embark on this exploration of the Vietnam War, we find ourselves stepping into a realm of historical turmoil, moral dilemmas, and enduring legacies. The war's impact reverberates through time, demanding a closer examination of its causes, consequences, and contested narratives.

3. The Vietnam War, often referred to as the "American War" in Vietnam, occupies a unique place in global history. It is a conflict that defies easy categorization, a turbulent chapter marked by ideological clashes, geopolitical maneuvering, and the indomitable spirit of those who lived through it.

🔚 Vietnam War Essay Conclusion Paragraph Examples

1. In conclusion, the Vietnam War remains an enduring testament to the complexities of warfare and the indomitable human spirit. Its lessons remind us of the importance of critical reflection, diplomacy, and compassion in the face of adversity. The echoes of this conflict continue to shape our world today.

2. As we reflect on the Vietnam War, we are reminded that history is not a stagnant entity but a living narrative that informs our present and future. The war serves as a stark reminder of the costs of armed conflict and the imperative of seeking peaceful solutions to global challenges.

3. The Vietnam War's legacy endures, challenging us to confront its difficult truths and contemplate the enduring impact of war on individuals and nations. It is a history we must continue to study and remember, not only to honor those who lived it but to ensure that such conflicts remain lessons of the past rather than blueprints for the future.

Why Was The Vietnam War Justified

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Richard Nixon's Speech Rhetorical Analysis

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The Failure of The United States in Vietnam

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How Public Opinion Changed The Course of The Vietnam War

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1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975

The United States, Australia, New Zealand, Republic of (South) Korea, Thailand, the Philippines

The Vietnam War, which took place from 1955 to 1975, was a complex conflict deeply rooted in the historical context of Vietnam and the broader Cold War era. It emerged as a result of the division of Vietnam into North and South following the Geneva Accords of 1954. The historical context of the Vietnam War includes the struggle for independence from colonial rule. Vietnam had been under French colonial rule for decades, and nationalist movements, particularly the Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh, sought to liberate the country. The defeat of French forces at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 marked a turning point, leading to the division of Vietnam and the subsequent involvement of major world powers. The conflict was also shaped by the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The United States supported the South Vietnamese government, viewing it as a bulwark against the spread of communism. Meanwhile, the North Vietnamese, backed by the Soviet Union and China, sought to reunify the country under a communist regime. The escalation of the war saw the United States deploying large numbers of troops, conducting aerial bombings, and employing controversial tactics such as defoliation with Agent Orange. The conflict was marked by guerrilla warfare, protests, and anti-war movements both domestically and internationally.

Geneva Accords (1954): The Geneva Conference resulted in the division of Vietnam along the 17th parallel. North Vietnam, under Ho Chi Minh's communist leadership, and South Vietnam, led by Ngo Dinh Diem, were established as separate entities. Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964): Following reports of a purported assault on American naval ships in the Gulf of Tonkin, the U.S. Congress responded by approving the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, endowing President Lyndon B. Johnson with expansive powers to intensify U.S. engagement in Vietnam. Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968): The U.S. began sustained bombing campaigns against North Vietnam, aiming to weaken the communist forces and halt their infiltration into South Vietnam. This marked a significant escalation of U.S. military involvement. Tet Offensive (1968): The surprise attacks launched by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces during the Tet holiday resulted in widespread fighting across South Vietnam. Although a tactical defeat for the communists, the offensive had a profound impact on American public opinion, as it contradicted the belief that victory was near. My Lai Massacre (1968): The revelation of the My Lai Massacre, where U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians, shocked the world and fueled anti-war sentiment. Paris Peace Accords (1973): The peace agreement aimed to end direct U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. It called for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of U.S. troops, and the release of prisoners of war. Fall of Saigon (1975): The North Vietnamese Army captured the capital city of Saigon, marking the end of the war. This event led to the reunification of Vietnam under communist rule.

Ho Chi Min: Ho Chi Minh was a key figure in the Vietnamese struggle for independence. He led the Viet Minh and later became the President of North Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh's leadership and determination played a crucial role in rallying the Vietnamese people against foreign intervention. Lyndon B. Johnson: As the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson escalated U.S. involvement in Vietnam. His administration significantly increased American troop deployments and conducted extensive aerial bombings, seeking to prevent the spread of communism. Richard Nixon: Richard Nixon succeeded Johnson as President and implemented a policy of Vietnamization, gradually withdrawing U.S. troops while increasing the combat role of the South Vietnamese forces. Nixon pursued a strategy to negotiate a peace settlement and eventually oversaw the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam. General William Westmoreland: General Westmoreland served as the commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968. He played a prominent role in implementing the U.S. military strategy, including the large-scale deployment of troops and the conduct of major operations. Robert McNamara: Robert McNamara served as the U.S. Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War. He was a key architect of U.S. policy and the escalation of military involvement. McNamara's later reflections on the war brought attention to the human and strategic costs and prompted a reassessment of U.S. actions. Jane Fonda: Jane Fonda, an American actress and activist, became highly controversial due to her opposition to the war. She visited North Vietnam in 1972 and became an outspoken critic of U.S. policies, particularly the treatment of Vietnamese civilians and prisoners of war.

Shifting U.S. Foreign Policy: The Vietnam War prompted a reassessment of U.S. foreign policy and military interventionism. The war's unpopularity and its unforeseen challenges led to a shift away from direct military interventions and a greater emphasis on diplomacy and covert operations in subsequent conflicts. Anti-War Movements and Civil Rights: The Vietnam War fueled massive anti-war movements and protests across the United States and around the world. These movements fostered greater political activism and solidarity, influencing subsequent social and political struggles, including the civil rights movement and the push for gender equality. Diplomatic and Geopolitical Ramifications: The war had significant diplomatic consequences, leading to changes in global alliances and the balance of power. It strained relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as China, and influenced the political landscape of Southeast Asia. Impact on Veterans and Society: The Vietnam War had a lasting impact on the soldiers who fought in it, as well as on their families and communities. The war's aftermath gave rise to discussions on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the treatment of veterans, and the broader societal responsibility towards those who serve in conflicts.

Public opinion on the Vietnam War was deeply divided and evolved significantly throughout the conflict. Initially, many Americans supported U.S. involvement, viewing it as a necessary measure to prevent the spread of communism. However, as the war dragged on and casualty numbers increased, public sentiment shifted dramatically. Anti-war sentiments gained momentum, fueled by televised images of the war's brutality, the draft, and the perception of an unjustifiable military intervention. Protests, demonstrations, and acts of civil disobedience became widespread, representing a growing segment of the population opposed to the war. Criticism of the government's handling of the war intensified, with calls for a withdrawal of troops and an end to the conflict. Opposition to the war also extended to college campuses, where students staged protests and strikes. Public opinion on the Vietnam War played a pivotal role in shaping political discourse and policy decisions. The growing anti-war sentiment ultimately influenced policymakers, contributing to a gradual de-escalation and the eventual withdrawal of U.S. forces.

"Apocalypse Now" (1979): Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this film is a renowned depiction of the war's psychological impact. It explores the horrors of war and the moral dilemmas faced by soldiers in a surreal and symbolic manner. "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien: This critically acclaimed book is a collection of interconnected short stories that delve into the experiences and emotions of soldiers during the Vietnam War. It explores themes of memory, truth, and the psychological weight carried by soldiers. Vietnam War Photography: Photojournalists like Eddie Adams, Nick Ut, and Larry Burrows captured powerful images that became iconic representations of the war. Examples include the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of the execution of a Viet Cong prisoner and the haunting image of a young girl fleeing a napalm attack. "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989): Based on the autobiography of Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic, this film directed by Oliver Stone depicts the journey of a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who becomes an anti-war activist. "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival: This song has become synonymous with the Vietnam War era. Its lyrics critique the unequal burden of military service and the socio-political context of the time.

1. The Vietnam War lasted for approximately 19 years, from 1955 to 1975. 2. The United States spent an estimated $168 billion (equivalent to over $1 trillion today) on the Vietnam War. 3. Over 2.7 million American troops served in the Vietnam War, with approximately 9.2 million military personnel from all sides involved in the conflict. 4. U.S. Air Force pilot Colonel Floyd James Thompson holds the distinction of being the longest-held American POW in the Vietnam War, enduring captivity for nearly nine years. 5. The Tet Offensive, launched by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces in 1968, involved coordinated surprise attacks on over 100 cities and military installations throughout South Vietnam. It was a turning point in the war and significantly impacted public opinion in the United States. 6. The United States military used the herbicide Agent Orange to defoliate dense vegetation in Vietnam. Unfortunately, it caused severe health problems, including cancer and birth defects, for both Vietnamese civilians and American veterans. 7. In 1968, U.S. troops massacred hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians in the village of My Lai. This event became a symbol of the war's brutality and led to widespread outrage. 8. The Vietnam War sparked massive anti-war demonstrations worldwide, with millions of people taking to the streets to express their opposition to the conflict.

The Vietnam War is an important and compelling topic to explore in an essay due to its profound historical, political, and social implications. Delving into this subject allows for a comprehensive examination of a conflict that not only shaped the course of the Cold War era but also had far-reaching consequences for global politics and societies. Studying the Vietnam War offers insights into the complexities of military interventions, the limits of power, and the ethical dilemmas faced by nations in times of war. It provides an opportunity to analyze the political decision-making processes, the role of the media, and the impact of public opinion on policy outcomes. Moreover, the war's divisive nature and the anti-war movements it sparked raise important questions about the responsibility of citizens, the power of collective action, and the long-lasting effects of trauma on individuals and communities. By exploring the Vietnam War, one can also gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and perspectives of soldiers, veterans, and civilians who were directly affected by the conflict. Their stories offer valuable lessons on resilience, sacrifice, and the consequences of armed conflicts on societies.

1. Anderson, D. L. (2017). The Vietnam War. Palgrave Macmillan. 2. Appy, C. G. (2003). Patriots: The Vietnam War remembered from all sides. Penguin Books. 3. Davidson, P. (2019). Vietnam at war: The history, 1946-1975. Oxford University Press. 4. FitzGerald, F. (2002). Fire in the lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam. Back Bay Books. 5. Herring, G. C. (2014). America's longest war: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975. McGraw-Hill Education. 6. Hunt, M. H. (2009). A Vietnam War reader: A documentary history from American and Vietnamese perspectives. University of North Carolina Press. 7. Karnow, S. (1997). Vietnam: A history. Penguin Books. 8. Sheehan, N. (1989). A bright shining lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam. Vintage Books. 9. VanDeMark, B. (1991). Into the quagmire: Lyndon Johnson and the escalation of the Vietnam War. Oxford University Press. 10. Young, M. G. (2017). The Vietnam wars, 1945-1990. HarperCollins Publishers.

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80 Vietnam War Essay Topics & Examples

Looking for Vietnam war essay topics? Being the largest conflict in the US history, Vietnam war is definitely worth analyzing.

• 🔝 Top 10 Essay Topics
• 💡 Essay: How to Write
• 🏆 Best Essay Examples & Topic Ideas
• 💣 Most Interesting Topics
• 🔍 Research Topics & Questions

Why did the US lose the Vietnam war? Who won the war and how did that happen? There are many questions about the conflict that wait to be answered. Other options for your Vietnam war essay are to focus on the US involvement or talk about the lessons of the conflict.

Whether you are planning to write an argumentative essay, research paper, or thesis on the Vietnam war, this article will be helpful. Here we’ve collected top Vietnam war research questions, titles. Essay examples are also added to add to your inspiration.

🔝 Top 10 Vietnam War Essay Topics

• Vietnam war: the causes
• US involvement in the Vietnam war
• Vietnam war: the key participants
• The causes of the conflict in Vietnam
• Gulf of Tonkin incident and its role in the Vietnam war
• Why did the US lose the Vietnam war?
• War crimes in the cause of the conflict in Vietnam
• Vietnam war: the role of women
• Weapons and technology in the Vietnam war
• Vietnam war and its influence on popular culture

💡 Vietnam War Essay: How to Write

Chemical warfare, civilian peace protests, and an overwhelming number of casualties are all central circumstances of a Vietnamese-American 19-year conflict that garnered attention all over the world.

Reflecting all these topics in a Vietnam War essay is essential to writing an excellent paper, as well as other structural and informational points. In the prewriting stages:

• Research your issue. Doing so will not only help you choose among various Vietnam War essay topics but also help you start assembling a list of sources that can be of use. Compiling a bibliography early on will allow you to gauge how well covered your subject is and whether you can approach it from different viewpoints. Use various book and journal titles to give your work academic credibility.
• Write a Vietnam War essay outline. This action will help you distribute the weight of your ideas evenly between sub-themes. In turn, doing so will allow you to create a smooth flowing, interconnected narrative of whichever issue you choose.
• Compose a title for your paper. Vietnam War essay titles should be both reflective of their author’s stance and representative of the chosen methodological approach. Since your title is the first thing a potential reader sees, it should grab their attention in the best way.
• Read available sample essays to see which tools and techniques may work in your own paper. While plagiarism is punishable in the academic world, there are no repercussions for getting inspiration or pretending to grade an essay for yourself. Good examples may be just the thing you need to write an excellent paper yourself!

Now you are ready to begin writing. Layering your paper with the appropriate information is only one aspect of essay writing, as you should also:

• Begin your introduction by placing a Vietnam War essay hook in it. This catch can be a remarkable piece of information, a quote from a famous person, or an opposing viewpoint on the subject. Whichever you choose, placing a hook allows you to interest your readers and secure their interest for the duration of your paper.
• Use appropriate terminology. A war-related paper may call for an in-depth understanding of technology, while an ideology related one requires more event-related knowledge. Choose your words according to the specifics of your issue and use them to write a comprehensive and well-rounded essay.
• Understand the cause and effect war environment. Clearly define the links between events and make sure your audience understands all the intricacies of the issue. A timeline, written by you or found online, should help you trace these connections, creating an interflowing essay.
• Recognize the effect of seemingly background events. The recognition of a soldier’s civil rights and the rise of a movement that called for American citizens to return to their home continent is not battlefield-related but greatly impacted politics regarding the issue. Remember that there may be connections between seemingly unrelated problems, and finding them is your goal as an essayist.
• Stick to your Vietnam War essay prompt and the received instructions. Ignoring the specified word count in favor of drafting a more extensive coverage of the problem is not worth losing a grade on a suburb essay.

Always check the rubric that your instructor provided to receive good grades.

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🏆 Best Vietnam War Essay Examples & Topic Ideas

• Similarities and Differences Between Korean and Vietnam Wars There were also several differences such as the way of development of the conflicts where the Korean War was during three years, and the Vietnam War was the prolonged struggle, the participation of the Chinese […]
• Music as a Weapon During the Vietnam War Music to the soldiers in Vietnam acted as a tool to remind all troops of the responsibility that they had taken by being on the battlefield.
• Why Did the United States Lose the Vietnam War? The Office of the Secretary of Defense had become demoralized due to the events that had taken place; hence, it was unwilling to escalate the war further due to the decline of the army troops […]
• Causes and Effects of the Vietnamese War To the U.S.the war was a loss, because the reunion of South and North Vietnamese citizens marked the end of the war, hence U.S.’s undivided support for the southern region yielded nothing, apart from numerous […]
• Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War The Vietnam War caused unintended consequences for the civil rights movements of the 1960s as it awakened the African-Americans’ consciousness on the racism and despotism that they experienced in the United States.
• The Vietnam War in the “Child of Two Worlds” Therefore, in the future, he is like to live in the outside world rather than in the inside one. Therefore, Lam wants to start a new life in the US and forgets his roots, which […]
• Vietnam War in the “Platoon” Movie by Oliver Stone In the context of the war, the confrontation between two non-commissioned officers, the cruel-hearted Barnes and the humane Elias, is depicted.
• How Did the Media Shape Americans’ Perceptions of the Vietnam War? At the heart of this war, the media is believed to have shaped the Americans perception about the war. Technology in this moment made it possible for television to film some incidents in the war […]
• Photos of Vietnam War The role of the media in the Vietnam War also raises issues of what the media ought to censor and report to the public.
• The Use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War The Association of American Advancement of science prompted the US government to allow investigations into the effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam in 1968.
• Analysis of the Vietnam War Timeline 1961-64 In essence, the analysis of JWPs in this war would entail critical exploration of the jus in bello, with the aim of determining the combatants and non-combatants, and this is important in the sense that […]
• Political and Social Forces During and After the Vietnam War The political forces in the aftermath of the Vietnam War centered around balancing between the Cold War and the maintenance of public support.
• Researching and Analysis of the Vietnam War A Chinese leader inspired by the Soviet Union and the Chinese, Ho Chi Minh, formed a union to aid the resistance against the French occupiers in Vietnam and the Japanese.
• The Vietnam War and the Tet Offensive In this presentation, the discussion of the impact of Tet Offensive on the United States and the role of media in military events will be discussed.
• The Artistic Legacy of Maya Lin: A Cultural Response to the Vietnam War Major confrontations as the signs of a shift in cultural perspectives and attitudes have always defined the development of art, the Vietnam War being one of the infamous examples of the phenomenon.
• Vietnam War: History and Facts of War That Began in 1959 The Second Indochina War began in 1959, five years after the division of the country, according to the Geneva Agreement. South Vietnam’s troops failed to substitute American soldiers, and in 1974 the peace agreement was […]
• The Vietnam War: Diplomatic Mechanisms Connected With the USA The onset of the Vietnam War exposed the vagaries in the American political and administrative systems in terms of issues of diplomacy, presidency, and even in cultural and social matters.
• “The Green Berets” Film About the Vietnam War According to the plot, one American journalist named George Beckworth is to cover the topic of the military involvement of the USA in this war.
• Vietnam War: David Halberstam’s “The Making of a Quagmire” In his account, the author of the book The Making of a Quagmire: America and Vietnam during the Kennedy Era, is categorical about the dealings of the Americans in the Vietnamese affair.
• “A Time of War: The United States and Vietnam” by Robert D. Schulzinger These events relate to the activities and interests of the Americans, the French and Vietnamese which preceded the beginning and the aftermath of the war.
• Interview Report: Memories of the Vietnam War Locker about the way he happened to take part in the Vietnam War, he said that he was drafted but, anyway, at that time he thought that it was his destiny as he wanted to […]
• Ho Chi Minh’s Influence in the Vietnam War He was the leader of the Vietnam independence movement and established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam which was governed by the communists.
• “Vietnam War Generation Journal” by Aaron Over the years, the American people realized that the lived of the US soldiers were wasted for achieving the ambitious goals of the American leaders.

💣 Most Interesting Vietnam War Topics

• How the Vietnam War Influenced the Iraq War? During the Vietnam era, the neo-conservatism movement expanded due to the political polarization occurring in the country between the anti-war, anti-American sentiments of the counterculture and neo-cons who championed blind patriotism.
• Impact of the Vietnam War and Results of the Cold War It galvanized the enemy and opponents of the war in both Vietnam and America and led many to question the ethics of the campaigns.
• The Vietnam War in American History Since early fifties the government of the United States began to pay special attention to Vietnam and political situation in this country, because, it was one of the most important regions in the Southeast Asia.
• How TV Showed the Vietnam War At the dawn of television media emergence, the coverage of the Vietnam War was subjective as the opinion of the public was manipulated by the government to get the desired reaction from the Americans to […]
• Vietnam War on Television Thus, the research paper will be written in accordance with the following working thesis statement: At the dawn of television media emergence, the coverage of the Vietnam War was subjective as the opinion of the […]
• Vietnam War Overview in Media Since the defeat of Saigon in April 1975, two opposing representations, the mirror theory, and the elitist opinion theory have appeared to clarify how the media impacted the results of the war.
• “The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War” by Downs At the very outset, it was clear to the soldiers that the war in Indochina was not being conducted in terms of the glory myths on which they had been raised. The second part of […]
• How the Vietnam War Polarized American Society It galvanized the enemy and opponents of the war in both Vietnam and America and led many to question the ethics of the campaigns.
• French Involvement in Vietnam War Even though in the overwhelming majority of cases, the author focuses attention on the history of Vietnam since the Involvement of the French troops in the nineteenth century, he also gives background information as to […]
• Vietnam War Perceptions of African American Leaders Externally, the country was embroiled in an unpopular war in Vietnam and internally, rejection of the ‘establishment’ typified by the ‘Counter-culture movement’ and the Black Civil rights movement was gaining momentum.
• Vietnamese Culture and Traditions: The Role in Vietnam War It was this division that left America with little understanding of how the rest of the world lives and how the country can effectively help others even in times of war.
• My Lai Massacre During Vietnam War American soldiers of Company assaulted the hamlet of My Lai part of the village of Son My in Quang Ngai province of South Vietnam on 16 March 1968.
• American Government’s Involvement in the Vietnam War According to John Kerry, although the main idea behind the decision made by the U.S.government at the time seemed legitimate given the rise in the threat of communism taking over democracy, the execution of it […]
• American History During the Vietnam War In the quest to figure out the events that took place in the history of America, I had an opportunity to interview a close family friend who was one of the African American soldiers during […]
• The Vietnam War on the Network Nightly News This evidence refuting the use of attrition by the American troops indicate that the strategy was ineffective and as such, it gave their enemies a leeway to capitalize on it and intensify the combat.
• China-Vietnam Opposition or the Third Vietnam War The Korean War, numerous military operations in the Middle East, and the Vietnam War were preconditioned by the clash of ideologies and parties unwillingness to make a compromise.
• Vietnam War vs. War on Terror in the Middle East The starting point for the War on Terror is considered to be the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and other locations which led to the deaths of thousands.
• The Vietnam War and Its Effects on the Veterans Although numerous books and articles contain memories of those who lived to tell the tale, the best way to learn about the Vietnam War and to understand how war changes people is to talk to […]
• Vietnam War: The Results of Flawed Containment The neo-orthodox perspective on the war in Vietnam consisted of criticism towards United States policies in the sense that civilian and military leaders of the country were unsuccessful in developing achievable and realistic plans with […]
• Vietnam War and American Revolution Comparison Consequently, the presence of these matters explains the linkage of the United States’ war in Vietnam and the American Revolution to Mao’s stages of the insurgency.
• Vietnam War in “A Path to Shine After” by James Post The author uses the contrast between a peaceful life of the veteran and his experience as a soldier to highlight the senselessness and cruelty of war.
• Vietnam War Experiences in David Vancil’s Poems For these reasons, the majority of the works devoted to the given issue tend to demonstrate the horrors of war and factors that impacted people.
• America in Vietnam War: Effects of Involvement However, the involvement of America in the war has made other countries around the world to question its principle of morality.

🔍 Vietnam War Research Topics & Questions

• African American Soldiers During Vietnam War In the 1960s and 70s, African Americans battled racial discrimination at home in the United States but also faced similar if not the same tension as a member of the Armed Forces while fighting in […]
• Contribution of Women in the Vietnam War Special emphasis will be given to nurses because without their contribution, so many soldiers would have lost their lives or suffered from deteriorating conditions in the War Some of the nurses in the Vietnam War […]
• The American Strategic Culture in Vietnam War Spector further emphasizes that the involvement of the United States in both phases of the Vietnam War was due to Harry Truman, the then president of the United States, who did not support communism, but […]
• Hanoi and Washington: The Vietnam War The Vietnam War was a conflict that was military in nature, occurred between the years 1954 and 1975, and was between the communists and the non-communists.
• America’s Failure in Promoting Its Politic in Vietnam Existing literature purports that, part of America’s agenda in Vietnam was to stop the spread of communism and in other literature excerpts, it is reported that, America was persuading North Vietnam to stop supporting the […]
• Vietnam War in the Book “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien The Irony of being at war is that Peace and conflict are both inevitable; it is the way we handle either of the two that determines our opinion of life in general both in the […]
• Anti-War Movement and American Views on the Vietnam War The fact that people started to take part in demonstrations and openly protest any drafting and involvement of the United States in the war, created even more attention towards the Vietnam Conflict.
• The Vietnam War: Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy Leadership Roles On November 1, 1995, Eisenhower’s action to give military training to the government of South Vietnam marked the official start of the U.S.involvement in the Vietnamese conflict.
• The Vietnam War Causes The aftermath of the Second World War had the South Vietnam controlled by the French and the North Vietnam controlled by Viet Minh.
• The Vietnam War: A Clash of Viewpoints With the help of the most realistic descriptions and the vivid pictures of woes that soldiers had to take in the course of the battles, the author makes the people sink into the mind of […]
• China’s Support for North Vietnam in the Vietnam War As of the time of the war, the capital city of South Vietnam was Saigon while that of the North was Hanoi.
• The Role of Women in the Vietnam War For example, women in the Navy Nurse Corps and Army Nurse Corp were sent to take part in the Vietnam War and the Korean War.
• Appy, C. and Bloom, A., Vietnam War Mythology and the Rise of Public Cynicism, 49-73 The first myth is that the intervention of the US in the Vietnam War was devoid of any political interests and colonial based ambition contrary to that of the French.
• Vietnam Women Soldiers in the Vietnam War and Life Change After the War In 1968, the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong forces attacked all the major cities of South Vietnam and even the US embassy followed where the war could not stop but in the year 1973 […]
• Vietnam War: The Battle Where There Could Be No Winners Inflamed by the ideas of the patriotic behavior and the mission of protecting the interests of the native land, the American soldiers were eager to start the battle.
• The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of 1964 Is a Turning Point in Vietnam War The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that occurred in August 7, 1964, was one of the major turning points in the United States military involvement into the flow of the Vietnam War.
• The Vietnam War’s and Student’s Unrest Connection An example of such protests were held by the by the University of Washington during the national strikes that took an approximate one week as a reaction to the Kent University shootings and a culmination […]
• Vietnam War: John Kerry’s Role Kerry’s actions during the Vietnam war that eventually led to his acquisition of the Purple Heart is a as a result of his ability to stop the actions of the enemy as evident in their […]
• Views on Vietnamese War in the Revisionism School Though United States did not involve itself into the war in order to break the dominance of Soviet Union, it wanted to gain politically and economically.
• Stories From the Vietnam War In the dissonance of opinions on the Vietnam War, it appears reasonable to turn to the first-hand experiences of the veterans and to draw real-life information from their stories.
• Concepts of the Vietnam War The fear to go to Vietnam and participate in a war that many believed America will inevitably lose, continued to engulf their life even more.
• Politics in the 1960s: Vietnam War, Bay of Pigs Invasion, Berlin Wall However, in recent years following the collapse of the Soviet Union between1980 1990 and the opening of Vietnam to the outside world in the same period it is possible to understand the motives of both […]
• Protests and Music of the Vietnam War As the public absorbed the announcement, and the truth behind the war, they were angered by the fact that many American lives had been lost in the war, and the fact that the government was […]
• The Vietnam War Outcomes The Vietnam War was and is still considered the longest deployment of the U. In conclusion, both the U.S.and the Vietnam governments have a lot to ponder regarding the outcome of the Vietnam War.
• Chicago (A-D)
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Vietnam War Research Paper Topics

Welcome to iResearchNet’s comprehensive guide on Vietnam War research paper topics . This page is tailored specifically for students studying history who have been tasked with writing a research paper on this pivotal period of global conflict. Here, you will find a wealth of thought-provoking and diverse research topics that will allow you to delve into the complexities and impacts of the Vietnam War.

100 Vietnam War Research Paper Topics

The Vietnam War stands as one of the most significant and contentious conflicts of the 20th century, leaving an indelible mark on global history. For students studying this era, exploring the multitude of Vietnam War research paper topics is a compelling opportunity to gain insights into the complexities of war, diplomacy, society, and culture. In this section, we present an extensive and diverse list of research paper topics, meticulously organized into ten categories. Each category offers ten thought-provoking Vietnam War research paper topics, inviting students to delve into various facets of the conflict and its far-reaching impact. Whether you are interested in the war’s origins, military strategies, social ramifications, or the aftermath, this comprehensive list will inspire and guide you in crafting a well-informed and engaging research paper.

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Causes and Background of the Vietnam War

• French Colonialism in Vietnam: The Seeds of Conflict
• Ho Chi Minh and the Rise of Vietnamese Nationalism
• The Role of the United States in the Early Stages of the Conflict
• The Domino Theory and its Influence on U.S. Foreign Policy
• Assessing the Impact of World War II on the Vietnam War
• Roots of Anti-Communist Sentiments in the U.S. Government
• Examining the Geneva Accords and their Implications for Vietnam’s Future
• The Influence of the Cold War on the Vietnam Conflict
• The Interplay of Economic Interests and Colonial Ambitions in Indochina
• Religious and Ethnic Factors in the Conflict: Buddhism, Catholicism, and Cao Dai.

Military Strategies and Tactics

• Guerrilla Warfare and Its Impact on the Vietnam War
• The Tet Offensive: A Turning Point in the Conflict
• The Role of Media in Shaping Public Perception of the War
• Air Warfare: Operation Rolling Thunder and its Effectiveness
• The Use of Chemical Agents in the War: Agent Orange and Napalm
• The Battle of Ia Drang: Analyzing U.S. Troop Deployments
• The Ho Chi Minh Trail: A Supply Line that Shaped the War
• U.S. Strategic Bombing Campaigns and Their Consequences
• The Vietnamization Policy and Its Effects on the Conflict
• Evaluating the Role of Special Forces in Vietnam: Green Berets and Navy SEALs.

Social and Cultural Aspects of the War

• The Anti-War Movement in the United States: Origins, Key Figures, and Impact
• Media Coverage and Its Influence on Public Opinion
• Music of Protest: Folk, Rock, and the Counter-Culture Movement
• The Role of Women in the Vietnam War: Nurses, Volunteers, and Activists
• The Plight of Prisoners of War (POWs) and Missing in Action (MIAs)
• Protests and Resistance in Vietnam: Voices from the Viet Cong
• The Effects of PTSD on Veterans and Their Reintegration into Society
• Ethnic Minorities in the War: African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics
• The Impact of the Draft on American Society and Attitudes toward the War
• Artistic Expressions of the War: Literature, Film, and Photography.

Diplomacy and Peace Negotiations

• Paris Peace Accords: Negotiating an End to the Vietnam War
• The Role of Diplomacy in Resolving the Conflict: Successes and Failures
• Challenges and Obstacles to Peace Talks: Ideological, Political, and Military
• The Influence of Public Opinion on Peace Negotiations
• The Nixon-Kissinger Approach to Diplomacy: Realpolitik and Detente
• Assessing the Role of China and the Soviet Union in the Peace Process
• The Problem of Dual Recognition: North Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government
• Economic Sanctions and their Role in Negotiations
• The Impact of the Anti-War Movement on Diplomatic Efforts
• The Continuing Legacy of the Vietnam War in U.S. Foreign Policy.

Human Rights and War Crimes

• My Lai Massacre: Uncovering the Atrocities and Accountability
• Agent Orange and its Aftermath: Environmental and Human Health Impacts
• The Ethics of Targeted Killings and Assassinations during the War
• The Role of the International Red Cross and Humanitarian Efforts
• The Treatment of POWs in North Vietnamese Camps
• War Crimes Trials and the Pursuit of Justice: The Case of Lieutenant William Calley
• The Impact of the War on Children and Civilians: Orphans and Refugees
• War Crimes and Atrocities Committed by All Sides: A Balanced Perspective
• Examining the Legal and Moral Arguments of Bombing Civilian Targets
• The Ongoing Debate on War Crimes and Historical Reconciliation.

Impact and Aftermath of the Vietnam War

• Veterans’ Experiences and Challenges After the War: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• The Economic Impact of the War on Vietnam and the United States
• The Reconciliation Process between Vietnam and the United States
• The Legacy of the Vietnam War in U.S. Politics and Presidential Power
• The Vietnam War and Environmental Destruction: Deforestation and Agent Orange
• The Influence of the Vietnam War on Military Strategy and Doctrine
• The Vietnam War and the Emergence of the “Military-Industrial Complex”
• The Impact of the War on Asian-American Communities in the United States
• The Effects of the Vietnam War on American Public Opinion and Trust in Government
• The Emergence of Vietnam War Literature and its Cultural Significance.

The Role of Women in the Vietnam War

• Female Combatants in the Viet Cong: Roles and Contributions
• Nursing and Medical Care during the War: Women on the Frontlines
• Women’s Activism and Participation in the Peace Movement
• The Experience of American Military Nurses in Vietnam
• Women in Intelligence Agencies: Spies and Operatives
• The Impact of the War on Vietnamese Women: Challenges and Resilience
• Women as War Correspondents and Journalists
• Female Representation in the North Vietnamese Government and Army
• The Role of Women in the Anti-War Movement: Voices for Peace
• The Evolution of Gender Roles in Vietnamese Society during the War.

Intelligence and Counterintelligence

• The Role of the CIA and Other Intelligence Agencies in Vietnam
• Codebreaking and Communication Interception: Decrypting Enemy Messages
• Espionage and Double Agents in the Conflict: Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Military Intelligence in Vietnam
• The Tet Offensive and Intelligence Failures: Lessons Learned
• Psychological Warfare and Propaganda: Deception in the Vietnam War
• The Phoenix Program: Intelligence-Led Counterinsurgency Efforts
• The Role of Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) in Shaping the War
• Intelligence Sharing between the United States and its Allies
• Evaluating the Role of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) in Gathering Information

Regional and Global Implications of the Vietnam War

• The Domino Theory and its Impact on U.S. Foreign Policy
• The Vietnam War’s Influence on Cold War Dynamics
• Vietnam as a Case Study in Nation-Building and Intervention
• The Impact of the Vietnam War on Southeast Asia: Regional Stability and Conflicts
• Assessing the Influence of the Vietnam War on Latin American Revolutionary Movements
• The Role of Australia and New Zealand in the Vietnam War: ANZUS Treaty Obligations
• China’s Involvement in the Vietnam War: Motives and Consequences
• The Soviet Union’s Support for North Vietnam: Political and Military Aims
• The Vietnam War and Africa: The Pan-Africanist Movement’s Response
• The Vietnam War and European Allies: NATO’s Dilemmas and Responses

Comparing the Vietnam War to Other Conflicts

• Vietnam War vs. Korean War: A Comparative Analysis of Strategies and Outcomes
• The Vietnam War and the Soviet-Afghan War: Lessons Learned and Repercussions
• Assessing the Similarities and Differences between the Vietnam and Iraq Wars
• Comparing Vietnam and World War II: The Role of Technology and Total War
• The Vietnam War and the Gulf War: Asymmetrical Warfare in Modern Conflicts
• The Vietnam War and the French-Algerian War: Colonial Legacies and Revolutions
• Vietnam War vs. The American Revolutionary War: Fighting for Independence
• The Vietnam War and the Falklands War: Island Conflicts and National Identity
• Comparing the Vietnam War to the Russo-Japanese War: Imperial Ambitions and Defeats
• The Vietnam War and the Spanish Civil War: International Interventions and Ideological Battles

You have now explored a vast array of Vietnam War research paper topics, spanning from the causes and background of the conflict to its far-reaching consequences on the global stage. By delving into these categories, you have the opportunity to uncover the multi-dimensional nature of the Vietnam War, analyze its intricacies, and grasp its profound implications. Whether you are fascinated by military strategies, diplomatic efforts, social aspects, or the aftermath, these topics will serve as a stepping stone to crafting an engaging and insightful research paper. Remember to select a topic that aligns with your interests, access credible sources, and stay objective in your analysis. Embark on your research journey with zeal, and let the knowledge you gain from these Vietnam War research paper topics contribute to a deeper understanding of this transformative period in history.

Vietnam War and Its Range of Research Paper Topics

The Vietnam War, spanning from 1955 to 1975, was a momentous conflict that not only reshaped the geopolitics of Southeast Asia but also left a profound impact on global history. Its intricate tapestry of political, military, social, and cultural dimensions provides a vast array of research paper topics for students studying history. Understanding the scope and significance of this war allows researchers to explore a myriad of intriguing themes that shed light on the complexities of human conflict, diplomacy, and societal transformation.

At the core of Vietnam War research lies the examination of its causes and background. Topics in this category delve into the historical underpinnings of the conflict, including the role of French colonialism in Vietnam, the rise of Vietnamese nationalism under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, and the interplay of major powers like the United States and the Soviet Union in shaping the conflict’s trajectory. Investigating the roots of the war not only provides insights into the events that led to the outbreak of hostilities but also highlights the significance of broader historical contexts, such as the Cold War and the post-World War II era.

Military strategies and tactics employed during the Vietnam War form another intriguing avenue for research. The war’s unique nature, characterized by guerrilla warfare and asymmetrical tactics, challenges conventional notions of military engagements. Students can explore topics such as the Tet Offensive, which marked a turning point in the conflict, the use of psychological warfare and propaganda, and the effects of chemical agents like Agent Orange and napalm. Additionally, investigating the impact of media coverage and the role of journalists during the war sheds light on how public perception can influence the outcomes of armed conflicts.

The social and cultural aspects of the Vietnam War offer yet another captivating realm of research. The anti-war movement in the United States, with its origins in the counterculture of the 1960s, transformed public opinion and challenged the government’s war policy. Vietnam War research paper topics in this category can delve into the music of protest, analyzing how folk and rock songs became anthems for peace, as well as examining the impact of war on civilians, particularly women, children, and ethnic minorities. The experiences of veterans and the challenges they faced upon returning home, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also provide fertile ground for exploration.

Diplomacy and peace negotiations during the Vietnam War open doors to study the intricacies of international relations and the complexities of conflict resolution. Vietnam War research paper topics may include an analysis of the Paris Peace Accords and the negotiations that led to a cease-fire, the role of third-party mediators, and the impact of public opinion on diplomatic efforts. Evaluating the challenges and obstacles faced during peace talks can offer valuable lessons on the difficulties of finding common ground in highly contentious and protracted conflicts.

Addressing issues of human rights and war crimes during the Vietnam War allows students to examine the darker aspects of armed conflicts. The My Lai Massacre, in which American soldiers killed unarmed Vietnamese civilians, represents a watershed moment in the war, raising questions about accountability and justice. Research topics in this category can explore the use of chemical agents like Agent Orange and its long-term environmental and health impacts, as well as the treatment of prisoners of war (POWs) and missing in action (MIAs). Analyzing war crimes and atrocities committed by all sides underscores the complexities of moral and legal judgments in times of war.

Beyond the active conflict, exploring the impact and aftermath of the Vietnam War provides a holistic understanding of its enduring legacy. Research topics in this area may focus on the experiences of veterans and the challenges they faced upon returning to civilian life, as well as the economic repercussions on both Vietnam and the United States. Assessing the ongoing reconciliation process between the two nations highlights the significance of post-war diplomacy and healing. The war’s environmental consequences, such as deforestation and the lingering effects of chemical warfare, also demand examination to better comprehend the far-reaching ecological impact of armed conflicts.

The Vietnam War’s influence extended beyond its immediate region, influencing the course of global politics and military strategy. Students can explore topics on the regional and global implications of the war, including its impact on the Cold War dynamics and the emergence of the “domino theory” as a guiding principle for U.S. foreign policy. Investigating the roles of other nations, such as China and the Soviet Union, in the conflict also illuminates the complexity of alliances and geopolitical strategies.

Moreover, comparing the Vietnam War to other historical conflicts enriches historical analysis and provides valuable insights into the dynamics of warfare. Vietnam War research paper topics in this category may explore the similarities and differences between the Vietnam War and the Korean War, the Soviet-Afghan War, the Iraq War, and other conflicts. Such comparative studies offer opportunities to evaluate the effectiveness of different military strategies, the impacts of international involvement, and the lasting legacies of various armed struggles.

In conclusion, the Vietnam War presents an expansive and diverse range of research paper topics that encompass politics, military strategy, social change, human rights, and global implications. As students embark on their research journey, they will uncover the multifaceted nature of this transformative conflict, gaining valuable insights into the complexities of war and its far-reaching consequences. By immersing themselves in the study of these Vietnam War research paper topics, students will not only enrich their understanding of history but also contribute to an ongoing dialogue about the enduring impact of the Vietnam War on the world stage.

How to Choose Vietnam War Research Paper Topics

Selecting a compelling and well-suited research paper topic is a crucial first step in crafting an engaging and insightful academic paper. As you explore the vast landscape of Vietnam War research topics, it is essential to choose a subject that aligns with your interests, expertise, and academic goals. This section offers expert guidance and ten essential tips to assist you in navigating the process of selecting the most suitable Vietnam War research paper topic. By following these recommendations, you will not only discover a topic that captivates your curiosity but also ensures that you have ample resources and relevant materials to support your investigation. Embark on this journey of exploration and analysis, and let your passion for history guide you toward a topic that allows you to make a meaningful contribution to the understanding of this transformative period in global history.

• Understand Your Interests and Expertise : Begin the process of selecting a research paper topic by reflecting on your personal interests and expertise. Think about the aspects of the Vietnam War that fascinate you the most, whether it be its historical origins, military strategies, cultural impact, or diplomatic efforts. Consider your previous coursework, readings, and discussions in history classes to identify areas that have captivated your attention. By choosing a topic that aligns with your interests and knowledge, you are more likely to stay engaged and motivated throughout the research and writing process.
• Focus on Specific Aspects or Time Periods : The Vietnam War spans two decades and encompasses a wide range of events and themes. To narrow down your research paper topic, consider focusing on specific aspects or time periods within the war. For example, you could explore the causes and consequences of a particular battle, the experiences of soldiers during a specific year, or the impact of a particular policy or strategy. Focusing on a specific aspect allows you to delve deeper into the subject matter and provide a more nuanced analysis of the historical context.
• Consider Relevance and Contemporary Implications : As you explore different research paper topics, consider the relevance of your chosen subject matter to contemporary issues and debates. How does the Vietnam War’s history connect to present-day challenges, such as conflict resolution, foreign policy, or social justice? Understanding the contemporary implications of your research topic not only adds relevance to your paper but also allows you to contribute to ongoing discussions and debates about historical legacies.
• Evaluate the Availability of Sources and Materials : Before finalizing your research paper topic, assess the availability of credible and reliable sources. Check whether there is sufficient literature, primary documents, and scholarly articles related to your chosen topic. A well-supported research paper requires access to a diverse range of sources to strengthen your arguments and provide a comprehensive analysis. Ensure that your topic has enough resources to support your research and avoid topics with limited or outdated information.
• Seek the Guidance of Your Professor or Instructor : Consulting with your professor or instructor can provide valuable insights and suggestions for your research paper topic. They can help you identify areas that need further exploration, recommend reputable sources, and guide you in refining your research questions. Professors often appreciate students who show enthusiasm and initiative in selecting topics related to course content, as it demonstrates a genuine interest in the subject matter.
• Look for Gaps in Existing Research : Research topics that address gaps in existing literature or challenge prevailing interpretations can make a significant contribution to historical scholarship. Investigate areas that have received less attention or have not been thoroughly explored in previous research. By shedding new light on understudied aspects of the Vietnam War, you can offer fresh insights and expand the existing body of knowledge.
• Balance Well-Known and Lesser-Known Topics : Consider balancing well-known topics with lesser-known or overlooked aspects of the Vietnam War. While popular subjects, such as the Tet Offensive or the anti-war movement, offer ample resources and discussions, exploring less familiar topics can yield unique and original research. By delving into lesser-known events, individuals, or policies, you can uncover hidden stories and bring new perspectives to the forefront.
• Analyze the Significance and Impact of the Chosen Topic : Assess the historical significance and broader impact of your chosen topic within the context of the Vietnam War. How did your topic influence the course of the war, the lives of people involved, or the historical narratives that emerged afterward? Understanding the broader implications of your research topic adds depth to your paper and allows you to contextualize its relevance within the larger historical framework.
• Choose Topics that Resonate with Current Events : Exploring research paper topics that resonate with current events and contemporary issues can infuse your study with relevance and broader societal implications. Consider how historical themes related to the Vietnam War connect to modern-day conflicts, international relations, or social movements. By drawing parallels between past and present, you can demonstrate the continued relevance of historical analysis in understanding present challenges.
• Stay Passionate and Motivated Throughout the Research Process : Above all, choose a Vietnam War research paper topic that ignites your passion and curiosity. A topic that genuinely excites you will sustain your motivation and dedication during the research process, even when faced with challenges or complexities. Your enthusiasm for the subject matter will shine through in your writing, making your research paper more engaging and impactful for your readers.

The process of selecting a research paper topic on the Vietnam War demands careful consideration, critical thinking, and a genuine interest in historical exploration. By following these ten essential tips, you can identify a topic that aligns with your interests, is well-supported by resources, and contributes to the existing body of knowledge on this transformative period in global history. Whether you choose to delve into well-known events, unearth lesser-known stories, or investigate the contemporary relevance of historical themes, your research endeavor will enrich your understanding of the Vietnam War and its enduring impact on the world. Embrace the opportunity to contribute to historical scholarship, and embark on a journey of discovery that will leave a lasting legacy in the field of history.

How to Write a Vietnam War Research Paper

Once you have selected a compelling Vietnam War research paper topic, the next step is to embark on the writing process. Writing a research paper on the Vietnam War requires careful planning, thorough research, and a structured approach to effectively present your findings and analysis. This section will provide you with expert guidance and ten essential tips to help you craft a well-organized, insightful, and compelling research paper that showcases your understanding of this significant historical period.

• Develop a Clear Thesis Statement : Craft a concise and focused thesis statement that outlines the main argument or central point of your research paper. Your thesis statement should reflect the specific aspect of the Vietnam War you are exploring and the main conclusions you aim to draw from your research. It provides the backbone of your paper and guides readers on what to expect from your analysis.
• Organize Your Research : Organize your research materials and sources systematically to facilitate efficient writing. Create an outline or structure for your paper, dividing it into sections or chapters based on the main points you want to cover. This organization ensures a logical flow of ideas and helps you avoid redundancy or confusion in your writing.
• Conduct In-Depth Research : Thoroughly investigate primary and secondary sources related to your chosen topic. Use reputable academic journals, books, historical documents, interviews, and other reliable materials to support your arguments. Balance your research between different perspectives and viewpoints to provide a comprehensive and well-rounded analysis.
• Incorporate Strong Evidence : Support your arguments with strong and relevant evidence from your research. Use direct quotes, statistics, and specific examples from primary sources and scholarly literature to validate your claims. Cite your sources accurately using the appropriate citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian) to give credit to the original authors and avoid plagiarism.
• Analyze and Interpret Findings : Analyze the evidence you have gathered and interpret its significance within the context of your research question. Explain how the evidence supports your thesis and the broader implications of your findings. Provide critical insights and thoughtful interpretations to demonstrate your understanding of the Vietnam War and its complexities.
• Develop Well-Structured Paragraphs : Organize your ideas into well-structured paragraphs that each focus on a single topic or argument. Begin each paragraph with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main point, followed by supporting evidence and analysis. Use transitions to connect your paragraphs and maintain a smooth flow of ideas.
• Use Engaging and Clear Language : Write in a clear and concise manner, avoiding jargon or unnecessary complexity. Use engaging language to captivate your readers and maintain their interest throughout your research paper. Avoid long, convoluted sentences and opt for straightforward and coherent writing.
• Provide Historical Context : Offer sufficient historical context to contextualize your research and help readers understand the significance of your findings. Explain the broader historical background, events, and developments that led to the Vietnam War. Providing context enhances the readers’ comprehension of your paper and reinforces the relevance of your research.
• Address Counterarguments : Acknowledge and address counterarguments or alternative viewpoints related to your research topic. Demonstrating an awareness of differing opinions strengthens your paper and showcases your ability to engage in scholarly discourse. Present counterarguments objectively and explain why your research supports your own thesis.
• Conclude with Impact : Craft a strong and impactful conclusion that summarizes your main findings, restates your thesis, and reflects on the broader significance of your research. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion, and instead, leave readers with a lasting impression of your research and its contributions to the understanding of the Vietnam War.

Writing a research paper on the Vietnam War is a challenging yet rewarding endeavor that allows you to deepen your understanding of this transformative period in history. By following the ten essential tips outlined in this section, you can approach the writing process with confidence and structure, ensuring that your research paper is well-organized, insightful, and compelling. Remember to develop a clear thesis statement, conduct thorough research, and incorporate strong evidence to support your arguments. Analyze and interpret your findings, provide historical context, and address counterarguments to showcase your depth of understanding. With engaging and clear language, present your research in a coherent and impactful manner. As you conclude your paper, leave readers with a lasting impression of your research’s significance and contributions to the field of historical scholarship. Embrace this opportunity to share your knowledge and insights, and let your Vietnam War research paper be a testament to your passion for history and commitment to academic excellence.

iResearchNet’s Custom Research Paper Writing Services

As students delve into the intricate history of the Vietnam War, they encounter the challenge of crafting comprehensive and insightful research papers on this pivotal period. The Vietnam War offers a wealth of topics to explore, ranging from military strategies and political developments to social and cultural impacts. However, the process of researching, analyzing, and presenting findings can be daunting and time-consuming. At iResearchNet, we understand the significance of this historical era and the importance of delivering well-crafted research papers that meet academic standards. As a leading provider of academic writing services, we offer custom Vietnam War research paper writing services to assist students in producing exceptional papers that showcase their understanding, analytical skills, and expertise.

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Honors Theses

The vietnam war at home and abroad: soldiers, military leadership, and the antiwar movement.

Mason E. Fox , University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Follow

Project Director

Eckelmann Berghel, Susan

Department Examiner

Samuel, Anne Tracy; Kuby, William

Dept. of History

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

During the 1960s and 1970s, youth activism and culture shaped American society. Pre- and college-age youth participated in the civil rights movement, engaged in politics to improve their education and equality, and called for a true democracy in American culture. The youth were passionately standing up for what they believed in, shaping the mold of America’s future. One of the most remembered youth protests of the 1970s was the antiwar movements. What began as peaceful demonstrations in 1964, quickly turned into draft card burnings, antiwar music recordings, and even went as far as torching ROTC buildings. The Kent State shooting and Woodstock define the American collective memory of the Vietnam War and antiwar movements. The youth, for the first time, were not accepting traditional norms of American society. They organized protests that inspired older generation’s harsh criticism. Students demanded an end to the war, and a political agenda that reflected true equality and democracy. Growing violence and tensions at home resonated among soldiers in Vietnam who started to question military involvement abroad because of increasing domestic disputes and a prolonged war. Many soldiers joined the antiwar movement by producing underground newspapers and holding strategic meetings in coffeehouses. Letters from soldiers abroad often described confusion and guilt about their military service. Other soldiers expressed feelings of betrayal by their own country. They asserted that soldiers deserved more support since they were dying for the idea of freedom and doing their duty as Americans. Divisions at home corresponded with growing tensions in the armed forces. What caused soldiers’ disillusionment? How did antiwar movements shape soldiers’ perceptions abroad? How might the fiery protests that targeted the U.S. Armed Forces have affected soldiers’ morale in Vietnam? Did the protests affect the outcome of the war? There is no question that the American public influenced political and military decision making, but this paper will examine how antiwar movements uniquely affected soldiers on the front lines. During WWII, many Americans supported war efforts; soldiers emerged as heroes receiving economic benefits with the GI Bill. During the Vietnam War, however, growing public opposition against the war far outnumbered its supporters; soldiers became a target of war protestors. This honors thesis argues that antiwar movements and failing political leadership shaped the general morale among soldiers and outcome of the Vietnam War.

Acknowledgments

I extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Susan Eckelmann Berghel for the many hours of editing, reading, and simply being a loyal supporter. Her commitment to my success will always be a warm memory in my experience of undergraduate research. I would also like to thank Dr. Anne Tracy Samuel and Dr. William Kuby for their insightful and encouraging assistance throughout my thesis development. Lastly, my parents, Robert and Darcy Fox, have been tremendous influences on my focus and motivation. I will forever by grateful for the many supporters in my endeavors.

B. A.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Protest movements; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Psychological aspects

Vietnam War; Military; Political leaders; Antiwar Movement; Media; Morale

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http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Recommended Citation

Fox, Mason E., "The Vietnam War at home and abroad: soldiers, military leadership, and the antiwar movement" (2019). Honors Theses. https://scholar.utc.edu/honors-theses/180

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The Vietnam War: A Lesson in the Geopolitics of Southeast Asia

• Jeremy Black
• March 30, 2018
• Center for the Study of America and the West

As nuclear confrontation gave way to nuclear parity in the 1960s and early 1970s, limited war in Vietnam proved far less successful than in the Korean War less than 20 years before.. Why? The analysis of the Vietnam War continues to be highly controversial and interacts with ongoing debates in the United States and elsewhere about how best to conduct military operations, and especially the inherent viability of guerrilla warfare and, conversely, of counterinsurgency strategies.

The War in Focus

The American image of land warfare during the Cold War as a whole is dominated by the Vietnam War for a number of reasons. This was a lengthy conflict, one in which the United States, the world’s leading military power, was involved most intensively. As the sole major televised ground-conflict during the Cold War, the war was extensively reported from on the ground, with print journalism supported by impressive photography, and was followed with great attention around the world, much of it critical. As the war was also a failure for the United States, it was both analyzed there and attracted great attention elsewhere—being seen as an augury of a new age of warfare, that of revolutionary warfare, and more particularly as a victory for Maoist ideas of revolutionary violence and strategy, ideas contrasted with those of the Soviet Union.

Moreover, American failure appeared to demonstrate that air power had not redefined warfare to the extent that its protagonists argued. The Vietnam War led to much discussion of the merits and limitations of bombing to achieve strategic objectives. Although it could bring significant tactical and operational advantages, the Americans failed to use bombing to bring victory or, indeed, to direct the responses of the North Vietnamese, except for an investment in anti-aircraft capability. American failure also showed that nuclear capability reduced the significance of warfare, whether conventional or not. All of these points had, and still have, considerable value, but none justifies the extent to which the Vietnam War, or rather this Vietnam war, dominates discussion, and notably so at the popular level.

To understand the war better, it is important to place it in the broader geopolitical context of the late 1960s. Comparing Vietnam to contemporaneous conflicts in the Middle East, for example, can help both illuminate the details of Vietnam and also challenge claims about that conflict’s singularity.

The American-supported government in South Vietnam faced a Communist rebellion by the Viet Cong, which led to more overt American intervention. In turn, in a process that had begun before American intervention, and in a process encouraged by China, forces from North Vietnam moved south to help the Viet Cong. By 1963, there were 16,000 American military advisers in South Vietnam, but the Army of the Republic of [South] Vietnam, or the ARVN, was not in command of the situation. In part, this was because it was having to respond to its opponents and had a large area to defend, but there was also a command culture focused on caution and firepower that could not grasp the dynamic of events. Being on the defensive meant that its opponents were able to dictate the pace of campaigning.

America Increases its Commitment

By 1965, in the face of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong moving, as they thought, into the last phase of Mao Zedong’s theory of revolutionary war, and accordingly deploying large forces operating in concentrated units, the ARVN was on the verge of collapse. This situation led to a major increase in American commitment to preserve the credibility of American power and to force war on the Communists in an area where the Americans could intervene. Thus, to President Lyndon B. Johnson, the war was a necessary demonstration of resolve, a strategic goal that rather overwhelmed the specific problems of seeking success in South Vietnam. This was a sequel to the alleged failure to prevent Cuba going Communist, an assessment that exaggerated what the United States could have achieved once Fidel Castro was established.

The Americans faced tactical and operational difficulties in operating in South Vietnam but overcame them. Initially focused on defending coastal areas that were strongholds of South Vietnamese power and essential for American deployment, the Americans gradually built up an impressive logistical infrastructure, then moved into the interior. The Americans were able to advance into parts of South Vietnam which had been outside the control of Saigon and to inflict serious blows on the Viet Cong in the Mekong delta. In addition, direct mass Viet Cong attacks on American positions were generally repulsed with heavy casualties, for example at the siege of Plei Me in the Central Highlands in 1965.

The Americans sought to advance throughout South Vietnam, establishing “firebases” from which they could mount large-scale search-and-destroy operations, in order to defeat the large units being deployed by their opponents and erode their strength. Land warfare was becoming far more mobile as a result of the internal combustion engine. The helicopter played a major role in this extension of activity, especially with the use of the new 1 st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). In addition, the environment, notably the forest cover and the lack of good roads, was generally not appropriate for armor. The use of the helicopter represented a successful operational and tactical engagement with the situation. Such success, however, was only possible because the North Vietnamese did not have human-portable, surface-to-air missiles until late in the war. Had they done so earlier, the usage of helicopters would have been extremely difficult, as was the case for Portugal in Africa, which would have forced the Americans to change their tactics to more conventional methods of advance, supply and retreat.

In the event, against the background of the very different experience of the Korean War, the American army gradually learned the necessary tactical skills to campaign successfully in South Vietnam, albeit, in turn, squandering this lesson by the practice of rotating units out of the combat zone too quickly. Nevertheless, the strategy underpinning American land warfare was problematic as, in parallel, was the very different strategy guiding American air warfare against North Vietnam. As with other counterinsurgency armies, American activity on the ground was somewhat apt to conceal the extent to which the initiative was, in practice, shared with the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. Moreover, although heavy casualties were inflicted, in what could be presented as attritional warfare linked to American “scientific” operational research and the related “kill statistics,” opposing numbers rose, as North Vietnam responded to the American build-up by sending troops south down the Ho Chi Minh Trail and thus avoiding the strong American presence in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam.

The Tet Offensive: Tactics and Ramifications

There was also the problem of forcing conflict on opponents, a problem underlined by the politically imposed necessity of using air but not ground forces in attacking the opponents’ base area of North Vietnam. Within South Vietnam itself, there was no concentration of opposing power that could be rapidly fixed and readily destroyed as, in very different circumstances, the Israelis were to do against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in 1967, and the Indians and Pakistanis to sought to do in successive conflicts in 1965 and 1971.

The North Vietnamese presented simply denying American success as victory, on the grounds that American willpower to sustain the struggle was less than theirs. Although easy to claim, however, it did not suffice, especially as the Americans claimed in 1967 that the war was going well. This situation helped ensure the launch of the Tet Offensive, a major offensive by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong in 1968, designed to show the American public that their army was failing, and also to demonstrate to the South Vietnamese that this army could not protect them.

There were obvious fundamental contrasts between the Tet Offensive and that of the Israelis in 1967, not least in terrain and outcome, but there was a similarity in that the ability to take the offensive to disorientated opponents and provided a dramatic political message. Although the Soviet Union backed Egypt and Syria, the Israelis were not directly up against a superpower with superior technology or united command. Given the constraints within which they had to operate, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong did well, helped, as in the Israeli case, by strong morale.

The attacks mounted under cover of the Lunar New Year celebrations of Tet were launched in the mistaken belief that they would engender a popular uprising. In turn, over-optimistic American assumptions about enemy casualties in the border battles of late 1967 were matched by an inability to believe that a full-scale attack on the cities would be mounted. This was a serious failure of assessment. About 85,000 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops attacked beginning on January 30, 1968, being eventually defeated with heavy losses over the following month. There was a recurrence of the failure of attacks on French positions in 1951. Nevertheless, North Vietnamese military and political strategies did not depend on continual success.

Having defeated these attacks, American effectiveness in counter-insurgency increased from 1968, but, in part for tactical and operational reasons, it still proved difficult to “fix” opponents and to force them to fight on American terms. Nevertheless, in 1969, the Americans inflicted serious blows on the Viet Cong who had lost many of their more experienced troops in the Tet Offensive, and achieved little in 1969.

Although the Americans were able to repulse attacks, their counter-insurgency strategy was undermined by the unpopularity of the South Vietnamese government, by Viet Cong opposition and intimidation, and by increasingly vocal domestic American criticism of what appeared an increasingly intractable conflict. The last encouraged the Americans to shift more of the burden back on the ARVN, with problematic results. The ARVN had some good commanders and units, but was not up to American expectations. Thus, prefiguring the situation in Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, although the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese did not win in the field in 1968-72, they benefited greatly from shifts in the military and political contexts. At the strategic level, these shifts included growing pressure on American interests elsewhere, and notably so as a result of Soviet support for Arab rearmament and intransigence after the Six Day War of 1967. The Soviet deployment of more warships in the Mediterranean increased the pressure on the United States. There was also concern about the situation in Korea.

The issues facing the United States in South Vietnam were matched by the experience of their allies, each of whom had their own particular approaches and combat styles. Analysis of the Australian pacification activity in Phuoc Tuy province, as of the Americans in Binh Dinh province, question the thesis that the policy had succeeded and was therefore wrecked by the eventual pull out. At the same time, it is clear that the Viet Cong, which had been able to compete openly with the government in 1966, was, by the close of 1972, forced to operate clandestinely. Yet, there has also been a focus on the “inherent weaknesses in the South Vietnamese state” that in part was a matter of the webs of patronage and corruption, but that, more generally, was a consequence of “the immaturity of the South Vietnamese state.” This situation greatly affected military preparedness and morale. Training was also poor, and the army depended on the Americans for firepower and logistics.

The Easter Offensive of 1972 and the Failure to Translate Operational Strategy

As in most conflicts, the balance of failure in Vietnam by both sides continued, and was demonstrated by North Vietnam in their 1972 Easter Offensive, which that stands comparison, as a military and political move, with the Egyptian and Syrian assault on Israel in 1973. The casualties inflicted on the Viet Cong in, and after the Tet offensive, as well as the inability of American air attacks to destroy North Vietnam’s war-supporting capability and logistical system, had ensured a greater reliance on North Vietnamese forces, rather than on the Viet Cong, while also creating the possibility for the use of conventional forces in a conventional Soviet-style operation. In March 1972, the North Vietnamese launched the Nguyen Hue campaign (or Easter Offensive) across the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam. The surprise nature of the attack, and the strong forces deployed, brought initial success. Quang Tri, a provincial capital, was captured and another, An Loc, besieged. In response, President Richard Nixon briefly considered using nuclear weapons.

A standard view, notably in the United States, emphasizes the role, in the eventual North Vietnamese failure, of the American Linebacker I air campaign which hit the invasion force’s supply system, particularly their fuel stocks. This account underplays the role of South Vietnamese defenders, who held off the invasion, and the problems the North Vietnamese confronted in mastering high-tempo maneuver warfare. Both were also to be issues for Egypt and Syria when attacking Israel in 1973, and for Iraq when attacking Iran in 1980, in all cases without success. The Soviet Union could provide impressive weaponry, particularly tanks, but it proved far more difficult to transfer the doctrine and techniques of effective operational warfare, and notably so if faced by determined opposition. As more generally in military history, capabilities—whether in attack or defense—were focused, accentuated, minimized, or offset, by the characteristics of the opponent. Moreover, Soviet operational art was devised for the circumstances of the North European Plain and was not easy to translate to very different environmental and military conditions.

In 1972, the North Vietnamese failed to make the best use of tanks, which reflected both an operational inability to gain mobility and achieve particular objectives, and a tactical failure to get and utilize infantry-armor coordination. Instead, as with the Iraqis in 1980, the tanks were used by the North Vietnamese as an assault force on South Vietnamese positions, indeed essentially as mobile artillery. This had the effect of squandering the initiative in operational terms, while providing targets for American air attack. On the eve of the American withdrawal in 1973, neither side had won the war on the ground, a repetition of the situation for the French there in 1954 and in Algeria in 1962, which was not a comparison the Americans would have welcomed. However, the Americans, like the French in 1954, were under serious fiscal pressure and suffering from rising domestic problems.

The End of the War Was Not the End of the Fighting

The failure of the Nguyen Hue campaign in South Vietnam in 1972 meant that the North Vietnamese would need to follow the route of negotiation in order to move forward in the Vietnam War. This course was encouraged by the 1972 American rapprochement with China, a step of great strategic significance that, like the earlier overthrow of the Left-wing nationalist government in Indonesia in 1965-66, made it less serious for the Americans to abandon South Vietnam. Indeed, as a result, there was a strategic “victory” of a sort for the United States in the Vietnam War. The Paris Peace Agreements of January 1973, during the negotiation of which in December the Americans threatened to use nuclear weapons, were followed by American withdrawal two months later.

The conflict continued, with the two Vietnams the combatants, and with heavy South Vietnamese casualties. In April 1975, conventional North Vietnamese divisions achieved what they had been unable to do in 1972, overrunning and conquering South Vietnam. They made good use of tanks and ably integrated them with infantry and artillery. Unlike the North Vietnamese, the ARVN was politicized without equivalent gains in motivation. The South Vietnamese also faced important doctrinal and operational problems, including a failure to seize the initiative and widespread reluctance to take combat to their opponents. Moreover, in March 1975, the South Vietnamese followed an unwise strategy, notably with an abandonment of the Central Highlands, where the North Vietnamese had launched their attack. Instead, South Vietnam focused on defending the south near Saigon, a strategy that gave their opponents a powerful impetus and gravely weakened their own morale and cohesion.

This account does not focus on the American failure to continue providing military support, notably airpower. The contrast between 1972 and 1975 might suggest that it was the key factor, but that analysis offers too limited a reading of the situation in each of those years, and puts too much focus on the United States. To change just one variable does not necessarily explain success.

The withdrawal of American forces and the total fall of South Vietnam did not end conflict in the region. In 1975, Communists also overthrew their opponents in Cambodia and Laos. There was, however, a major falling out among these states. In 1979, Vietnam, which looked to the Soviet Union, attacked Cambodia, which looked to China. In response, believing that Vietnam ought to be taught a lesson and fearing a fundamental Soviet threat to Chinese security, in February-March 1979, the Chinese attacked Vietnam with 500,000 troops, inflicting much devastation. Ironically, the Chinese quickly discovered that greater Vietnamese guerrilla warfare experience, combined, on the part of the Chinese, with poor logistics, inadequate equipment, and failures in command and control, led them to withdraw, without forcing the Vietnamese forces to leave Cambodia. Although far larger in scale and longer than its attack on India in 1962, this was a more limited war than the Chinese intervention in Korea in 1950-53, notably because it was not fighting a major power, but it was also the least successful of those three operations. Nevertheless, because of its limited goals, it proved far easier for China to restrict its commitment in Vietnam than in the case of the United States in Vietnam or the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

Low-level conflict continued in Cambodia with China backing rebels after its protégé, the Pol Pot government, was overthrown by the Vietnamese invasion. Moreover, border conflict continued between China and Vietnam until 1991, with much of it on a large-scale and very costly in lives.

Nevertheless, there was no new major conflict in East or Southeast Asia after the 1970s. Partly as a result, conflict potential within region was underplayed until the situation dramatically changed in the mid-2010s. China achieved its economic rise in the 1970s-2000s through integration with the American-dominated global system and without conflict. The situation did not alter until the 2010s, when tensions rapidly escalated.

Another approach to understanding the long-term significance of the Vietnam War would be to ask how best to define a major war. The Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1978-79 involved 150,000 troops. This invasion was initially resisted by conventional means, leading to the loss of about half of the Cambodian army, until the Cambodians turned to waging guerrilla operations from bases in Thailand. Subsequently, the Vietnamese retained a large force in Cambodia—180,000 of their 1.26 million army in 1984, a year of major efforts against the guerrillas. In 1989, the Vietnamese withdrew, a change which was linked to a cut in the Vietnamese army by about a half. About 15,000 Vietnamese troops had been killed during the occupation. Peace came in 1999 when the Khmer Rouge, the key resistance element, no longer enjoying Chinese support, was completely dissolved.

A conflict on this scale would have been regarded as major elsewhere in the world. Yet, in Southeast Asia, because the United States was no longer involved, it barely registered on the international consciousness. An American war had been replaced by a situation in which regional powers, and notably the regional superpower, China, were the key players, while the American role was essentially offshore. The American war in Vietnam was terrible in many ways, but was just an episode in regional conflict. The potential for further such conflicts in that region has continued to the present. If we hope to understand those conflicts, we would do well to place the American War in Vietnam in its historical and geopolitical contexts.

Home > GRADSCHOOL > GRADSCHOOL_THESES > 2732

LSU Master's Theses

The american and south vietnamese pacification efforts during the vietnam war.

etd-0419102-103048

Matthew Douglas Pinard , Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow

Master of Arts in Liberal Arts (MALA)

Document Type

This thesis closely examines the American and South Vietnamese pacification efforts in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. The perspectives of the United States military and civilian organizations that supported the war effort, the South Vietnamese government, and the Viet Cong insurgents are discussed in detail. This includes an analysis of military strategy, theory, and practice of the combatants in the Vietnam War in order to gain an understanding of the reasoning behind decision-making policies of military leaders on both sides of the war. A dissection of the Viet Cong insurgency, from the origins of insurgent political movements leading to the formation of the Viet Cong forces and the aggressive application of these beliefs throughout the war, provides an understanding of the motivations and goals of the foe that the Allies faced. The basic strategy of the North Vietnamese Army sheds light on the reasoning behind monumental decisions regarding the military treatment of South Vietnam. A detailed analysis of the relationship between The United States and the Government of South Vietnam provides the context surrounding the trials experienced by the Allies in the battlefield throughout the countryside of Vietnam. A presentation of basic military tactics and beliefs embraced by The United States military will focus on questions of how and why the war progressed in the manner it did between the two enemy forces. A discussion of the motivations of each side in the war will lead to a greater insight of why the Vietnam War occurred, and how the outcome affected U.S. military strategy.

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Recommended Citation

Pinard, Matthew Douglas, "The American and South Vietnamese pacification efforts during the Vietnam War" (2002). LSU Master's Theses . 2732. https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/2732

Committee Chair

Stanley E. Hilton

10.31390/gradschool_theses.2732

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Vietnam War: 6 personal essays describe the sting of a tragic conflict

The Vietnam War touched millions of lives. Within these personal essays from people who took part in the filming of The Vietnam War , are lessons about what happened, what it meant then and what we can learn from it now.

Long ago and far away, we fought a war in which more than 58,000 Americans died and hundreds of thousands of others were wounded. The war meant death for an estimated 3 million Vietnamese, North and South. The fighting dragged on for almost a decade, polarizing the American people, dividing the country and creating distrust of our government that remains with us today.

In one way or another, Vietnam has overshadowed every national security decision since.

We were told that our mission was to prevent South Vietnam from falling to communism. Very lofty. But the men I led as a young infantry platoon leader and later as a company commander weren’t fighting for that mission. Mostly draftees, they were terrific soldiers. They were fighting, I realized, for each other — to simply survive their year in-country and go home.

I had grown up as an “Army brat.” To me, the Army was like a second family. In Vietnam, the radio code word for our division’s infantry companies was family . A “rucksack outfit,” my company would disappear into the jungle, moving quietly, staying in the field for weeks. We all ate the same rations and endured the same heat, humidity, mosquitoes, leeches, skin rashes, jungle itch. We were like pack animals, carrying upwards of 60 pounds of gear, water, ammunition — and even more for the radio operators and machine gunners. I was impressed by how the men endured it all, especially the draftees who had answered the call to service.

I learned much about leadership. I was once counseled by a senior officer “not to be too worried about your men.” Incredible. I was concerned about my men’s safety at all times. Even though my company lost very few, I remember each of those deaths vividly. They were all good men, in a war very few understood.

On both of my combat tours, in 1968 at Huê´ during the Tet Offensive and in 1969-70 in the triple-canopy rainforests along the Cambodian border, we fought soldiers of the North Vietnamese army. They were good light infantry; I had respect for their determination and abilities. But they were the enemy; our job was to kill or capture them.

Though we were conducting a war of attrition, we were actually fighting the enemy’s birth rate. He was prepared and determined to keep fighting as long as he had the manpower to send south.

In terms of strategy, it seemed a war out of “Alice in Wonderland.” The Ho Chi Minh Trail, the enemy’s major supply line and infiltration route, ran through Cambodia and Laos. Yet until May 1970, both of those countries were off limits to U.S. ground forces. We bombed the trail incessantly, but the enemy’s ability to move troops and equipment south never seemed to slack. We never invaded North Vietnam. As demonstrated during Tet in ’68, the enemy could control the tempo of the war when he wished. We, on the other hand, would use unilaterally declared “truce” periods and would halt bombing to signal something never clearly defined — a willingness to talk, I imagined, which the enemy ignored.

Looking back, if our strategy was intended to force the enemy to say “enough,” resulting in a stalemate situation like that at the end of the Korean War, would the South Vietnamese have been able to defend themselves, independently? Unlikely.

Would the U.S. have been willing to commit and maintain American forces in South Vietnam indefinitely? Also unlikely.

Did we learn anything from that experience, which left such an indelible mark on our national psyche? History is a harsh teacher; there are still no easy answers.

Phil Gioia entered the Army after graduating from Virginia Military Institute in 1967. He left the military in 1977 and later was mayor in Corte Madera, Calif., and worked in venture capital and the technology industry. He lives in Marin County, Calif.

Hal Kushner

When I deployed to Vietnam in August 1967, I was a young Army doctor, married five years, with a 3-year-old daughter, just potty trained, and another child due the following April. When I returned from Vietnam in late March 1973, I saw my 5-year-old son for the first time, and my daughter was in the fifth grade. In the interim, we had landed on the moon; there was women’s lib, Nixon had gone to China; Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated.

I was the only doctor captured in the 10-year Vietnam War. I was back from the dead.

We prisoners endured unspeakable horror, brutality and deprivation, and we saw and experienced things no human should ever witness. Our mortality rate was almost 50% — higher even than at the brutal Civil War prisons at Andersonville or Elmira a century earlier. I cradled 10 dying men in my arms as they breathed their last and spoke of home and family; then we buried them in crude graves, marked with stones and bamboo, and eulogized them with words of sunshine and hope, country and family. The eulogies were for the survivors, of course; they always are.

On the Fourth of July in five successive years, we sang patriotic songs, but very softly, so our captors couldn’t hear the forbidden words, and we cried. One of us had a missal issued by the Marine Corps, our only book, but our captors had torn out the pages with the American flag and The Star-Spangled Banner .

At my release in Hanoi, I was shocked by the hair and dress of the reporters there. Once home, I saw television and movies with frank profanity and sex. When I left, Lucy and Desi slept in twin beds. I left Ozzie and Harriett and returned to Taxi Driver . What had happened to my country? Why did we suffer and sacrifice?

When my aircraft crashed on Nov. 30, 1967, I collided with one planet and returned to another. The Vietnam War, which had about one-fifth of the casualties of World War II but had lasted three times as long, had changed the country as much as the greatest cataclysm in world history. It had changed forever the way we think of our government and ourselves. The country had lost its innocence — and, for a time, its confidence.

This war, which had such a great impact on my life, is a dim memory today. There are 58,000 names on that wall, and it rates but a few pages in a high school history book.

I am dismayed by how little our young people know about Vietnam, and how misunderstood it is by others. The Vietnam War is as remote to them as the War of 1812 or the War of Jenkins’ Ear. Now, 40 years later, we must try to understand.

Hal  Kushner joined the Army and served as a flight surgeon in Vietnam. In 1967, he was captured by the Viet Cong after surviving a helicopter crash. He spent nearly six years as a prisoner of war. He lives in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Mai Elliott

Having lived through war and seen what it did to my family and to millions of Vietnamese, I feel grateful for the peace and stability I now enjoy in the United States.

In Vietnam, my family and I experienced what it was like to be caught in bombing and fighting, and what it was like to flee our home and survive as refugees.

During World War II, in my childhood, we huddled in shelters as Allied planes targeting Japanese positions bombed the town in the North where we lived.

In 1946, when French troops returned to try to take Vietnam back from Ho Chi Minh’s government, French soldiers attacking the village where we were taking refuge almost executed my father (who had earlier worked for the French colonial authorities).

In 1954, fearing reprisals from the communists about to enter Hanoi, we fled to Saigon with only the clothes on our backs.

In 1955, we fled again when we found ourselves caught in the fighting between the army of President Ngo Dinh Diem and the armed group he was trying to eliminate, leaving behind our home, which was about to burn to the ground in the onslaught.

In April 1975, American helicopters plucked my family out of Saigon at the last minute as communist rockets exploded nearby.

The fear we felt paled in comparison to the terror that Vietnamese in the countryside of South Vietnam experienced when bombs and artillery shells landed in their villages, or when American and South Vietnamese soldiers swept through their hamlets; or the terror my relatives in North Vietnam felt when American B-52s carpet bombed in December 1972. Yet, our brushes with war were terrifying enough.

As refugees, we could find shelter and support from middle-class friends and relatives, while destitute peasants had to move to squalid camps and depend on meager handouts and help from the government in Saigon. But we did find out, as they did, that losing everything was psychologically wrenching, and that surviving and rebuilding took fortitude of spirit.

Only those who have known war can truly appreciate peace. I am one of those people.

Mai Elliott was born in Vietnam and spent her childhood in Hanoi, where her father was a high-ranking official under the French colonial regime. Her family became divided when her older sister joined the Viet Minh resistance against French rule. In 1954, her family fled to Saigon, where Mai later did research on the Viet Cong insurgency for the RAND Corp. during the Vietnam War. She is married to American political scientist David Elliott. They live in Southern California.

Bill Zimmerman

I graduated from high school in 1958, thinking myself a patriot and aspiring to be a military pilot. Thirteen years later, I sat in a jail cell in Washington, D.C., after protesting what military pilots were doing in the skies over Vietnam.

My patriotism wilted in the South in 1963, after a short stint with the civil rights movement. Simultaneously, as the U.S. slid into war in Vietnam, skepticism nurtured in Mississippi led me to discover that we were stumbling into a quagmire.

The war escalated in 1965, and I became an ardent protester over the next six years. I was fired from two university teaching positions. But my sacrifices were trivial compared with those of young Americans forced into war, or Vietnamese civilians dying under bombs and napalm. With other antiwar activists, I anguished over them all, and seethed with rage at our inability to stop the killing. In our fury, we became more forceful, committing widespread civil disobedience.

That’s how I landed in jail in 1971, trying unsuccessfully to block traffic to shut down the federal government. But our failure that day became a turning point. Antiwar leaders realized that while we had finally convinced a majority of Americans to oppose the war, our militant tactics kept them from joining us.

We changed course. Large demonstrations ended. New organizations sprang up to educate the public and lobby Congress. The work was confrontational but did not ask participants to risk arrest. Millions took part. Richard Nixon escalated the war, but he also felt the heat from a much broader antiwar coalition. In January 1973, his administration signed the Paris Peace Accords, and over the next two years, our intense lobbying persuaded Congress to cut funding for the corrupt South Vietnamese government, leading to its collapse in 1975.

We learned that in matters of war and peace, presidents regularly lie to the American people. Every president from Truman to Ford lied about Vietnam. We learned that two presidents, Johnson and Nixon, cared more about their own political survival than the lives of the men under their command. Both sent thousands of Americans to die in a war they already knew could not be won.

We learned that our government committed crimes against humanity. Agent Orange and other chemicals were sprayed on millions of acres, leaving a legacy of cancer and birth defects.

Most important, Vietnam taught us to reject blind loyalty and to fight back. In doing so, we meet our obligation as citizens … and become patriots.

Bill Zimmerman is a Los Angeles political consultant and the author of Troublemaker: A Memoir from the Front Lines of the Sixties (Anchor Books, 2012).

Roger Harris

When I think about the Vietnam War, I am torn by personal emotions that range from anger and sadness to hope. The Vietnam War experience scarred me but also shaped and molded my perspective on life.

As a 19-year-old African American from the Roxbury section of Boston, I voluntarily joined the U.S. Marine Corps, willing to fight and die for my country. I had experienced the tough neighborhood turf battles too often prevalent in the inner city. I had a gladiator’s heart and no fear. My father, all of my uncles, including a grand-uncle who rode with Teddy Roosevelt, all served in the military. I believed that it was now my turn, and if I were to die, my mom would receive a $10,000 death benefit and be able to purchase a house. I saw the war in Vietnam as a win-win situation.

In Vietnam, I served with G Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division. We were called the “Hell in a Helmet” Marines. We operated in I Corps, Quang Tri Province, mainly north of Dong Ha at the Demilitarized Zone, in hot spots called Con Thien, Gio Linh, Camp Carroll and Cam Lo. I vividly remember trembling with fear from the incoming shells in the mud-filled holes at Con Thien, wishing the shelling would stop and we could fight hand-to-hand. I remember those feelings like it was yesterday.

I, along with others, witnessed deaths unimaginable. We picked up the pieces of Marine bodies obliterated by direct hits. We stacked green body bags. I often wondered why others died and I lived.

I become angry when I think about the very young lives that were lost in Vietnam and the Gold Star families who have suffered. I am saddened by the sacrifices of true heroes and the disrespect that was shown to those who were fortunate enough to come home.

When I returned from Vietnam it was March 1968 in the midst of the civil rights movement. I landed at Boston’s Logan Airport in my Marine Corps Alpha Green uniform, with the medals and ribbons I had earned proudly displayed. I approached the sidewalk to catch a taxi, hoping that I wasn’t dreaming and would not awaken back at Camp Carroll to another bombardment.

Six taxicabs passed me by and drove off. I didn’t realize what was happening until the state trooper stepped in and told the next driver, “You have got to take this soldier.” The driver, who was white, looked up at us through the passenger side window and said, “I don’t want to go to Roxbury.”

That was my initial welcome home.

I now have an appreciation for the gift of life. Since returning home and completing college, I have devoted 42 years working in Boston schools. I see it as a tribute to my fellow Marines who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

I am very proud to have served my country as a United States Marine.

I am also very proud of the young men and women who continue to volunteer to join the armed services of our country.

Roger  Harris enlisted in the Marines and served in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. Afterward, he worked in the Boston public school system for more than 40 years. He lives in New York and Boston.

Eva Jefferson Paterson

This summer, I attended the 50th reunion of my high school class in Mascoutah, Ill., across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. My dad was a career Air Force man and was stationed at Scott Air Force Base nearby in 1960.

During dinner, before we rocked out to the Beach Boys and Stevie Wonder, a group of us talked about the war in Vietnam. The men remembered the draft system that required all young men to register to serve in the military. While I was in college at Northwestern from 1967 to 1971, a draft lottery was established. Numbers were drawn out of a big bin — similar to the one used for weekly state lotteries — corresponding to the days of the year. If your birthday corresponded to the first number drawn, your draft number was 1, and you were virtually certain to be drafted and sent to war. Most men from that period remember their number.

Some at our reunion had felt that it was their patriotic duty to serve; others were just delighted that their lottery numbers were above 300 and they were unlikely to be drafted. Few of us were anti-war at that time; I fully supported the war. My dad was sent to Cam Rahn Bay and Tan Son Nhut air force bases in Vietnam in 1966, my senior year in high school.

I remember being a freshman in college and actually saying to classmates who opposed to the war, “We have to support the war because the president says the war is good, and we must support the president.” Yikes! I changed my views as I got the facts.

Much of the fervor of the anti-war movement was fueled by the slogan “Hell no, we won’t go!” There was righteous indignation about the war, but fear was a strong motivator.

Now the burden of serving in wars falls on a very small percentage of the population, one that likely mirrors the patterns in the Vietnam era, with predominantly poor white, black and Latino men and women along with those who come from military backgrounds. It would be great to have a national discussion about this, but I fear our country is quite comfortable letting poor men and women and people of color and their families bear the burden of war.

Eva  Jefferson  Paterson grew up on air force bases and enrolled in Northwestern University in 1967, where she became student body president and politically active against the war. A civil rights attorney, she now runs the Equal Justice Society in Northern California.

U.S. general on Vietnam War: ‘This was some enemy’

Vietnam War: A timeline of U.S. entanglement

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McCandless, Richard Thomas. "Korean War and Vietnam War Strategies: A Comparison." Oxford, Ohio : Miami University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=miami1236018769.

Meyer, Christina. "War & trauma images in Vietnam War representations." Hildesheim Zürich New York, NY Olms, 2007. http://d-nb.info/991472861/04.

Proctor, Patrick E. "The Vietnam War debate and the Cold War consensus." Diss., Kansas State University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/18665.

Middleton, Alexis Turley. "A true war story : reality and fiction in the American literature and film of the Vietnam War /." Diss., CLICK HERE for online access, 2008. http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd2467.pdf.

Wilson, Anthony Wayne. "The Vietnam War and the press." Thesis, This resource online, 1990. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-03032009-040753/.

Agajanian, Rowana. "Telling stories : the Vietnam War documentary." Thesis, Bucks New University, 2011. http://bucks.collections.crest.ac.uk/9621/.

Martini, Edwin Anton. "Invisible enemies the American war on Vietnam, 1975-2000 /." College Park, Md. : University of Maryland, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1903/1669.

Lor, Gjinn. "The Vietnam War Hmong soldiers' personal experiences in the secret war /." Menomonie, WI : University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2007. http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/2007/2007lorg.pdf.

Quek, Ser Hwee. "Before Tet : American bombing and attempts at negotiation with North Vietnam, 1964-1968 /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/10482.

Kissick, Gary Richard. "The Vietnam war narrative : fighting for purchase." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.437890.

Garey, Julie Marie. "Presidential Decision-Making During the Vietnam War." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1219374275.

James, B. Violet. "American Protestant missions and the Vietnam War." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1989. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU026822.

Arioli, Mattia <1990&gt. "Remembering the Vietnam War in Graphic Narratives." Doctoral thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, 2021. http://amsdottorato.unibo.it/9853/1/Arioli_Mattia_tesi.pdf.

Ferguson, Laura Elizabeth. "Kicking the Vietnam syndrome? : collective memory of the Vietnam War in fictional American cinema following the 1991 Gulf War." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2011. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2672/.

Randell, Karen Mary. "Hollywood and war : trauma in film after the First World War and the Vietnam War." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2003. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/50596/.

Boyle, Brenda Marie. "Prisoners of war formations of masculinities in Vietnam war fiction and film /." Connect to this title online, 2003. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1060873937.

Gravagna, Massimiliano. "Vietnam: Moderata Ungdomsförbundet och vietnamnkriget 1665-1973." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för idé- och samhällsstudier, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-108603.

Busch, Peter. "Britain and Kennedy's war in Vietnam, 1961-1963." Online version, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?did=1&uin=uk.bl.ethos.311592.

Dixon, Lee Russell. "The Vietnam War and the U.S. South : regional perspectives on a national war." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2016. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-vietnam-war-and-the-us-southregional-perspectives-on-a-national-war(e13ee8e3-d5f6-4ce8-a105-fc6021e7eefe).html.

Seddelmeyer, Laura M. "All the Way with LBJ?: Australian Grand Strategy and the Vietnam War." Ohio : Ohio University, 2009. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1236630726.

Hiddlestone, Janine Frances. "An uneasy legacy Vietnam veterans and Australian society /." Connect to this title online, 2004. http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/1113/.

Crowe, Ambrose. "War and conflict : the Australian Vietnam Veterans Association." Monash University, School of Political and Social Inquiry, 2003. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/9333.

Tang, Chieu Giam. "The Vietnam War and Sino-American relations, 1966." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape17/PQDD_0005/MQ34917.pdf.

Smits, Sara Elizabeth. "Unclear path explosive remnants of war in Vietnam /." Related electronic resource:, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1407689641&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=3739&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

Busch, Peter. "Britain and Kennedy's war in Vietnam : 1961-1963." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.311592.

Shore, Michael R. (Michael Richard). "America's Vietnam casualties--victims of a class war?" Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/17269.

Milne, David. "Walt Rostow and the Vietnam War, 1961-1969." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.615280.

Le, Hai Van. "The Vietnam War and the laws of war : an examination of North Vietnam's military strategy and its compliance with the laws of war." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2011. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/4050/.

Sisson, Timothy Wallace Patricia Ward. "Uncovered the cover-up of the My Lai massacre /." Waco, Tex. : Baylor University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2104/5278.

Kerns, Brian D. "Not just an infantryman's war United States armored cavalry of the Vietnam War /." Fort Leavenworth, KS : US Army Command and General Staff College, 2006. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA479404.

Keenan, Bethany S. Reid Donald M. "Vietnam Is fighting for us French identities and the U.S. - Vietnam War, 1965-1973 /." Chapel Hill, N.C. : University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2009. http://dc.lib.unc.edu/u?/etd,2353.

Marsala, Miles Steven. "Baby Boomers and the Vietnam War: A life Course Approach to Aging Vietnam Veterans." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2015. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5999.

Watkins, Sean. "War correspondents ellipses from within the bubble /." Fairfax, VA : George Mason University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1920/4574.

Dozier, Kimberly S. Hesse Douglas Dean. "Reading Vietnam teaching literature using historically-situated texts /." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p9914567.

Ganey, Terry. "Saigon to Baghdad comparing combat correspondents' experiences in Vietnam and Iraq /." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/5794.

Laux, Katie M. "Songs in the key of protest how music reflects the social turbulence in America from the late 1950s to the early 1970s /." Oxford, Ohio : Miami University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=miami1184767254.

John, Henry Richard Lawrence. "Resisting the war in "little brother country" : Vietnam War exiles, identity crisis and Canadianization." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/44371.

Buzzanco, Robert. "Masters of war? : military criticism, strategy, and civil- military relations during the Vietnam war /." The Ohio State University, 1993. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487844485899365.

Allbritton, Jay Michael. "Religion and politics in films about the Vietnam war." [Gainesville, Fla.] : University of Florida, 2003. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0001227.

Fenn, Jeffery W. "Culture under stress : American drama and the Vietnam War." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28668.

Ellis, Sylvia Ann. "Anglo-American relations and the Vietnam War, 1964-8." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/280.

Twine, Christopher. "Anglo-American relations and the Vietnam War : 1964-1967." Thesis, Aberystwyth University, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.391246.

Gilbert, Adam John. "Morality, soldier-poetry, and the American war in Vietnam." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.607787.

Scanlon, Sandra. "The pro-Vietnam War movement during the Nixon administration." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2005. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/272096.

Pike, Sara. "Racism at the Movies: Vietnam War Films, 1968-2002." ScholarWorks @ UVM, 2008. http://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/181.

Shipway, Martin. "The road to war : France and Vietnam, 1944-1947 /." Providence (R.I.) : Berghahn books, 1996. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb388814821.

Jones, Portland. "Seeing the elephant: Learned helplessness and Vietnam War fiction." Thesis, Jones, Portland (2014) Seeing the elephant: Learned helplessness and Vietnam War fiction. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2014. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/24538/.

Araújo, Fabrício Paiva. "Memories, traumas and hope: remains of the Vietnam War." Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1843/ECAP-8UXHZ4.

Jimenez, Teresa Moreno. "THE MEXICAN AMERICAN VIETNAM WAR SERVICEMAN: THE MISSING AMERICAN." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2015. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1524.

Naito, Hiroaki. "Vietnam fought and imagined : the images of the mythic frontier in American Vietnam War literature." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2014. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/5101/.

Substance Use in U.S. Vietnam War Era Veterans and Nonveterans: Results from the Vietnam Era Health Retrospective Observational Study

Affiliations.

• 1 Epidemiology Program, Health Outcomes Military Exposures (HOME) (12POP5), Office of Patient Care Services, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
• 2 Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
• 3 Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
• 4 Office of Research & Development (14RD), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
• PMID: 37096682
• DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2023.2188427

Background : Substance use (SU) is associated with physical injury and mental health disorders in older persons, but recent research has scarcely examined SU in U.S. Vietnam-era veterans who are mostly in or near their eighth decade of life. Objectives : We compared the prevalence of self-reported lifetime and current SU and modeled current usage patterns in a nationally representative sample of veterans versus a matched nonveteran cohort. Methods : Cross-sectional, self-reported survey data were analyzed from the 2016-2017 Vietnam Era Health Retrospective Observational Study (VE-HEROeS) ( n = 18,866 veterans, n = 4,530 nonveterans). We assessed lifetime and current alcohol and drug use disorders; lifetime and current use of cannabis, opioids, stimulants, sedatives, "other drugs" (psychedelics, prescription or over-the-counter drugs not prescribed/used as intended); and current SU patterns (alcohol-use-only, drug-use-only, dual-SU, no SU). Weighted descriptive, bivariable, and multivariable statistics were calculated. Covariates in multinomial modeling included sociodemographic characteristics, lifetime cigarette smoking, depression, potentially traumatic events (PTEs), and current pain (SF-8 TM ). Results : Prevalence of lifetime opioid and sedative use ( p ≤ .01), drug and alcohol use disorders ( p < .001), and current "other drug" use ( p < .001) were higher in veterans versus nonveterans. Current use of alcohol and cannabis was high in both cohorts. In veterans, very severe/severe pain, depression, and PTEs were highly associated with drug-use-only ( p < .001) and dual-SU ( p < .01), but these associations were fewer for nonveterans. Conclusion : This research confirmed existing concerns over substance misuse in older individuals. Vietnam-era veterans may be at particular risk due to service-related experiences and later-life tribulations. Era veterans' unique perceptions toward healthcare assistance for SU may need greater provider focus to maximize self-efficacy and treatment.

Keywords: Drugs; Vietnam War; alcohol; cannabis; marijuana; opioids; sedatives; substance use; veterans.

Publication types

• Observational Study
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
• Aged, 80 and over
• Alcoholism* / psychology
• Analgesics, Opioid
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Substance-Related Disorders* / epidemiology
• Substance-Related Disorders* / psychology
• Veterans* / psychology