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The Bitter End Chapter Summary

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Tension Begins
General Lon Nol deposes of the Prince of Cambodia in March of 1970, the prince was aligned with the Cambodian Communists, the Khmer Rouge, to get rid of Lon Nol’s regime (Anderson, Kimball). Pol Pot leads the Khmer Rouge and he utilizes the popularity of the Prince to gather support for his movement (Anthology of Modern American Poetry Oxford, 2001). Lon Nol is defeated by Pol Pot and he implements his radical ideals to create his utopia, leading to the country’s population decreasing by 25% due to starvation, executions and overworking (Lewis & Hensley,1998). By March 31st 1970, the US becomes involved, bringing murder chargers against Captain Ernest L. Medina in relation to the massacre in My Lai in March of 1968 (Anthology …show more content…

Bringing in primary sources with interview the book addresses personal experiences on behalf of the US military (Dunham, Quinlan 1). The consensus from the interviews state that the majority of the soldiers had low moral or motivation to fulfill their duties (Dunham, Quinlan 43). Due to the social tension in their home country they said it was difficult to find the want to participate, but were rather forced into drafting implemented by Nixon (Dunham, Quinlan 56). In theory Nixon’s attempt to recruit backfired, forcing people to enlist was not the way to bring a country together in fact it only turns people away. According to a national scientific study by the Urban Institute in May of 1970, the Kent State massacre was the single factor, which resulted in the only national student protest in US history (Lewis & Hensley 1978). During this time, 4 million students took a stand putting their education on hold. President Nixon was pushed to the point of physical and emotional collapse and he promptly withdrew his US military invasion of Cambodia (Frisch 78). The wave of public opinion shaped the outcome of the Vietnam War, and the Kent State shootings contributed to this ignition (Langer

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Timeline: 1970 - Kent State University Shooting On May 1, 1970, students at Kent State University were protesting President Nixon’s orders to bomb Cambodia. The protest gradually got out of hand, students were throwing bottles and rocks at police officers and lighting bonfires. On May 2, Ohio National Guard was ordered to Kent State to help maintain order. When the National Guard arrived, they discovered that the students had set the Reserve Officer Training Corps building on fire. On May 4, the National Guard fired tear gas at the students during a rally.

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Introduction Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf describes the true story of how a peaceful protest resulted in the loss of four students' lives. Taking place during the early 1970s and set against the backdrop of the Vietnam war, Backderf’s work details the polarizing societal views that tore apart the country and the tragic aftermath. Background The early 1970s was a time period characterized by controversy.

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“The active draft ended in 1973 and President Gerald Ford ended registration in 1975.” However, this did not last long because of the Soviet Union’s invasion into Afghanistan. The government protected the government policies by, “accepting of conscription by the courts and the acceptance of conscription among members of both political parties.” Having the government work together to protect the law and go by the Constitution, decreased the chances of passing other inaccurate laws such as the eligibility of men for the military and how men were registered for declared and undeclared war. “The scope of proclamations and executive orders rang based upon the period and in relation to the American public’s attitudes regarding conscription or empathy.”

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Many soldiers are not re-enlisting or are deserting before their nine-month re-enlistment has ended. General Washington, desperate to keep an army together to fight the war against Britain has asked us soldiers look into our hearts and ask ourselves the following question: Will you quit? To quit would be to not re-enlist. I have decided to not re-enlist for three reasons which are high chances of illness, horrible lodging and weather, and sparse food and clothing.

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Rough Draft: Military Conscription in the United States Throughout the history of the United States, military drafts have failed to produce their desired effect. Mandatory military service inherently causes an increased military presence, especially within a country containing extensive involvement with foreign affairs. Controversy has historically surrounded military drafts in the United States as often, the wealthy have been successful in avoiding service. Because the issues surrounding a military draft outweigh the pros, the concept of military conscription has become unpopular and the United State 's military has proven itself effective with the current system based on voluntary service. Therefore, the United States should not adopt military conscription because not only would it provoke an increased number of military conflicts and inequality, but also would be unpopular and unnecessary.

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The book, The War to End All Wars, presents an in-depth image into the American Army at an effective level. The author takes the reader through every single aspect of the war on the American side. The book explains how the staff began preparing for the war. It clarifies how the United States needed to build a system of bases in the United States to train soldiers. The book describes the building of the Army, the difficulties in training, the preparation, and even the personalities of some soldiers.

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At Kent State, there had been a Vietnam War protest going on when the Ohio National Guard was called. The National Guard ended up shooting at several unarmed students, leaving four students dead and nine more injured. Activists around the nation were infuriated, lighting an inextinguishable fire within the movement. Students died for the cause and the movement would not waste the opportunity to fight harder for the withdrawal of American troops in Vietnam. The massacre also led to nationwide sympathy towards the movement, allowing for more public support against the war.

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From the beginning of the United States’ history, conflict has always been prevalent. The need for armed forces continually grows, especially in times of war, as the fight for freedom becomes more challenging. Conscription, better known as the draft, was first introduced during the Civil War as a way to get more individuals involved in the military to fill vacant positions. The practice of the draft was finally discontinued in favor of an all-volunteer military system, when the need for troops was no longer necessary. After almost two decades of being involved overseas, the demand for armed troops is imperative once again.

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Being involved in the Vietnam war seemed inevitable to 19 year old, Dave Mathis, whether it be through the draft or enlistment. The thought of war consumed his mind, masked in fear. Mathis was a wild child, the youngest boy of 6, he had no fear in the world, that was until talk of the Vietnam war erupted. He knew he was going to have to fight but thought it would be better if he enlisted himself so then he could at least choose what branch of the military he went in to. Dave Mathis grew up in a religious household, his mother was a Christian, but didn’t believe in organized religion.

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The Day the War Came Home Introduction: In 1970 Kent State University had a friendly nonviolent protest over the Vietnam War. Sadly it ended up so violent four students were killed and nine were wounded. But what the investigators were told did not add up. Why did the National Guard open fire on the students?

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Throughout history, countries are inevitably pulled into conflicts that result in war. These conflicts usually occur because of interests in: economic gain, territorial gain, religion, and nationalism. America, like every country, needs a military to defend itself, especially when tensions arise in other parts of the world and when militia numbers start to decrease. This then allows the government to draft its population to serve in the military. People argue that young men and women’s bright lives are often cut short, and not allowed their Constitutional right to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, but there are many benefits for the nation and the individual by serving one’s country.

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While the effort of America was important in winning the war, there was a lot of discrimination and prejudice against blacks, Native Americans, women, and homosexuals within the military. The men who fought in the war saw terrible conditions and many had mental breakdowns. This chapter in the book explains the deaths that many soldiers witnessed and how many men became separated from humanity. This caused many soldiers to become insane. The final two chapters in the book talk about changes in the American society throughout the war and the results from the war.

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In each of these scholarly works, the voices of the draftees themselves are seldom heard. What the scholarly conversation is missing is a nuanced examination of the choices made by draft-age men on the ground level- the individuals with the most at

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“The Cambodian Genocide refers to the attempt of Khmer Rouge party leader “Pol Pot” to nationalize and centralize the peasant farming society of Cambodia virtually overnight, in accordance with the Chinese Communist agricultural model.” When Sihanouk becomes the head of state, he breaks ties with the US and allows North Vietnamese guerrillas to set up based in Cambodia. In return, the US begins to plot secret bombings against the North Vietnamese on Cambodia soil. In 1970, Sihanouk is overthrown in a coup by the Prime Minister Lon Nol. He proclaims Cambodia, the Khmer Republic, and sends an army to fight the North Vietnamese.

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Today, December of 1978, the Vietnamese have sent more than 60,000 troops, along with artillery units, across the border. The struggles between the Cambodians and Vietnamese seem to intensify, especially under the leadership of the Khmer Rouge. This rule has been going on for quite a few years. Pol Pot wasn’t the Prime Minister till 1976, a full year after his takeover.

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