Vietnam War Changed American Culture

However, by 1954, the French armed forces proved that they were incompetent and ill-equipped, even with American aid, to deter the insurgency of the communist Viet Minh; after its resounding defeat at Dien Bien Phu, France abandon its attempt to regain control of the country. This left the United States and another administration to deal with the fallout. President Eisenhower continued with America’s Cold War ideology of containment in Vietnam; along with economic aid, he increased the United States’ commitment to include military “advisers” (Faragher, et. al, pg. 717). He theorized (Domino Theory) that losing Vietnam to communism would result in other countries in the Southeast Asian region succumbing to the same fate (History.com). Even

Without a doubt the Vietnam War changed the American culture. It sparked a huge anti-war protest movement around the country led by students. They question whether American involvement was worth the sacrifices being made by so many. The draft policy made the war more about socioeconomic as it was seemly affecting only minorities and the poor; the wealthy were able to avoid the draft. Thousands of American refused to join the military and burnt the draft cards in protest (Faragher, et. al. pg. 779) As the death toll rise, so did the protest and the violence at home, as some Americans began to believe that peaceful protests were doing very little (Faragher, et.al. pg. 779). The war also created a counterculture that expressed its protest through music. One of the significant turning points of the war was the televising of the war. Networks and photographers brought the war into every American’s home and made it real. The images and reports of people suffering horrified many Americans who became more distrustful of the government and its policies (Faragher, et. al., pg. 776). The anti-war movement may have been responsible for the government reevaluating its positions about Vietnam. The government did away with the draft and the military became an all-volunteer force. For the veterans of this controversial war, their return home was mostly unheralded compared to veterans of other wars. They received very little respect from the anti-war movement. Many struggled, as