In this interactive tutorial, youll also learn about americas role during the course of the war, how the war affected the american public, and the resulting consequences of the war. Hess finds that the historiography of the vietnam war departs from the traditional model of historical appreciation of the united states wars. Many consider his discussion of the legacy of the war to be the quintessential blueprint for how historians. The involvement of the united states in the vietnam war has been the most polarizing issue within post war american history. Vietnam war was by far the most convulsive and traumatic of americas three wars in asia in the 50 years since pearl harbor. There were sixteen thousand american advisers in south vietnam in. Explaining americas lost war is an awardwinning historiography of this seminal conflict of the 20 th century. Explaining america s lost war is the finest effort by any scholar to date to take stock of the voluminous historiography of the war, expose the central points of contention, and weigh the persuasiveness of competing claims in light of available evidence.
It left americas foreign policy at least temporarily in disarray, discrediting the postwar policy of containment and undermining the consensus that supported it. Geopolitics helps explain our concerns about the fate of vietnam in the nineteen forties and fifties. As american military intervention in vietnam ramped up in the early 1960s, u. Questions remain regarding the johnson administrations policy of gradual response, the effectiveness of the search and destroy strateg y, and the americanization of the war. In a longawaited alternative to the lengthy and overly expensive texts on the vietnam war, charles neu presents americas lost war, a balanced, lively narrative account of that tragic conflict, one that sweeps across the whole timespan of the war and explores american, vietnamese, and international perspectives. Accords prevented them from joining international military alliances, they. The vietnam war also known as the second indochina war, and in vietnam as the resistance. Questions whether the vietnam war was lost due to poor strategy and leadership, or was. Why the us lost the vietnam war common dreams views. Army in vietnam series documents the armys role in the vietnam. Raised in the rural midwest, the book describes dicks path to joining the army and. The us became involved overtly in 1964 after the gulf. Vietnam war summaryoverview of the conflict history. Charles neus book joins an already long list of surveys of the vietnam war.
The year 2015 marks the 50 th anniversary of the americanization of the vietnam war, a subject that has sparked intense and enduring debate. Looks at many facets of vietnam war, examining central arguments of scholars, journalists, and participants and providing evidence on both sides of controversies. Militarily, we lost the war of 1812, but, due to war weariness caused by napoleon, the british graciously gave us a peace and restored things as they were antebellum. Joining malcolm browne of the associated press, ray. Now available in a completely revised and updated second edition, vietnam. Why the united states went to war in vietnam foreign. Instead, say the revisionists, the united states chose to interfere in. Americasofficial explanation for its involvement in the vietnam war was the containmentof communism and the liberation of the vietnamese people. Finally, we will attempt to answer why the vietnam war has haunted america for over four decades, and how this war has affected certain foreign policy decision during this time. Because of the way that south vietnam was put in place, he believes that the us stopped providing military help to maintain it. Pdf click to increase image size click to decrease. Westmoreland vii introduction no conflict in recent history has divided america as much as the war in vietnam.
Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. The first area to be discussed is the impact the vietnam war had on foreign policy before, during, and after the war. Explaining americas lost war is the finest effort by any scholar to date to take stock of the voluminous historiography of the war, expose the central points of contention, and weigh the persuasiveness of competing claims in light of available evidence. It left americas foreign policy at least temporarily in disarray, discrediting the. Jon mixon, who has studied military actions during war times, feels that the vietnamese war was lost by the americans because south vietnam was a product of frances loss during the indochina war. This essay is based on a presentation at the butcher history institute for teachers on why does america go to war.
The viet minh cadre and villagers who lost their land fought back by assassinating some saigonappointed. Explaining americas lost war printerfriendly version pdf version. Halfway around the world, another cold war conflict was escalating. It aims to prove that, given the cold war context, u. Hess describes and evaluates the main arguments of schol. In march of 1945, and just five months before surrendering to the allies, japan did something with profound. As such, the book unquestionably deserves the careful attention of. Vietnam was actually winning the war in 1961, but the united states failed to appreciate its success and build on it, thus snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for the revisionists the first of a number of such american lost victories in vietnam. The case can be made that the war started much earlier than that and for the american government it was a slow increase in military activity and military spending. Learn about the major factors that led to americas involvement in the war in vietnam. Free essays on america s lost war vietnam 1945 1975.
Hess describes and evaluates the main arguments of scholars, participants, and journalists, both revisionist and orthodox in their approach, as they try to answer fundamental questions of the vietnam war. Hess find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Explaining americas lost war contesting the past 9781118948996. The absence of a clear explanation is not an accident. In this short essay, i will try to reconstruct the vietnam war on the poor basis of a few historical interpretations and a short number of primary sources. An american man and woman watching footage of the vietnam war on television in their living room, february 1968. How america lost vietnam after winning the war against a. Rather than a full accounting of the war and americas mistakes and crimes in it, the focus was on recovering american pride, to be accomplished in part by righting an alleged betrayal of americas vietnam veterans. That war lasted from 1946 to 1954, when the french lost the battle of. Why the united states went to war in vietnam foreign policy. Capitalism, yet the conduct of the vietnam war was complex and strategic, and brought repercussions which had never been seen before. Clearly examines the historiography of the vietnam war questions whether the vietnam war was lost due to poor strategy and leadership, or was inherently doomed to failure. S congress passed the gulf of tonkin resolution, giving president.
Now available in a revised and updated second edition, vietnam. The heartsandminds interpretation was advanced in gunter lewys 1978 book, america in. He graduated from northwestern university with his bachelors degree, then went to harvard university to receive his ph. The 89 best vietnam war books recommended by steve blank, amber. Ho and giap made an aggressive attack on the national will of the u. That was why they could persevere the prolonged attacks of a very.
The american war in vietnam was primarily fought in the south and largely against the rural population. By the end of the war in vietnam, the north had lost more than 2 million dead and was too weakened to pose a. America officially lost the vietnam war 40 years ago this week how the endgames in iraq and afghanistan compare to the fall of saigon. Understanding the role of communism requires placing vietnam in a. To what extent did america get it wrong, terribly wrong. The problem is, that losing has been so indoctrinated into peoples head because the us didnt have a victory parade down ho chi minh boulevard in hanoi. A firstrate fighter pilot and a selftaught scholar, he wrote the first manual on jet. History essays americas involvement in the vietnam war. For all of the selfsatisfied voyeurism surrounding the vietnam war, its hard to find a concrete idea about why the u.
Indeed the vietnam war was by far the most convulsive and traumatic of americas three wars in asia in the 50 years since pearl harbor. The us lost the vietnam war on many fronts, domestic hostility to war coupled with a powerful antiwar movement and growing concern for the economy meant electoral suicide if a hardline on vietnam continued. Charles neu is the author of many famous books, and also edited and coedited many, many more. How america lost vietnam after winning the war against a communist foe. I cant give a good answer to this, but here are a couple of points that are germane. His political philosophy was a not entirely intelligible blend of. America officially lost the vietnam war 40 years ago this. Vietnam was destined to be a quagmire, and america was destined to lose there. The vietnam war is one of americas most significant historical events. How can we explain americas involvement in the vietnam war. Hess describes and evaluates the main arguments of.
In the vietnam war, the us was unable to understand what a revolutionary war was and that was the reason why us strategies failed painfully in gaining victory vickers, 1993, p. Vietnam had a profound impact on american foreign policy for years before actual involvement in southeast. The people of vietnam and the countrys leadership were so full of revolutionary fervor that they were mentally unbeatable. Herring rendition of americas longest war is widely considered to be a balanced, fair, and honest account of the vietnam war. Many people today dont realize the impact that the vietnam war had on the world then and on our world today. Vietnam fell to the communists in 1975, making it the first war america ever lost. The lectures appeared in small wars manual in 1940, later adopted as an official. The involvement of the united states in the vietnam war has been the most polarizing issue within postwar american history. It was divisive at the time, both domestically and internationally, and debates continue to the present day. The vietnam war was a conflict, which the united states involved itself in unnecessarily and ultimately lost. America lost the vietnam war for a very simple reason. A time daily primer on americas involvement in southeast asia.
Clearly examines the historiography of the vietnam war questions whether the vietnam war was lost due to poor strategy and leadership, or was. This latest addition to the new presss peoples history series offers an incisive account of the war america lost, from the perspective of those who opposed it on both sides of the battlefront as well as on the homefront. Americas different viewpoints on the war through the particular strip. It accurately recounts that the manner in which the 1960s military draft was conducted was catastrophic. The war in vietnam started without a clear answer of why it was necessary. The seminole wars in the 1830s in florida come to mind. This tragedy erased americas memory of the quagmire of vietnam, and led the u. Explaining americas lost war is an awardwinning historiography of one of the 20th centurys seminal conflicts. A peoples history of the vietnam war the new press. But a chapter on the vietnam war has one but only one very sound foot on the ground. Neu realized the importance of this major event and wanted to document the years 19451975 in his book. Some became opponents of the war, joining the gi antiwar movement.