The impact and role of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War are huge. To begin with, the main …show more content…
Ngo Dinh Diem was the president of South Vietnam and emphasized on the Confucian values. However, the ARVN generals, backed by the CIA operatives and the U.S. ambassador, overthrew him. Until his death, the United States had acted as the advisor to the South Vietnam government, especially, in the war against North Vietnam and Viet Cong. his assassination was a disaster in South Vietnamese government and this led to a dramatic change in the American policy toward that war (Gitlin 8).
On the other hand, the attack of the Gulf of Tonkin in the year 1964 also escalated the conflict in Vietnam. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by the Congress allowed President Johnson to use any strategies to retaliate, prevent further attacks and promote peace in the region. The resolution was passed after the two U.S. Destroyers in the region radioed an attack by the North Vietnamese forces. Nevertheless, the public’s anger on these attacks was used to justify the war. Nonetheless, the strategy by President Johnson failed, and instead of admitting defeat, North Vietnam increased its support to the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). Subsequently, this caused the war to intensify as both the United States and North Vietnamese increased their troops (Wiest …show more content…
After the end of World War II, both the United States and the Soviet Union fought for influence and control of various regions in the world. Similarly, they stopped each other from exerting ideological, cultural and political control to other countries. Vietnam, in particular, was a significant sphere of influence, and thus, the U.S. had committed to end the further spread of communism in the area. Clearly, the escalation of the Vietnam War mirrored the Cold War, and both the United States and USSR operated in Vietnam through proxy governments and forces (Gitlin 8).
Indeed, the aftermath of the Vietnam War is omnipresent. Many people including civilians and soldiers were badly injured during the Vietnam War. The presence of physically deformed and crippled people in the region is associated with the enduring effects of chemicals and pesticides used in the warfare. Besides, the bomb damage is evident as many craters in the area remain unfilled. Additionally, the psychological effects are evident today as the war impacts continue to divide further the South and the North Vietnam (Hall