Was the Vietnam War Necessary?
The Vietnam War was not necessary
Donna Baker
COM/172 Version 3
October 29, 2012
Donna Hooley
The Vietnam War started in 1954 with the defeat of the French and ended in 1975 with the fall and withdrawal of Saigon. The United States’ (U.S.’s) involvement in the Vietnam War started in 1963 with support of weapons, military training, advisement, and supplies until 1965 when U.S. troops went into battle with the North Vietnamese (Szczepanski, n.d.). American troops did not pull out of the war until 1973. Was the U.S.’s involvement in the Vietnam War worth the time, money, and effort they put into it? That answer depends on whom you ask. Some politicians, civilians, and military personnel deemed the U.S.’s involvement in the Vietnam War necessary; others, especially peace-activists, did not. Whether this war was necessary or not, it affected the U.S. and Vietnam in many ways. The Vietnam War affected the U.S. economy, Vietnamese, and U. S. civilians, and both soldiers from the U.S. and Vietnam. The Vietnam War is still affecting both countries today. The U.S. entered the Vietnam War to prevent the spread of communism (Szczepanski, n.d.). She further added the way communism works: Under communism, none of the "means of production" - factories, land, etc. - are owned by individuals. Instead, the government controls the means of production and all of the people work together. The wealth produced is shared out among the people based on their needs, rather than on their contribution to the work. The result, in theory, is a classless society where everything is public, rather than private, property. (Para. 2) Ho Chi Minh (a communist leader) ruled North Vietnam. A democratic government under the leadership of Ngo Dinh Diem (after his assassination was later ruled by General Duong Van Minh) ruled South Vietnam. North Vietnam wanted both sides to join under a communist rule. Vietnam is still under a political communist rule and a capitalist economy (Szczepanski,
Donna Baker
COM/172 Version 3
October 29, 2012
Donna Hooley
The Vietnam War started in 1954 with the defeat of the French and ended in 1975 with the fall and withdrawal of Saigon. The United States’ (U.S.’s) involvement in the Vietnam War started in 1963 with support of weapons, military training, advisement, and supplies until 1965 when U.S. troops went into battle with the North Vietnamese (Szczepanski, n.d.). American troops did not pull out of the war until 1973. Was the U.S.’s involvement in the Vietnam War worth the time, money, and effort they put into it? That answer depends on whom you ask. Some politicians, civilians, and military personnel deemed the U.S.’s involvement in the Vietnam War necessary; others, especially peace-activists, did not. Whether this war was necessary or not, it affected the U.S. and Vietnam in many ways. The Vietnam War affected the U.S. economy, Vietnamese, and U. S. civilians, and both soldiers from the U.S. and Vietnam. The Vietnam War is still affecting both countries today. The U.S. entered the Vietnam War to prevent the spread of communism (Szczepanski, n.d.). She further added the way communism works: Under communism, none of the "means of production" - factories, land, etc. - are owned by individuals. Instead, the government controls the means of production and all of the people work together. The wealth produced is shared out among the people based on their needs, rather than on their contribution to the work. The result, in theory, is a classless society where everything is public, rather than private, property. (Para. 2) Ho Chi Minh (a communist leader) ruled North Vietnam. A democratic government under the leadership of Ngo Dinh Diem (after his assassination was later ruled by General Duong Van Minh) ruled South Vietnam. North Vietnam wanted both sides to join under a communist rule. Vietnam is still under a political communist rule and a capitalist economy (Szczepanski,
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