Was the Vietnam War an unnecessary war?

Was the Vietnam War an unnecessary war?

The U.S. failure in Vietnam did not trigger the wholesale retreat from responsibility into isolationism that many feared would result. None of this changes the reality that the Vietnam War was the wrong war—an unnecessary war. This in no way cheapens or in any way detracts from the sacrifice by so many Americans.

How pointless was the Vietnam War?

As the other answers have indicated, the Vietnam war was, to a very large extent, a pointless, costly failure. Starting with cost, the war, in inflation-adjusted dollars, carried a price tag of $738 billion, according to defense specialist Stephen Daggett.

Why US should not have involved in Vietnam War?

Even though U.S. politicians, military experts and leaders of foreign affairs generally agreed that Communism violated democracy and infringed on political freedoms, conflicts in Vietnam posed no direct threat to the U.S. government or to the freedoms Americans enjoyed.

Why is the Vietnam War relevant today?

Unfortunately, the Vietnam War may offer important lessons for today which are worthy of serious contemplation. The policy of containment led the United States into a wide array of conflicts ranging from Korea to Vietnam, and whose legacy is still with us in the economic embargo of Cuba and a destabilized Afghanistan.

What mistakes were made in the Vietnam War?

Starting from #10, here are the top 10 mistakes in the Vietnam War.

• #9: Treating Vietnam like the Korean War.
• #8: Cutting the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
• #7: Using conventional tactics to fight against guerrilla warfare.
• #6: Sanctioning the Coup and assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem.

Could the Vietnam war have been avoided?

Share All sharing options for: Vietnam War could have been avoided, McNamara says. Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, a key architect of the Vietnam War, said Monday that the conflict could have been halted more than a decade before it ended or avoided altogether.

How did the Vietnam War affect the public opinion?

As reports from the field became increasingly accessible to citizens, public opinion began to turn against U.S. involvement, though many Americans continued to support it. Others felt betrayed by their government for not being truthful about the war. This led to an increase in public pressure to end the war.

How did the Vietnam War affect us?

The Vietnam War had far-reaching consequences for the United States. It led Congress to replace the military draft with an all-volunteer force and the country to reduce the voting age to 18. The war also weakened U.S. military morale and undermined, for a time, the U.S. commitment to internationalism.

What are the effects of the Vietnam War?

The most immediate effect of the Vietnam War was the staggering death toll. The war killed an estimated 2 million Vietnamese civilians, 1.1 million North Vietnamese troops and 200,000 South Vietnamese troops. During the air war, America dropped 8 million tons of bombs between 1965 and 1973.