Vietnam War

The Vietnam War, lasting almost 20 years and deploying 2.7 million troops to the fronts made it one of the largest wars in US history. The war began on Aug. 2, 1964 when two navy ships off the shores of Vietnam were allegedly fired upon. This questionable attack was just the start of the questionable war to come. Throughout the war 58,000 American soldiers were killed and twice as many severely disabled. This war was a humiliation to the United States and tensions created grew to an overwhelming stature. In a quote by President Nixon, "Let us be united against defeat. Because let us understand: North Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States. Only Americans can do that" (Doc G). Throughout the war many tensions held strong, but between 1964-1975 these tensions grew. This is shown in three ways: politically, the trust and creditability of the war and government was under question. Socially, as the war continued the public acknowledged their right to express their opinion to the government and country in many ways, such as riots. Economically, how the government was spending money and using the money ineffective towards the war. All together these tensions embarrassed the United States to a level that turned the nation

Politically the nation was strong heading into the Vietnam War, with 85 percent of the public supporting the war. Then with its progression the support towards the war dicipated. Tensions grew enormously in the years to come with events such as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Pentagon Papers, and War Powers Act. One of the first major events in the escalation of the war was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which shifted the control and decisive powers of Congress to be controlled solely by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This decision was made by congress and passed overwhelmingly with 400 to 2 vote. The resolution states that "Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." (Doc A). Gulf of Tonkin Resolution shows that congress gave away all its powers to the President to use at the his discretion. This heightened tensions because the Incident of the Gulf of Tonkin was questionable and the fact that it progressed into, The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, a major shift of power in the Govenment. That of which goes against the checks and balances our country was built on. ...