How to Understand the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a significant conflict in modern U.S. history. While the war began as a civil war between North and South Vietnam, it expanded to involve (to varying degrees) China, the U.S., and the U.S.S.R. Understanding the war is best done by first getting an overview of the conflict with second-hand accounts in historical books, memoirs, and documentaries. Then, to dig deeper into the war, you should examine the primary-source documents produced during the war, and the artifacts that it left behind. Fictitious accounts of the war can also be instructive for helping you understand the spirit of the times.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Investigating Second-hand Accounts of the War

  1. There are many courses available at universities, community colleges, and online that examine the war either directly or as part of a larger curriculum about modern U.S. history, the Cold War, or military history. [1] The war can be understood as part of a program in political science, history, international relations, or a related discipline.
    • Contact your local colleges and universities and express interest in learning more about the Vietnam War.
    • Alternately, search online for online courses that you could enroll in.
  2. Historical fiction is a valuable tool you can use to better understand an event or historical period. [2] Even though real people may or may not be involved in historical fiction about the Vietnam War, these tales can often explore what it felt like to fight in or endure the war in ways that nonfiction cannot. In the case of the Vietnam war, there are numerous novels, plays, and films about the conflict.
    • Some of the most popular films about the war include Born on the Fourth of July, Casualties of War , and Full Metal Jacket .
    • Some of the most popular novels about the war include The Short-Timers and Matterhorn .
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  3. There is a world of nonfiction about the Vietnam War. Some of these books are memoirs, others are biographies of significant people, and others are more wide-ranging histories about the roots, development, and aftermath of the war.
    • Useful biographies could include those of the primary architects or participants of the war, including Ho Chi Minh, Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara, and Richard Nixon.
    • Some of the best histories on the Vietnam War include America’s Longest War: The United States and Vietnam 1950-1975 by George Herring, Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow , and We Were Soldiers Once….And Young: Ia Drang—the Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam by Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway. [3]
    • There are also countless biographies and memoirs that entirely or partially recount personal experiences of the war. These include memoirs by Tobias Wolff ( In Pharaoh’s Army ), William Westmoreland ( A Soldier Reports ), and Philip Caputo ( A Rumor of War ). [4]
  4. Documentaries are a great way to learn, and there are many documentaries about the Vietnam War. For instance, check out Last Days in Vietnam , a 2014 film that examines the close of the Vietnam War. Another film worth watching is The Fog of War. Directed by Errol Morris, the film examines the life and decision-making of Robert McNamara, who is considered one of the main architects of the war. [5]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Learning About the War From Primary Sources

  1. [6] Primary sources are those that were produced as part of a given historical event or period. They are the raw materials of history. For instance, you might read the Pentagon Papers – a collection of documents produced by the U.S. Department of Defense – to learn what the American government was thinking during the Vietnam War. You could also investigate the Central Intelligence Agency’s Vietnam action histories.
    • Links to these and other sources are available online at http://shsulibraryguides.org/c.php?g=86715&p=559000 .
    • Don’t neglect photographic sources. The image of Kim Phuc running down the street after her village was napalmed is one of the most powerful images in modern history.
    • Similarly, Eddie Adams’ 1968 photo of the summary execution of a suspected communist demonstrates the lawlessness that came to characterize the war. [7]
  2. There are several museums and monuments dedicated to the Vietnam War, both in the U.S. and in Vietnam. Visiting these museums or monuments, especially on a guided tour with a subject expert, can provide greater insight into the war. These museums offer a mixture of artifacts, displays, videos, and placards to explore the war and its effects. You might visit:
    • The National Vietnam War Museum in Texas. [8]
    • The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. This museum, like the National Vietnam War Museum in the U.S., has many tanks and vehicles used in the war.
    • The Vietnam War Memorial, designed by Maya Lin, in Washington, D.C. The monument can improve understanding of the war’s meaning. It has the name of every soldier who was killed during the war etched onto it.
  3. 3
    Watch interviews with veterans from the war. These interviews may provide new perspectives on the war from the soldiers who served in it. Look for news programs, documentaries, history podcasts, books, and other media for these interviews. You may be able to find some just by searching the internet.
  4. Prepare a list of questions you want to ask before beginning your conversation. Use care when talking to people who survived war, especially veterans. [9]
    • Do not assume vets are proud of their service. For many veterans, their military experience was traumatic and remains difficult to talk about.
    • For instance, do not ask, “How many people did you kill?” or say “I would have killed many enemy soldiers.” These statements might make veterans uncomfortable or even angry.
    • For similar reasons, do not say to a vet, “I’m glad you made it home okay.” Even if veterans are physically unharmed, they might feel a great deal of psychic pain and emotional frustration about what they did or saw in Vietnam.
    • Start with easy questions like, “When did you serve in Vietnam?” and work your way up through more difficult questions like, “Did you see many battles?”
    • Arrange a meeting with a Vietnam vet in your area by contacting Vietnam Veterans against the War or the Wounded Warriors Project to learn more about the military experience of the war.
  5. During the Vietnam War, civilians suffered terribly. [10] Their experiences can help you understand how people who lived through the war talked and thought about it. Prepare a list of questions you want to ask before beginning your conversation.
    • Find out where the civilian lived during the war. People who lived in North Vietnam will likely remember the conflict differently than people who lived in South Vietnam.
    • You might want to ask about the attitude toward the war and how it changed over time.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Understanding the Background of the Conflict

  1. The Cold War was the ongoing conflict between the 20th century’s two great superpowers, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. The U.S. was a capitalist democracy, while the U.S.S.R. was a communist dictatorship. The two nations saw each other as mortal enemies. Instead of fighting each other directly, though, they fought a series of indirect proxy wars and conflicts around the world in Vietnam, Nicaragua, Cuba, Angola, and elsewhere. [11]
    • China was the other emerging superpower, and it officially sided with the U.S.S.R., though the two countries often disagreed. China and the U.S.S.R. both aided North Vietnam.
    • Ask a grandparent (or parent, if they are old enough to remember) what the Cold War was like. Ask questions like, “What did Americans think of the U.S.S.R.?” or “Did you know anyone who fought in Vietnam?”
  2. Vietnam had a long history of colonization. In the 1800s, France took over Indochina (what is today Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia). During World War II, they were pushed out by Japan, who then instituted an even more brutal colonization regime, resulting in the starvation of around 2 million Vietnamese people. [12] France took over again briefly after World War II ended, but struggled to maintain control, and left in 1954 after their defeat in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
    • When France left, the peace treaty divided the country into two parts (North Vietnam and South Vietnam). Elections and reunification were scheduled, but did not occur.
    • In 1959, North Vietnam declared war on the South to unify the entire country under a communist government.
    • Vietnam’s struggle for unity and independence was part of a global struggle against colonial rule. India, Algeria, and Indonesia all fought anti-colonial wars following World War II.
    • Learning about colonization in Vietnam will help you understand why the Vietnamese were so suspicious and opposed to American intervention in their country.
  3. In 1964, two American battleships reported they had been fired upon by North Vietnam. Following these alleged attacks, President Lyndon Johnson sought approval to expand American military presence in Vietnam. After this incident, American involvement in Vietnam began to increase. [13]
    • Later reports revealed that there had been a small conflict between U.S. and North Vietnamese forces several days before the incident that President Johnson suggested demanded military response. Later, it was discovered that American ships had not been fired upon during this incident.
  4. The Gulf of Tonkin incident caused President Johnson to increase the number of U.S. troops in Vietnam. By 1967 there were about half a million U.S. troops in the country. [14] One of the major turning points was the Tet Offensive, a large-scale military against U.S. and South Vietnamese forces. After the attack, Americans increasingly believed that they could not win the war and that new leadership was needed to take America out of Vietnam.
  5. As the war dragged on, it became less and less popular. [15] President Johnson's high disapproval due to his stance on the war led him to decline seeking re-election in 1968. Richard Nixon was then elected President on a platform that promised to end the war. Finally, in 1973, American forces withdrew. North Vietnam finally prevailed over South Vietnam in 1975, and the country was reunified.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Thinking About Civilian Reactions

  1. The Vietnam War was very unpopular. As more and more U.S. soldiers died, Americans began to question the validity of the war. Many Americans dodged the draft by going to Canada or getting married in order to avoid military service in what they considered a pointless conflict. Others protested the war by marching and engaging in anti-war actions. College campuses were hotbeds of antiwar activity.
    • Many people publicly burned their draft cards in opposition to the war.
    • At Kent State University in 1970, Army National Guardsmen fired on students during an anti-war protest. Four students died and nine were wounded. [16] Try to imagine yourself being shot at by your own country’s military simply for exercising your freedom of speech. How would you feel?
    • In order to understand the Vietnam War, it is important to consider why it was so unpopular. Compare reactions to the Vietnam War to reactions to World War II. How were they different and why?
  2. The war was equally unpopular in Vietnam. America gave support to the government of South Vietnam, but that government was very unpopular. One of the most visible symbols of Vietnamese opposition to their own government -- and, by extension, their allies and the war – was when Thich Quang Duc burned himself alive in Saigon in 1963. [17]
    • Compare the legacy in Vietnam to the legacy of the war in the U.S. You may find that the Vietnamese have a different perspective regarding the war. They may have been taught about the war in different ways. [18]
  3. The war was unique in a few ways. It used new kinds of weapons (napalm and Agent Orange) and was fought against a different kind of enemy. [19] To fully understand the civilian response, it is important to understand these unique aspects.
    • Napalm was a flammable liquid that caused massive burns across anything it touched. During the Vietnamese War, it was used extensively by the U.S. to burn forests where enemy soldiers were hiding, but it also caused many civilian deaths.
    • Agent Orange was a chemical weapon developed by two companies, Dow Chemical and the Monsanto Corporation. This chemical caused widespread birth defects, immune deficiency, and an increased rate of cancer for the Vietnamese people. It also produced adverse health impacts for U.S. soldiers who were exposed.
    • Traditional wars involve two armies facing off on a battlefield. This rarely occurred in Vietnam. Instead, American soldiers had to contend with guerrillas – soldiers who did not wear uniforms and who would attack small groups of soldiers from a distance, rather than engage them in direct battle. Many of these guerrillas moved freely between North and South Vietnam. Guerrillas also used traps and mines to cause damage to American soldiers without confronting them directly.
  4. Unlike prior conflicts, Americans saw the impact of the Vietnam War directly each night on TV. As the war dragged on, support declined as audiences saw firsthand the horrors of the war. Understanding the war requires recognizing the impact of TV footage on American attitudes. [20]
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      Warnings

      • Films about the Vietnam War and actual photographs can be harrowing and gruesome, and aren't suitable for children.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://uwm.edu/online-summer/courses/the-vietnam-war-2/
      2. ↑ http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/why-and-how-i-teach-historical-fiction
      3. ↑ http://blogs.cfr.org/lindsay/2015/03/02/the-best-histories-of-the-vietnam-war/
      4. ↑ http://blogs.cfr.org/lindsay/2015/03/03/the-ten-best-memoirs-of-the-vietnam-war/
      5. ↑ https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/7-of-the-best-and-most-disturbing-war-documentaries/
      6. ↑ http://shsulibraryguides.org/c.php?g=86715&p=559000
      7. ↑ http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/saigon-execution-murder-vietcong-saigon-1968/
      8. ↑ http://www.nationalvnwarmuseum.org/
      9. ↑ https://www.wunc.org/the-story/2013-03-25/things-to-say-and-not-to-say-to-a-vet
      1. ↑ http://www.npr.org/2013/01/28/169076259/anything-that-moves-civilians-and-the-vietnam-war
      2. ↑ http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history
      3. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20100620194237/http://www.soc.washington.edu/users/brines/vietcasualties.pdf
      4. ↑ http://fair.org/media-beat-column/30-year-anniversary-tonkin-gulf-lie-launched-vietnam-war/
      5. ↑ http://www.ushistory.org/us/55b.asp
      6. ↑ http://www.ushistory.org/us/55c.asp
      7. ↑ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4630596
      8. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=HIztCwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA186&pg=PA186#v=onepage&q&f=false
      9. ↑ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/04/youth-vietnam-war-fall-saigon/391769/
      10. ↑ http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/guerrilla/
      11. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/20/us/vietnam-war-five-things/

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