What were the major issues of the vietnam war?

Answer 1

The Vietnamese wanted independence.

Because China and the Soviet Union backed them in their independence struggle, the USA was afraid that this could lead to a "domino effect" of more countries in SE Asia "falling under Communist control".

Answer 2

Vietnam War Issues

Answer 3

VietNam wanted independence from the French who had been there since the 1880's. They had to deal with the Chinese who had rulled over them for 1000 years and they were not adverse to the ideas of communism. The US didn't care until the French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam were free but according to the Geneva Accord Vietnam would be partitioned until the election in 1956 (sound familiar) well before the election the French talked the US into supporting the Governemtn of South Vietnam. Well sir the US having offered covert support during the 1954 battle and the interum Government of South Vietnam decided to stand against communist agression and so the war was back on. This time with the US and the Viet Minh. Thank God were not having the same problems in Iraq.

Answer 4

Yes, basically the Vietnamese wanted independence and saw the imposition of 'South Vietnam' as a foreign attempt to prevent the country receiving the fruits of its successful war against the French. Eventually, the Southern government gained some legitimacy but it was always seen as an American puppet, as opposed to the North Vietnamese who had earned their kudos in the earlier war for independence.

The American government saw the North Vietnamese as little more than Russian/Chinese proxy troops.

This 1950s-era thinking gradually lost ground, leaving Americans unsure as to what they were fighting for. the failure to impose any real alternative vision led to much bewilderment and division.

Other issues raised by the war related to the changing appearance of the battlefield after World War II. The war was not declared, and was a guerrilla struggle. Old notions about acceptable behaviour and appropriate tactics were challenged as Americans learnt to fight guerrillas. They were quite successful, and America's armed forces fought well, but his was not enough to overcove the problems at higher levels.

After the war, a group of US officers including Colin Powell sat down to look at the lessons. They said war should only be undertaken when the political objective could be matched to the military means, with clear objectives for the army leading to clear political outcomes. This philosophy was trashed by George Bush.