Communism and Aggression
Vietnam was a country that had been at war for many years. In 1954, the occupying French finally left Vietnam and a Geneva code was drawn up outlining the peace treaty. The United States had troops in Vietnam at the time of the cease-fire and they remained there after the Geneva code. Since the end of World War II, the United States and the rest of the free world believed that the Communist had a philosophy of aggression and would take over other countries by force. Based on this belief, the United Nations fought a war in Korea to prevent Communist take over in South Korea. A Senator from Wisconsin named Joseph McCarthy had heightened the fear of Communism in America. His rabid anti-communism had been labeled "McCarthyism". This fear in part led to the Senate passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964, with only two senators voting against it. The Resolution gave President Johnson the power to do whatever he wanted in Vietnam without having to gain Congressional appr!oval or officially declare war. By 1965 many Americans began questioning whether there was truly communist aggression in Vietnam or whether it was just a civil war in South Vietnam. This concept started a bitter battle within the United States, with
Vietnam's Campaign to Conquer South Vietnam. Feb. 1965. At the same time the "White Paper" and its reply emerged, Senator Thomas Dodd from Connecticut, delivered a persuading speech to the Senate. During this time, several senators were already questioning the United States involvement in Vietnam. In his speech, Senator Dodd concentrated on Communism and why the United States needed to draw the line against Communism in Vietnam. In his opinion, the United States needed to be strong and unmoving to defeat Communism. He believed the Communists would "ultimately be able to destroy the morale and the will to resist of those who oppose them in the name of freedom"(Dodd, 809). In light of this strength, Dodd pushed the fact that the United States could not back down and allow the Communist to take over. Dodd's speech to the Senate was a prime example of the reason given the most for the United States' presence in Vietnam. The United States' position was that if South Vietnam fell to Communism, all of Southeast Asia would fall: ! Riverside Church, New York City. 4 April 1967. Potter, Paul. "The Incredible War." Washington D.C. 17 April 1965. United States. Department of State. Aggression from the North: The Record of North In February of 1965, the U.S. Department of State released a document called the "White Paper". This outlined and gave reasons for the United States' involvement in Vietnam. The United States was protecting South Vietnam and the rest of Southeast Asia from Communism. The paper was very adamant in saying that it was not a civil war. North Vietnam and the Viet Cong were breaking the Geneva code with their aggression. The U.S believed communist countries such as China and Russia were supplying Vietnam. The "White Paper" gave specific evidence that the Communist were helping the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. The United States Department of State outlined its beliefs in four major points.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1737
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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