Many ideals that the United States holds are based on notions that have been held for hundreds of years. Since the United States gained "world power" status in the early 20th century, most politicians have analyzed American foreign policy with a slanted view. Nationalism flowed through all of the presidents and their decisions causing some of the wrong choices to be made.

Vietnam has struggled against foreign powers throughout all of its history. For thousands of years it had fought off countries in their own territory and grew a strong sense on nationalism within the country. The people were proud of their heritage and would fight against anyone to preserve it. In the late 1800's a French missionary had raised a missionary force to help Nguyen Anh become Vietnam's emperor in hope that the new emperor would look fa

so Kennedy ordered them, but Taylor did not take into account that if bombings occurred the North would build up its forces and fight back. Again Taylor ignored the mistakes of the past (Karnow).

ling for national elections to reunify the country two years after the signing of the treaty (Karnow).

In 1976 the South was reunited with the North in a new Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The conclusion of the war, however, did not end the violence. Border tension with the Communist government in Cambodia escalated rapidly after the fall of Saigon, and in early 1979 the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia and installed a pro-Vietnamese government. A few weeks later, Vietnam was itself attacked by its Communist neighbor and erstwhile benefactor, China. In the mid-1980s, about 140,000 Vietnamese troops were stationed in Cambodia and another 50,000 troops in Laos. Vietnam substantially reduced its forces in Laos during 1988 and withdrew virtually all its troops from Cambodia by September 1989. Within Vietnam, postwar economic and social problems were severe, and reconstruction proceeded slowly. Efforts to collectivize agriculture and nationalize business aroused hostility in the south. Disappointing harvests and the absorption of resources by the military further retarded Vietnam's recov!

The imposition of French colonial rule had met with little organized resistance. The national sense of identity, however, had not been crushed, and anticolonial sentiment soon began to emerge. Poor economic conditions contributed to native hostility to French rule. Although French occupation brought improvements in transportation and communications, and contributed to the growth of commerce and manufacturing, colonialism brought little improvement in livelihood to the mass of the population. In the countryside, peasants struggled under heavy taxes and high rents. Workers in factories, coal mines, and on rubber plantations worked in harsh conditions for low wages. By the early 1920s, nationalist parties began to demand reform and independence. In 1930 Ho Chi Minh formed an Indochinese Communist party. Until World War II started in 1939, such groups labored without success. In 1940, however, Japan demanded and received the right to place Vietnam under military occupation, restr!

After Geneva, the Vietminh in Hanoi refrained from armed struggle and began to build a Communist society. In the southern capital, Saigon, Bao Dai soon gave way to a new regime under the staunch anti-Communist president Ngo Dinh Diem. With diplomatic support from the United States, Diem refused to hold elections and attempted to destroy Communist influence in the South. By 1959, however, Diem was in trouble. Diem had strong support from the US, but could not please his supporters in Vietnam. His unwillingness to tolerate domestic opposition, his alleged favoritism of fellow Roman Catholics, and the failure of his social and economic programs seriously alienated key groups in the populace and led to rising unrest. The Communis

Some common words found in the essay are:
Vietnam North, Vietnam War, Paul Vann, South Vietnam, Paris Karnow, Republic Vietnam, Cambodia September, Bien Phu, French Vietminh, Bao Dai, north vietnam, ho chi, ho chi minh, chi minh, kennedy final decisions, lives war, war mistake, vietnamese government, vietnam war, thieu regime, saigon regime president, guerrilla warfare, vietminh forces,
Approximate Word count = 2020
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)