Why was the Vietnam war different for any other war?

Answer 1

That is a very tough question. It is like Nixon said, "no event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War." I can't give a clear answer but I do have some food for thought which may paint a big picture.

1. You have to keep in mind that Vietnam was not about who killed more troops. If the winner of the Vietnam war was declared by who killed more troops than the U.S. would win hands down. The U.S. casualties were roughly half a million, where as the Vietcong suffered a little more than a million. Then how did we lose?

2. Keep in mind that at this time technology has improved and Vietnam is the first war where people are watching it go on right at home on there television screen. They are seeing their sons being shot and viewing dead soldiers every single day. You did not see this in WW1 or WW2 or the Korena War.

3. The element of the unknown inherent in The Vietnam War made it the most horrific war American soldiers had ever encountered. The use of landmines, and booby traps turned lush jungle trails into death traps. The haunting landscape hid the shadows of Vietcong. Sweet old men and impresionable young children, who in a time of peace would be viewed as frail and useless, could be mobilized against American troops as terrorists. Every aspect of the war induced terror, and paranoia in the American soldiers.

4. Lastly, there have been more books written about the Vietnam War than any other War.

Like i said I do not have a clear answer, but these are the facts, and contribute to the reason why the Vietnam war was so different from any other war.

Answer 2

It was the first time in history when the media could go behind the lines to show the horrors of war. Essentially, it was the first time the public at home could experience the war nearly first hand. Naturally, this bred the '60s anti-war movement.

Answer 3

It wasn't different from any other US war. Most people simply don't know US history. 1. Vietnam was the second limited war fought against communist aggression, between an Asian North & South communist nation; Korea was the first. 2. The US Civil War was also an undeclared war in which the Southern forces lost the war. 3. Both the US Civil War & Vietnam both began in '61; both had US presidents assassinated; both had Johnsons had Vice Presidents; both had draft riots and draft dodgers; both had civil rights movements in the middle of the conflict; both had new infantry assault rifles introduced for the first time (Henry Rifle & M16 Rifle); both wars treated their Southern losers with disdain; both wars had a "reconciliation" war: The Civil War had "The Splendid Little War" (Spanish-American War 1898); Vietnam had "The One Hundred War" (Operation Desert Storm 1991), both of these conflicts occurred in the 90's.

Answer 4

The United States Army (US Gov't, Continental Army, etc.) accomplished it's mission; by becoming an independent country (nation) during the Revolutionary War of 1776. The US Army (US Gov't) accomplished it's mission by allowing the successful settlement of the continental United States from it's Atlantic Coast to it's Pacific Coast; westward expansion, settling of the frontier, etc. The US Army (US Gov't) accomplished it's mission against Britain during the war of 1812. No more kidnapping of US Seamen on the high seas. The US Army (US Gov't) accomplished it's mission against Mexico in 1846-1848. The US obtained the territories of California (at the time, California consisted of Nevada, and other states). The US Army (US Gov't) accomplished it's mission of preserving the Union (US Civil War 1861-1865). The US Army (US Gov't) accomplished it's mission by winning the war against Spain, in 1898. The US Army (US Gov't) accomplished it's mission during WWI; Allies won. The US Army (US Gov't) accomplished it's mission during WWII; Allies won. The US Army (US Gov't) accomplished it's mission in Korea in 1950-1953; the Communists were stopped at the 38th Parallel, which still exists today. The US Army (US Gov't) held "the line" against the communists, until our departure from Vietnam in 1973 (and most knew, it was a "sinking ship"). But the US Gov't would no longer FUND the South's Military. When the North came down in 1975, there were NO B-52's to stop them, as the B-52's had stopped them in 1972. Conventional NVA tanks rolled right into South Vietnam's capital on 30 April 1975.

Answer 5

Actually it was very much like a war fought nearly 100 years earlier; the US Civil War. Both the Civil War and Vietnam had US presidents assassinated; both had vice presidents named Johnson take over the office after the assassinations. Both wars had a draft and draft riots and draft dodgers. Both wars were UNDECLARED, and in both wars; the south lost. Both wars began in '61.

Answer 6

Because it was not a declared war, it was a "police" action, which the President can do without the approval of Congress. Whereas if the President wanted to declare war that would have to go through Congress which would have taken longer and in those days the United States was trying to contain the spread of Communism.

Answer 7

It was the first helicopter war; and for the US, a war in which the enemy nation was not invaded (which is part of the reason it lasted so long).