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The Vietnam War had a tremendous impact on American society and culture, in large part becaiise it was the first American war to be televi$ed. As a result, the American press played a significant, unforeseen role in die war, especially in the arena of public opinion. Tlie photographs, videos, and opinions of American joumalists, coupled with die simple fact diat young Americans were dying on foreign soil against an enemy diat did not direaten die United States directly, tunied much of the American public against die war. Tliis enormous power of die media and public distrust of die goveniment have been a mainstay of American society ever sińce. Decades later, the war still figures prominently in American film and literaturę, and die black gramte wali of die Vietnam Veterans Memoriał in Washington, D.C., remains one of the most potent symbols of American loss.
SlIMMARY OF EYENTS
Imperialism and Colonialism
Tlie Vietnam War has roots in Vietnam’s centunes of domination by imperial and colonial powers—first China, wliich ruled ancient Vietnam, and then France, whicli took control of Vietnam in the late 1800s and established French Indochina In die early 1900s, nationalist movements emerged in Vietnam, demanding morę self-goveniance and less French induence. Tlie most prominent of diese was led by Communist leader Ho Chi Minh, who foiuided a militant nationalist organization called the Viet Minh
The First Indochina W ar
Durnig World War II, when France was occupied by Nazi Gemiany, it lost its foothold in Vietnam, and Japan took control of die country. Tlie Viet Minii resisted diese Japanese oppressors and extended its power base throughout Vietnam. Wlien Japan surrendered at die end of World War II in 1945, Ho Chi MinlFs forces took die Capital of Hanoi and declared Vietnam to be an independent country, die Democratic Republic of Yietnam
France refused to recognize Ho’s declaration and retunied to Vietnam, driving Ho’s Commiuiist forces into nordieni Yietnam. Ho appealed for aid from die United States, but because die United States was embroiled in the escalating Cold War widi the Communist USSR, it distmsted Ho’s Communist leanings and aided the French instead. Fightmg between Ho’s forces and the French continued in diis First Indochina War imtil 1954, when a humiliating defeat at Dien Bień Phu prompted France to seek a peace setdement.
Diyidcd Yietnam
Tlie Geneva Accords of 1954 declared a cease-fire and divided Yietnam officially into North Yietnam (imder Ho and his Communist forces) and South Yietnam (under a French-backed emperor). Tlie dividing lnie was set at die 17th parallel and was surromided by a demilitarized zonę, or DMZ Tlie Geneva Accords stipulated diat the divide was temporary and tliat Vietnam was to be reiuńfied imder free elections to be lield in 1956.
The Cold War and the Domino Theory
At diis point, the United States" Cold War foreign policy began to play a major part in Vietnam. U.S. policy at the time was dominated by the domino theory, wliich believed tliat die “fali” of
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