Question 1
During the Vietnam War, the U.S deeply involved itself in the 1960s because it desired to ensure that the developing countries are modernized as democratic and capitalist. This involvement started with the social and economic support from the South of Vietnam. However, throughout the leadership of Presidents Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy, the idea of modernizing South Vietnamese became possible after the military implemented it. Moreover, it was clear that despite the effort made by the U.S towards Vietnam, its defeat was inevitable. In this question, we will address how the Korean and Vietnam War and the McCarthy’s trials contributed to the cold war.
The Vietnam War
For generations, the United States knew Vietnam through books, legends, and movies. It was, therefore, hard to imagine how America stumbled during the war. This was because in the past, it was discovered that 63 percent of Americans never paid attention to the country to the point that it named Vietnam ‘the puissant country.’ This is why leaders failed to make choices whether Vietnam could fight or whether they were communists that strategized for regional or global domination. However, the leaders in America became nervous because of how they were unable to face their political consequences even though the North Vietnamese were considered the strongest when it came to military war. The Cold War, in this case, emerged through phases like ‘the Domino Theory’, including the belief that criticized that South Vietnam was spreading communism all over Southeast Asia.
The Korean War
In the late 1950s, the war between the United States and the Soviet Union intensified because of the hysteria that perceived threats embraced by the communists known as the Red Scare. This group took several actions that had an enduring and profound effect on the U.S society and government. Due to this, the public was concerned about the rise of communism to the international levels. In one of the major army units of America, for instance, the theft in the barracks ruined trust and loyalty among the comrades who were believed to rely on each other while in the battle fields. This eventually corroded the morale which indicated that they were not fit to fight. In 1950, the Korean War began and engaged all the U.S troops in battle to fight against communism. The Korean War became the first major proxy battle of the Cold War, in which the Soviet Union and the United States chose sides in a civil conflict.
McCarthy Trials
Senator Joseph McCarthy marked the first apex and finale of the Red Scare. In February 1950, McCarthy delivered a speech that charged 205 known communist had infiltrated in the U.S. State Department. Selected as a Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, he investigated and questioned several suspected officials. Although McCarthy failed to identify communists in government or give any proof, he was able to gain major attention and become one of the most feared communist hunters. In early 1954, McCarthy launched an investigation against the U.S. Army that was nationally televised. Support for him plummeted after people realized he was overstepping his boundaries and was abusing his authority.
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