Thai Dumas-Watts

Thai Dumas-Watts

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War took place in Vietnam, Southeast Asia. It was of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam make a communist system over the entire nation. Against the DRV was the Republic of Vietnam, backed by the United States. The war in Vietnam occurred during the Cold War, and is viewed as an indirect conflict between the United States and Soviet Union, with each nation and its allies supporting one side.

The Vietnam War started in 1959,five years after the division of the country by the Geneva Accords. Vietnam had been split into two, with a communist government in the north led by Ho Chi Minh and a democratic government in the south under Ngo Dinh Diem. Ho started a guerilla campaign in South Vietnam, led by Viet Cong units, with the goal of making the country go under communist rule. The United States, wanting to stop the spread of communism, trained the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and provided military advisors to help fight the guerillas.

After suffering all these defeats, the Vietnamese decided to avoid conventional battles and went on an all out attack on the United States. In January 1968, the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong launched the massive Tet Offensive. Beginning with an assault on US Marines at Khe Sanh , the offensive included attacks by the Viet Cong on cities throughout South Vietnam. Though the North Vietnamese were beaten back with heavy casualties, Tet shook the confidence of the American people and media who had thought the war was going well.

As a result of Tet, President Lyndon Johnson opted not to run for reelection and was succeeded by Richard Nixon. Nixon's plan for ending US involvement was to build up the ARVN so that they could fight the war themselves. As this began, US troops started to return home. The mistrust of the government that had begun after Tet got worse with the release of news about US soldiers massacring civilians at My Lie, the invasion of Cambodia , and the leaking of the Pentagon Papers.

The withdrawal of US troops continued and more responsibility was passed to the ARVN, which continued to prove ineffective in combat, often relying on American support to help . On January 27, 1974, a peace treaty was signed in Paris ending the conflict. By March of that year, American combat troops had left the country. After a small period of peace, North Vietnam recommenced hostilities in late 1974. Pushing through ARVN forces with ease, theycaptured the Saigon on April 30, 1975, forcing South Vietnam’s surrender and reuniting the country.

Civil War

Fought 1861-1865, the American Civil War was the result of decades of sectional tensions between the North and South. Focused on slavery and states rights, these issues came to a head following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Over the next several months eleven southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America. During the first two years of the war, Southern troops won numerous victories but saw their fortunes turn after losses at Gettysburg and Vicksburg in 1863. From then on, Northern forces worked to conqueror the South, forcing them to surrender in April 1865.

The roots of the Civil War can be traced to the differences between North and South and their growing problems as the 19th century progressed. Biggest among the issues were expansion of slavery into the territories, the South's declining political power, states rights, and the keeping of slavery. Though these issues had been there for decades, they exploded in 1860 following the election of Abraham Lincoln who was against the spread of slavery. As the result of his election, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas seceded from the Union.

Fort Sumter & First Bull Run:On April 12, 1861, the war began when Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor forcing its surrender. In response to the attack, President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to stop the rebellion. While Northern states responded quickly, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas refused, wanting to join the Confederacy instead. In July, Union forces commanded by Gen. Irvin McDowell began marching south to take the rebel capital of Richmond. On the 21st, they met a Confederate army near Manassas and were defeated.

War in the East, 1862-1863:Following the defeat at Bull Run, Gen. George McClellan was given command of the new Union Army of the Potomac. In1862, he moved the army south to attack Richmond . Moving slowly, he was defeated and forced to retreat after the Seven Days Battles. This campaign saw the rise of Robert E. Lee to the command of Confederate forces in the East. Shortly thereafter, a second Union army was defeated by Lee at the Second Battle of Bull Run. In September, Lee began to move north into Maryland. McClellan was sent to intercept and met Lee at Antietam on the 17th.McClellan was overcautious and failed to achieve a decisive victory. The win at Antietam permitted Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the South and altered the Union's war aims. Unhappy with McClellan, Lincoln gave command to Gen. Ambrose Burnside. In December, Burnside was beaten at Fredericksburg and replaced by Gen. Joseph Hooker. The following May, Hooker engaged Lee near Chancellorsville. Though outnumbered 2-to-1, Lee outmaneuvered Hooker forced him to retreat.

War in the West, 1861-1863:In February 1862, forces under Gen. Ulysses S. Grant captured Forts Henry & Donelson. Two months later he defeated a Confederate army at Shiloh, TN. On April 29, Union naval forces captured New Orleans. To the east, Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg attempted to invade Kentucky, but was stopped at Perryville on October 8. That December he was beaten again at Stones River, TN. Grant now focused his attention on capturing Vicksburg and opening the Mississippi River. After a fake start, his troops swept through Mississippi and raided to the town on May 18, 1863.

Turning Points - Gettysburg & Vicksburg:In June 1863, Lee began to move north towards Pennsylvania with Union troops in pursuit. Following the defeat at Chancellorsville, Lincoln turned to Gen. George Meade to take over the Army of the Potomac. On July 1, elements of the two armies clashed at Gettysburg, PA. After three days of heavy fighting, Lee was defeated and forced to retreat. A day later on July 4, Grant successfully concluded the siege of Vicksburg, opening the Mississippi to shipping and cutting the South in two. Combined these victories were the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.

War in the West, 1863-1865:In summer 1863, Union troops under Gen. William Rosecrans advanced into Georgia and were defeated at Chickamauga. Fleeing north, they were besieged at Chattanooga. Grant was ordered to save the situation and did so winning victories at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. The following spring Grant departed and gave command to Gen. William Sherman. Moving south, Sherman took Atlanta and then marched to Savannah. After reaching the sea, he moved north pushing Confederate forces until their commander, Gen. Joseph Johnston surrendered at Durham, NC on April 18, 1865.

War in the East, 1863-1865:In March 1864, Grant was given command of all Union armies and came east to deal with Lee. Grant's campaign began in May, with the armies clashing at the Wilderness. Despite heavy casualties, Grant pressed south, fighting at Spotsylvania C.H. and Cold Harbor. Unable to get through Lee's army to Richmond, Grant attempted to cut the city off by taking Petersburg. Lee arrived first and a siege began. On April 2/3, 1865, Lee was forced to evacuate the city and retreat west, allowing Grant to take Richmond. On April 9, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House.

Revolutionary War

The British defeated the French and their Indian allies in the French and Indian War (1754-1763). The result was British control over much of North America. But the war had cost England a lot of money and Parliament decided it was time for the Colonies to pay for their own defense.

To raise money, Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765. This law required the purchase of tax stamps to buy paper. The Colonists were very mad. After years of "Salutary Neglect" where Colonial taxes were not collected by the British, the new policy was not liked .

The Colonists had always considered themselves Englishmen. Among the rights granted to all Englishmen was a voice in Parliament — something they didn't have. With the Stamp Act, "Taxation without representation," became a battle cry. Rioting and name calling of the Stamp Act to Congress quickly led England to repeal the Stamp Act.

But many new taxation measures, such as the Sugar Act and Townsend Acts followed. The Americans reacted by forming organized political groups such as Committees of Correspondence and the Sons of Liberty.

The people of Boston were most outspoken and violent in their reaction to taxes. They threatened and harmed British customs officials trying to collect taxes. So, the British quartered troops in Boston to protect their officials. In1770, the Boston Massacre occurred as British troops fired into a group of protesters, killing five of them.

In1773the East India Company was granted a virtual monopoly on the importation of tea. In protest, a group of Boston citizens disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded a ship and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston harbor.

Parliament responded with the "Intolerable Acts."

Accused Colonists could be tried in England

American homes were forced to host British troops

Boston Harbor was closed

This resulted in the First Continental Congress, in1774, which met at Philadelphia's Carpenters' Hall. Twelve colonies sent delegates to discuss how to return to a state of harmonious relations with the Mother Country — not revolution! But radical thinking won out. Parliamentary acts were declared "unconstitutional." Taxes were not paid, an import-export ban was established, and Colonists were urged to arm themselves.

The "shot heard 'round the world" was fired at Lexington where armed colonists tried to resist British seizure of an arsenal. 8 Americans died in the skirmish. By the time the British returned to their lines, 273 British were killed, three times more than the number of colonists killed. The Revolution began.

The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775 and they declared themselves the government. They also named George Washington Commander in Chief of the newly organized army.

In June 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill resulted in about 400 American and 1,054 British casualties. The first major battle of the War gave the Americans great confidence.

Skirmishes in late 1775 led to the capture of Ft. Ticonderoga in New York and a win at the Battle of Crown Point, under the command of Ethan Allen. However, Benedict Arnold attempt to capture Canada for the Americans failed.

OnJuly 4th, 1776, Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence. The United States is born.

30,000 British troops arrived in New York Harbor in August and joined those already under the command of General William Howe. American defeats followed at Long Island, Harlem Heights, and White Plains.

The Americans salvaged a dismal year with Washington's Christmas night crossing of the Delaware to capture Trenton. This was followed up shortly after by a victory at the Battle of Princeton. The Americans chased Howe back to New York. Washington went into winter quarters in Morris town, New Jersey.

WWII

The war in Europe began in September1939, when Germany, under Chancellor Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland. Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany but took little action over the following months. In1940, Germany launched its next initiative by attacking Denmark and Norway, followed shortly thereafter by attacks on Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. All of these nations were conquered rapidly. Later in the summer of 1940, Germany launched a further attack on Britain, this time exclusively from the air. The Battle of Britain was Germany’s first military failure, as the German air force, the Luftwaffe, was never able to overcome Britain’s Royal Air Force. As Hitler plotted his next steps,Italy, an ally of Germany, expanded the war even further by invading Greece and North Africa. The Greek campaign was a failure, and Germany was forced to help to Italy’s in early 1941. Later in 1941, Germany began its most ambitious action yet, by invading the Soviet Union. Although the Germans initially made fast progress and advanced deep into the Russian heartland, the invasion of the USSR would be the downfall of Germany’s war effort. The country was just too big, and although Russia’s resistance was weak, the nation’s strength and determination, combined with its brutal winters, would eventually be more than the German army could overcome. In 1943, after the battles of Stalingrad and Kurtis, Germany was forced into a full-scale retreat. During the course of 1944, the Germans were slowly but steadily forced completely out of Soviet territory, after which the Russians chased them across eastern Europe and into Germany itself in 1945. In June 1944, British and American forces launched the D-Day invasion, landing in German-occupied France via the coast of Normandy. Soon the German army was forced into retreat from that side as well. Thus, by early1945, Allied forces were closing in on Germany from both east and west. The Soviets were the first to reach the German capital of Berlin, and Germany surrendered in May 1945, shortly after the suicide of Adolf Hitler.

Reactions

Vietnam War: I would have not supported America. Even though we want to stop the spread of communism,It would be unnecessary for us to get involved in the conflict if China is backing North Korea. If we were to get involved, theirs a major risk of starting World War III. I definitely would not fight in this war. America would be a lot different in terms of how the presidency treats foreign conflicts. If America would have taken the offensive route and attacked China, our country would have been beaten horribly and would have been looked down upon as a country.

Revolutionary War: I would have supported the United States in this war to gain our independence. I would have not appreciated the way Britain treats our country. I would not have wanted to pay extra taxes out of my money that could be going to give a better life for my family. I would have fought, but only to give a better life for my family and future Americans. America would never exist if the war wasn’t fought. America is that war, if we lost America is done.

Civil War: I would have supported that war to the fullest. I would have hated the way African Americans were treated, seeing as I am one myself. I would have tried my hardest in that war ton win rights for me, my children and my people. If we did not fight that war, America would not be the country it is today. It would not be diverse and slavery probably would still be legal.

WWII: I would have definitely supported this war. I believe the Germans should have been stopped sooner. I would have fought. If we did not fight the war America would not be the country it is today.