"US entry into the war marked a new phase that proved costly to the Vietnamese as well as the Americans". Discuss with regard to the Vietnamese struggle for independence.
Answers
US entry into the war marked a new phase that proved costly to the Vietnamese as well as Americans. From 1965 to 1972, over 34,03,100 US services personnel served in Vietnam. Out of them, 7,484 were women.
This phase of struggle with the US was brutal. Thousands of US troops arrived equipped with heavy weapons and tanks and backed by the by the most powerful bombers of the time. The widespread attacks and use of chemical weapons and phosphorous bombs destroyed many villages and decimated jungles. Civilians died in large numbers.
The effect of the war felt within US. Many were critical of the govt. for getting involved in a war that they saw as indefensible. When the youth were drafted for the war, the snger spread. The US media and films played a major role in both supporting as well as criticising the war.