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Overview
The United States at War Series
This is the story of a war during which one American President was assassinated, another declined to seek re-election, and a third was discredited. It is the story of a war whose legacy remains with us today in the names of the more than 58,000 Americans who died in Vietnam inscribed on a black granite monument in Washington, D.C. Just as the fabric of society in Vietnam was torn to shreds by the continued political upheaval, the Vietnam War powerfully shaped our world.
The United States at War Series is a collection of audio presentations that review the political, economic, and social forced that have erupted in military conflict. They describe the historical context for each of the nine major U.S. wars and examine how a military conflict resolved or failed to resolve the forces that caused the war.
Synopsis
In 1954, the country of Vietnam was also divided in half - at the 17th parallel. To the north was the Communist regime of Ho Chi Mihn; to the south was the America-backed regime of Ngo Dihn Diem. Elections to unify the country were scheduled for 1956, but they were never held. Instead, each side used military means to accomplish political goals.
To America, Vietnam symbolized her ability to contain communism in Asia. To the Communists, Vietnam symbolized their ability to defeat America in warfare. It became a struggle to the death between East and West - not only between military forces, but also between opposing ideologies.
By 1961, John F. Kennedy was in the White House; Nikita Khrushchev was in the Kremlin. Both sides held nuclear weapons, and they tested each other for weakness. But by 1964, Kennedy had been assassinated. The Soviets - at odds with communist China - were talking détente with America.