Superpower
Anna Grabska
October 30, 2014
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Vietnam War
During the rule of Ho Chi Minh Vietnam was divided into two parts. The communist North
and non-communist South. The problem was the election of one government which could
unite whole country. The South was threatened by Ho Chi Minh by sabotage and terrorism.
France which used to rule Vietnam started to ght against the communism and asked the US
for help.
1.1
American Policy
For american president
which said that:
Eisenhower
it was important to not to start the `domino theory'
If Vietnam fell under communism rule, others would follow. They would be
knocked over one by one, like a line of falling dominoes.
Next president Kennedy also followed that idea but he sent crops not to ght but mostly
to train South Vietnamese forces. Unfortunately the Minh's army called `Vietcong' took control over South areas and it was clear that non communist were about to loose.
Another president of the US Johnson had to face a dicult decision: to let the communism win or to send an army to stop it. By 1968 over 500,000 americans were ghting
in South Vietnam. But still it wasn't enough because Russians and Chinese supplied the
Vietcong army. Americans started to spray countrysides with deadly chemicals to chase out
Vietnamese from hidden place, burning out the villiges, trying to destroy suppliy trails or
even bombing the North Vietnamese cities. Those image of cruel americans was send all over
the world by lm shooted in Asia. This caused an avalanche of demonstrations mainly in the
USA. A lot of families lost their sons, brothers and husbands, country's good name in the
world was destroyed.
1.2
Vietcong
An army that includes about 100 000 guerilla and regular worriors, they seemed to be invisible, hiding in the jungle, attacked from sudden. One of the soldiers said that to nd Vietcong
is like trying to nd tears in the bottle of water. The Viet Cong were organized into three
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Figure 1: Army of Vietcong
levels: regular forces operating under the command of the southern communist leadership,
full time guerrillas organized into companies serving under provincial leadership and nally,
a part time self-defense militia, composed of units organized into squads and platoons used
primarily for village defense.
Primarily, the VC were guerrillas, and it has been said that no one has ever developed
an adequate defense against guerrilla warfare. They wore no uniforms, dressed in the same
type of clothing as the local peasants, and blended into the landscape when their mission was
complete. The VC would periodically launch hit-and-run attacks on government installations,
military outposts and even district towns in the South. Its most celebrated victory was at the
village of Ap Bac in early 1963, when VC soldiers inicted heavy casualties on the Southern
Vietnamese units. The VC also played a primary role in the Tet oensive in early 1968, where
they attacked villages, towns and cities in the South.
1.3
Kent State
Death at Kent State - in 1970 in Kent State University in Ohio, the group of 1000 students
deed the ban of demonstrations and they were red on by soldiers. The four of them were
killed and another ten were wounded. The bullet against unarmed kids was unacceptable by
society. The father of dead student said
Have we come to such a state in this country that a young girl has to be shot
beacause disagrees deeply with the actions of government?
A lot of artist joined the protest too. For example Bob Dylan who wrote the song called
'With God On Our Side'. 1
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Lyrics:
So now as I'm leavin', I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin' ain't no tongue can tell
The words ll my head and fall to the oor
If God's on our side He'll stop the next war...
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Figure 2: Scan of magazine
Dylan mentions several historical events, including the slaughter of Native Americans in
the nineteenth century, the SpanishAmerican War, the American Civil War, World Wars I
and II, the Holocaust, the Cold War, the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas Iscariot and also
The Vietnam War. It wasn't just about the music, those lines helped a lot of young people
to struggle with their feelings and change their attitudes.
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American Hispanics
Until 1965 American immigration system favored Europeans but after changes in the law it
didn't matter where were you coming from but when did you apply. In 50' the number of
Hispanics (immigrants from Spanish speaking countries) almost reached 4 million people,
and by 80' this number increased to 17 milion and was still rising.
From 270 000 newcomers a year, 40 % came from Asia and another 40% from Latin America,
mostly from Mexico, Cuba and Columbia. They were running away from poverty and being
treated unfairly.
Parentage
Mexico
Unknown
Central America
South America
Asia
Caribbean
Canada
Percentage
68.7
11.4
6.7
5.5
4.6
2.4
0.7
Table 1: Orient of 7 million unregistered immigrants in the USA
The phrase wetbacks was used to call illegal immigrants which had to cross the Rio
Grande River, the natural border between US and Mexico.
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3.1
Organizations
Alliance of Progress
An organization set up by Kennedy 1961 which raised million dollars and gave it to Latino
Americans countries to build road, schools, improve water-supplies and sanitation system.
Those gestures had nothing to do with mercy, Kennedy was sure that better living standards
will stop people from turning to communism and win few more supporters for the United
States. Despite all of the eorts, the south America's system was based on violence. People
started to compare the US to the Soviet Union which protected it's own interests by controlling
the western Europe.
Figure 3: Stamp with a sign of Alliance of Progress
3.2
Peace of corps
To promote world peace and friendship through a Peace Corps, which shall
make available to interested countries and areas men and women of the United
States qualied for service abroad and willing to serve, under conditions of hardship
if necessary, to help the peoples of such countries and areas in meeting their needs
for trained manpower.
References
[1] Illustrated History of the USA by Bryn O'Callaghan
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