Verified Document

Just War Principles The History Essay

Not only were the reasons for starting the war somewhat dubious, the American military did not have a realistic plan for winning the war. Once the United States became involved and it became increasingly apparent that the war was not being won, the United States simply fell back on its dependence on superior firepower. In an attempt to win a war that it had no idea how to win, the United States dropped more ordinance on Vietnam that they did in all of World War II. And the goal of the war was not to establish a lasting peace but to force the North Vietnamese to accept an American backed corrupt state in the South, and to do this by destroying as much of their infrastructure as possible. In this endeavor, the United States engaged in a strategy of using disproportionate firepower against the North Vietnamese, and since in the 1960's precision bombing was only a distant dream, the United States killed a great number of innocent civilians.

It...

Not only did the United States create a situation where the native people were divided and unhappy, it also created a corrupt, militaristic government in the South which abused it own people. And to justify its wish to engage in a conflict, the United States government feigned an attack by the North Vietnamese in order to gain the authority to wage war. This act alone, one can argue, makes the entire war illegitimate, but America then went on to wage an unjust war by "redressing" a grievance that did not happen, by using a disproportionate amount of force against North Vietnam, by not limiting their attacks to strictly military targets, and killing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians as a result.
References

Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. New York: Harper, 2010. Print

Sources used in this document:
References

Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. New York: Harper, 2010. Print
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Civil War Although History Is
Words: 1093 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

The differences between the Northern and Southern states regarding states' rights issues and industrialization also affected federal policies toward new territories acquired during Westward Expansion. Before the Civil War, the federal government had issued a series of "compromises" designed to appease both northern and southern interests. The Fugitive Slave Law and the Kansas-Nebraska Bill were both issued in response to Southern interests but they reflected weakness in the federal government.

Civil War and History
Words: 2790 Length: 8 Document Type: Book Report

American History Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson is probably the most successful symbol of historiography's advancement. There are two concepts that are reflected in the book: that the main cause of war was the slavery of black people and it was not a pleasant experience. Looking at the title, it is evident that McPherson understands that black people's status was the core of the war in regard

War Society Modern World War Has Been
Words: 1559 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

War Society Modern World War has been an integral part of the development of our civilization from the earliest times. It is estimated that there are more than 14,000 wars that have occurred since events began to be recorded and this has resulted in the death of billions of people. It was an essential part of the survival and behavior of human beings and the society at large. This attitude continued

War and Propaganda Is Hearsay,
Words: 944 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

S. In the later part of 18th century when Britain was ruling the thirteen colonies of North America, the representatives from the thirteen colonies constituted a governing body called Continental Congress. The main objective of this body was to deal with complaints against British government and try to resolve the issues amicably. But as the continued imposition of taxes made the local population literally belligerent against the British government the resistance

History of John Adams and
Words: 1686 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

As many historians admit, his skills in argument and rhetoric were instrumental in getting the Declaration accepted by the American people. As mentioned, this was not an easy task, as there were many who were opposed and some leaders even threatened that "...their states would secede from the fragile union if independence were declared. Leaders of the Congress, such as Adams, risked being executed as traitors to the Crown"

History of the Areas of
Words: 4350 Length: 15 Document Type: Essay

It was founded on the knowledge that spurred during the Renaissance and has placed significance on rational thought and cultural emphasis, which was not present before. Furthermore, with regards to the popularity of Baroque during this period, it is important to note that this style was able to combine the principles of science and the philosophies and doctrines of early Christianity, which has been very prominent in architectures built on

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now