Effects of Vietnam Flashcards
How many died total from the war?
58,220
How many were wounded from the war?
300,000
Why were there so many wounded but not so many dead?
- NVA strategy was to wound, not to kill
- the treatments were improved in Field Hospitals
Where is the Vietnam War Memorial?
Washington, DC
How many POWs or MIAs were left in Vietnam?
2300
What has been done to try to get the POWs back?
Many have flown planes back to try to find them
What are some theories of what happened to the POWs?
- Some have killed themselves
- Some have been used by Vietnam to fight remainder of war
What is the biggest political question for all future wars after Vietnam?
Is this another Vietnam?
Why is examining each war so carefully important relating to Vietnam?
If we put American lives in harm’s way, do we go into a war with no plan, and do we risk losing again in a meaningless war with a tough exit as well?
What were some of the debatable wars in that could be another Vietnam?
- Persian Gulf
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Bosnia
- Somalia
- Panama
Why did we go into the Persian Gulf war?
Iraq attacked Kuwait for oil, we went in and drove Iraq out of Kuwait
What was our conflict for the Persian Gulf War?
Whether to keep going to Baghdad and target Saddam Hussein or to stop and know we achieved our goal.
Why did we go into Somalia?
There were war lords controlling supply of people of Somalia.
What was our conflict in Somalia?
We went in, but were getting killed, should we pul out or not?
Who was President during Somalia and what was his decision?
Clinton-he pulled us out because we should not fight and risk lives in a meaningless war there.
How was our government perceived after Vietnam?
not trustworthy
What were some other government scandals around Vietnam that caused some distrust?
- Pentagon Papers
- Watergate
- Future Presidential Scandals
When was the War Powers Act passed?
1973
What were the war powers circumstances before the War Powers Act?
Congress surrendered lots of power to President under Tonkin as President had all power
What did the War Powers Act do?
The Congress can put limits on the President’s war powers
What is the only circumstance the President can send forces somewhere without a Declaration of War?
If there is a major foreign policy crisis in the world that relates to us.