Introduction
The Vietnam War is often regarded as an unsuccessful and even shameful event in the history of the United States. It does not make a difference whether America feared the communist contagion or wanted to maintain its influence, as it still ignited essential processes, which also had an impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. Therefore, the Vietnam War gave rise to a wide range of political and social forces that significantly affected the global world.
Political Forces
Before going into details on the political forces that developed during and after the Vietnam War, one should understand the context. Before 1954, France possessed Vietnam as a colony and agreed to divide the country into communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam under the influence of the U.S. The refusal of South Vietnam to fulfill the Geneva Accords untied American hands and allowed for broadening the U.S. presence in Vietnam.
During the Vietnam War
The first half of the conflict duration was the most prominent with the political events. Dwight Eisenhower was the first to support Ngo Dinh Diem and South Vietnam in preventing the spread of communism. He compared it with “a row of dominoes set up” and was convinced that it “will go over very quickly” (Chafe 244). However, one should pay attention to John F. Kennedy and his contribution to the war in Vietnam and the Cold War. He believed that America must demonstrate its power, or otherwise, the world “would inevitably begin to move toward the communist bloc” (Chafe 250). Kennedy’s views and apprehensions thus led to the global desire to save the world.
Kennedy’s policy toward the Vietnam conflict had several links to the Cold War. First, there was an assumption that communism was an instrument for China and the Soviet Union to dominate the world. Second, Nikita Khrushchev’s speech in 1961 confirmed the concerns of the White House regarding the escalation of the struggle to be global leaders. Third, against the background of such a competition, humiliation in the Bay of Pigs, and the summit with Kennedy and Khrushchev’s participation, the White House decided to develop an anti-communist strategy. Finally, America was ready to show the Soviet Union that the national liberation wars could be “costly, dangerous, and doomed to failure,” as General Maxwell Taylor said (Chafe 251). Thus, Kennedy’s administration created a political force that had a powerful impact on further global developments.
In Aftermath
The political forces in the aftermath of the Vietnam War centered around balancing between the Cold War and the maintenance of public support. This period is attributed to the presidency of Jimmy Carter and the emergence of neo-isolationism (Chafe et al. 168). Neo-isolationist sentiments were the result of a consensus between anti-interventionists and leftists. Although it allowed for some stabilization of the situation in the U.S., it also gave the Soviet Union the opportunity to build a communist empire without the fear of American dissatisfaction or desire to intervene another time.
On the other hand, the Soviet Union could understand that the U.S. became exhausted by the war in Vietnam and saw a great opportunity to confirm its strength. Indeed, the Soviet Union earned particular recognition among the third-world countries’ members of the UN General Assembly. However, the so-called honor of the Soviets did not last long due to bankruptcy. Although the U.S. took some pause in its affairs immediately after the Vietnam War, it still did not allow for the dominance of the communist ideology in the world, which influenced the development of today’s world.
Social Forces
The Vietnam War, like any other conflict, gave momentum to new social forces. As the American example shows, conflicts in foreign countries have an indirect influence on domestic social affairs. It can also sound confusing, but wars are able to give a push to cultural developments that were inconceivable in the past. Moreover, some social, as well as cultural forces have their reflection even in modern times.
During the Vietnam War
The most important events in the American social sphere concerned Civil Rights and Black power. The demonstrations began with student sit-ins at the dawn of the 1960s. Once a participant in the peaceful protest said that they “wanted freedom” and believed they “could achieve it” (Chafe 289). Moreover, the demonstrations showed that concerns of American society, especially the black part, significantly shifted to another level. Ella Baker admitted, “Something much bigger than a hamburger or even a giant-sized Coke” disturbed young people at those times (Chafe 289). The demonstrations shaped the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, abbreviated as the SNCC, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference or the SCLC, under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. Both organizations fought for equal rights for all citizens of the U.S. to save them from poverty, violence, and discrimination. However, the disrespectful and cruel practices still remain in America, and the Civil Rights movement echoed in recent Black Lives Matter.
It is also important to note that before and after adopting the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the white population did not acknowledge the striving of black people. The reason for it was represented by economic difficulties, including a higher increase in borrowings compared to the level of income, inflation, and so forth. Although the majority of white citizens did not take part in the demonstrations, they watched television, read newspapers, and felt that the foundations of their lives were collapsing because of black radicalism. Furthermore, there was a vast difference between the priorities of white and black groups. The opponents of the Civil Rights movement and Black Power could not understand how students dared to march against the state that had given them an opportunity to obtain an education instead of going to the Vietnam War. Therefore, the feeling of injustice and views on the struggle for rights as the abuse of privileges formed discriminative sentiments at the global level that persisted till contemporary times.
In Aftermath
One of the most prominent social forces in the aftermath of the Vietnam War was the L.A. Rebellion. One can also admit that this phenomenon bears cultural characteristics as it concerns filmmaking. Although the history of this movement takes its roots in the late 1960s, it is possible to argue that the L.A. Rebellion prospered in the second half of the 1970s. The explanation for such development is implied in the fact that the conflict in Vietnam ended, and the Civil Rights movement managed to achieve particular but insufficient success. These events inspired ethnic minorities to make others hear their voice. On the other hand, many black students still encountered an aggravating lack of opportunities in cinematography. It is the reason why the L.A. Rebellion became a breakthrough alternative to the stereotyped Hollywood films depicting African Americans.
The adherents of the movement tended to show the real life of real people. One of the most prominent works in this direction was Killer of Sheep, directed by Charles Burnett. It is an independent film that depicts how black people lived and what problems they encountered. Working-class quarters and children running and playing with stones, throwing them at moving trains speak louder about poverty and inequality than any slogans about rights (Killer of Sheep, 04:45-05:22). Such films manifest and highlight the social problems, making the audience pay attention and re-think their attitudes toward African Americans who live near them. Even if the films about the true life of black people do not reach a desirable effect in society, they show that the discriminated group deserves some understanding. Furthermore, this kind of cinematography makes the belief that African Americans do not have their authentic culture null and void. Therefore, the L.A. Rebellion affected the further development of cinematography and showed that filmmaking needed to abandon Hollywood standards and the romanticized stereotypes regarding ethnic minorities.
Conclusion
To conclude, the Vietnam War was not only part of the struggle between the capitalistic and communist worlds but also a trigger of a number of political and social forces that determined the contemporary state of affairs. The focus on the events described above was conditioned by their unpredicted potential for significant changes in political and social life. Although the war in Vietnam was considered a political failure, it showed that people always tended to fight for freedom in social terms.
Works Cited
Chafe, William H. The Unfinished Journey: America Since World War II. 9th ed., Oxford University Press, 2021.
Chafe, William H., Sitkoff, Harvard, and Bailey Beth, editors. A History of Our Time: Readings on Postwar America. 8th ed., Oxford University Press, 2011.
Killer of Sheep. Directed by Charles Burnett, Milestone Films, 1977.