How did the Vietnam War inspire protests in America during the 1960s and 1970s?
The Vietnam War (1955 to 1975) had a profound impact upon America’s national identity. Supremely confident that they could ensure a quick victory that would help contain communism in Asia, the US instead found itself bogged down in a war that caused increasing controversy during the 1960’s and early 1970’s. Gaddis (1983) identifies the Vietnam War as “the defining moment in late twentieth century American history, and a disaster that demonstrated to the American people that their new-found interest in international politics had certain limits” (Gaddis, 1983, p. 20). Some critics argue that American national identity has never quite come to terms with the country’s defeat in Vietnam, and that this lack of closure has been influential in US foreign policy ever since, including when it came to invading Iraq in 2003. However, even before the US’s withdrawal, there was significant domestic opposition to the war. US entry into the Vietnam War as based on their policy of containment. Perceivi
