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The 1960's are often described as one the most confusing, yet important .
decade's in American history. The confusion surrounding this decade is, in no small part, .
due to the war in Vietnam. With over 150 billion dollars spent by the military and.
over 500,000 American personnel overseas, it is difficult to under stand why South .
Vietnam fell to the Communists. History has set a precedent that the economically .
superior side will always prevail in a war. America had not only economic superiority, .
but technological superiority as well. In a war where the expected result was decisive .
American victory, the final outcome was a protracted and bloody defeat (over fifty .
thousand American casualties were recorded), which turned into one of the most .
embarrassing chapters in American history. .
The defeat in Vietnam resulted from a lack of support coming from .
various directions including the very people America was trying to liberate. There .
are many factors that contribute to America's defeat in Vietnam, but the most important .
are the lack of support for the war in America itself, the low morale and lack of.
combat effectiveness resulting from poor command of the Army's resources, and.
the lack of support from the very people that America was trying to liberate.
The problem of the anti-war movement contributed greatly to the failure in .
Vietnam, without the support of their fellow Americans at home, it became increasingly .
difficult for soldiers at war to fight effectively. The anti-war attitude and the atrocious .
treatment of returning veterans, made young men much more likely to evade the draft.
in the event that they ended up Vietnam, they would fight less effectively due to the .
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