Our podcasts will be exploring the contrasting views of the Vietnam war and some of its controversial aspects. We will be doing this through the government portrayal of the US as seen my American citizens, particularly through campus demonstrations and the resistance counter culture. the podcasts are broken down into three different sections – Government, Protests at Universities, and Counter Culture.
America began intervening in Vietnam in the 1940’s. Supporting the colonialism of the French to hinder the spread of communist power in the Asian region. Supplying mainly monetary support with some military equipment and focused military interventions though the CIA. As the years passed the French were unable to maintain control of the region. Using the Gulf of Tonkin incident as political propaganda to rally support from the American people American government found a way to enter direct combat operations with North Vietnam.
As the war continued, the relationship between the American people the US government became increasingly strained. The war was shrouded in deceit, the public was losing support and slowing passive disapproval began turning to active resistance. Counter culture and the anti war movement started with just a few outspoken liberal individuals, but then spread to be nationwide. America was split between those who supported the war and those who wanted peace. Pop culture at the time was widely influenced from either the support for disapproval of the war. As Protests and demonstrations grew larger so did the voices of Americans – artists, students, hippies, all came together in the anti-war movement.