Agent Orange Vietnam War

Throughout the course of human history, war and conflict have brought about unconventional and often controversial methods and tactics. From the unprecedented uprising that was the American Revolution, to the invasion of Mexico in 1846, to the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the United States has no doubt seen its own fair share of controversy surrounding wartime decisions. The Vietnam conflict was no different. After initially offering France support in Vietnam, the United States commandeered the operation themselves in an effort to stop the spread of communism worldwide. Shortly after, a war had broken out in the thick forests of Vietnam. To help clear these forests, the United States employed Agent Orange, a potent defoliant. What many were unaware of was the dangerous and sometimes lethal side effects of the use of this herbicide. It is clear however, that the United States government was aware of …show more content…
Following the defeat of the French by Adolf Hitler and the German Nazi Party, the French territory of Vietnam was placed under the control of the Vichy Government, a puppet government in France. By 1941 however, the Japanese, looking to expand their influence in the region, negotiated French Indochina, including Vietnam away from the Vichy. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh was preparing his own movement for freedom from colonization in Vietnam. He and his Viet Minh fighters battled with the Japanese. Following the end of World War II, Japan relinquished their possession of Vietnam and Minh’s party had a clear path to power. Powers beyond Ho Chi Minh made decisions for Vietnam and soon after, an agreement was made among the Allies from World War II that the country would be split in two. Neither half was to be ruled by Minh and his new government. Avowed to fight for independence and power, the Franco-Vietnamese War broke out on December 19,