The war within: The soldiers’ resistance movement during the Vietnam era

<p>The Soldiers’ Resistance Movement (SRM) during the Vietnam Era is arguably the most important social movement in the history of the American military. Responding to a highly unpopular war, the soldiers of Vietnam began to question their role in what many considered to be a conflict built on lies. While the government expected some resistance, the soldiers’ unity of purpose eventually forced the military to respond. This paper examines the soldiers’ revolt as it grew throughout the decades of the 1960s and 1970s, culminating in a protest movement that helped to end the war.</p> <p>While providing a chronicle of the parallels between the growth of the SRM and America’s involvement in Southeast Asia, this paper also seeks to illustrate the institutional deficiencies of the military. Occurring in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, the growing radicalism of many African American soldiers, along with the support of thousands of civilians and the public media, eventually brought about both an end to the draft and the close of the Vietnam War.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History and Philosophy

Year

2008

Author dc:creator

• Adams, Marcus K

Contributors dc:contributor

• Jo Ellen Vinyard, PhD, Chair
• Heather Neff, PhD

• Vietnam War
• 1961-1975 Protest movements United States
• United States History

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/209

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-1208