Vietman War :: essays research papers

From the 1880s until World War II (1939-1945), France governed Vietnam as part of French Indochina. (Indochina also included Cambodia and Laos, and was ruled by the emperor Bao Dai). During this time, the nations of Indochina fought for their sovereignty. In 1940, the Japanese troops invaded and occupied French Indochina, (causing the United States to step in and demand Japan to leave). In December of that year, Vietnamese nationalists established the League for the Independence of Vietnam, (or Viet Minh), â€Å"using the turmoil of the war as an opportunity for resistance to French colonial rule† (Nixon, 24). When Japan would not cooperate, the U.S. and Viet Minh formed an alliance against them. The U.S. sent in militia, and the Viet Minh began guerrilla warfare. The Viet Minh troops rescued downed U.S. pilots, located Japanese prison camps, helped U.S. prisoners to escape, and provided valuable intelligence to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of the Ce ntral Intelligence Agency (CIA). Ho Chi Minh, the principal leader of the Viet Minh, was even made a special OSS agent. Eventually, the Japanese signed their formal surrender (on September 2, 1945), and Ho Chi Minh used the occasion to declare the independence of Vietnam, which he called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV). However, although Emperor Bao Dai resigned the throne, the French refused to acknowledge Vietnam’s independence, and later that year drove the Viet Minh into the north of the country. Ho Chi Minh wrote over eight letters to Truman (while he was president) asking him for the U.S support. However, after the Cold War, the United States and Truman feared support of communism in any form. The United States and Truman therefore condemned Ho Chi Minh as an agent of international Communism and offered to assist the French in recapturing Vietnam. â€Å"In 1946 United States warships ferried elite French troops to Vietnam where they quickly regained control of the major cities, including Hanoi, Haiphong, Hue, and Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), while the Viet Minh controlled the countryside† (Ebert 38). (Although the Viet Minh had only 2000 troops at first, the recruiting increased after the arrival of French troops, and by the late 1940s, the Viet Minh had hundreds of thousands of soldiers). In 1949 the French set up a government to rival Ho Chi Minh’s, installing Bao Dai as head of state. In May 1954 the Viet Minh mounted a massive assault on the French fortress at Dien Bien, in Northwestern Vietnam.

Knowledge is Everlasting Essay Essay

One may ask, â€Å"What is knowledge?† I understand Knowledge to be the intellectual ability of being able to understand the events in the world based on principles learn from one’s experiences. Once Knowledge is truly gained, can it be lost? I believe that if one is truly knowledgeable about something it is rather impossible that such knowledge can merely vaporize into thin air. Many people claim that they have indeed â€Å"lost knowledge†but sadly all they lost was information they memorized. Conversely, knowledge involves the careful observation of events, reasoning as to how and why these observations occur, and also learning through experiencing. Furthermore, I have come to recognize the eternal quality of knowledge based on biological facts, and also during my own daily experiences. From a biological point of view, the permanency of knowledge has been proven to be true, through the realization of the brain’s vast characteristics such as memory cells. When an individual learns something for the first time, this information gets stored by memory cells in the brain. Then the next time the individual is encountered with a situation involving or requiring such knowledge, for its interpretation, the brain accesses the stored datafrom the memory cells. This data it had gained from prior experiences. For example, the scenario of the first time one peels an orange. Individuals were not created with the instructions of how to peel an orange imprinted in their DNA. Rather, it must be learned from experience. Therefore,the first step in peeling an orange is gathering information from a source about the necessary method of success.After which, one acquires the apparatus (the knife and orange) and sinks the blade into the peel slightly, so the blade goes just beneath the surface. Then gently glides the blade through the peel to reveal the white layer underneath. After removing all the peel, the orange is sliced into two halves revealing the pulp. Of course, on the first try one might make mistakes and not peel the orange so perfectly. However, upon each ot her trial of peeling an orange one’s technique become more  mastered.Soon,a point is reached where it is possible to peel an orange without thinking how to do it. Clearly, knowledge is always permanently stored in the brain’s memory cells for future use. Additionally, knowledge also becomes magnified each time it is applied and verified in different situations. Often time, true knowledge gets confused with its close relative, memorizing. The fact stands that memorizing and being knowledgeable about something are two completely different concepts. Speaking from my own experiences, studying for an exam is a typical example where memorizing and obtaining knowledge interact closely and may become intertwined. For instance, during the course of studying for an exam there are some definitions of theories that I merely memorized. The result was that I forgot them after the exam since all I did was replicate the definitions on the exam paper. Still, there were some cases in which I had gained knowledge of things I still remember. This was because, I read about the concepts in greater detail beyond their definition and actually understood the concepts and applied them to real life situations. The misperception of memorizations for knowledge is very common among people and so they tend to misinterpret the principle of knowledgeable, thereby failing to see the permanent nature of knowledge relative to the temporary and limited character of memorizing. I believe rather than dying, knowledge grows with experience and constantly metamorphosis into an even higher level of knowledge. It is intensely evident that knowledge is perpetual. Moreover, knowledge is limitless as it goes beyond mere memorizing of data and events, towards developing an understanding of the observations made during life’s experiences. My belief is reflected in the common rhyme I was taught in school, â€Å"silver and gold may vanish away, but a good education will never decay†. Thus, the lifetime of knowledge is so vast and unlimited that it is given higher value above even the most precious minerals on Earth, such as silver and gold.Wouldn’t you agree that the truly most valuable trea sure known to mankind is knowledge? Works Cited Quindel, Emilie. â€Å"our local history.† 02 December 2012. WordPress. 10 September 2013 .

Battle of Yorktown Essay - 1401 Words

Cadet Flake 11-18-2014 Battle Analysis ROTC Siege of Yorktown The Revolutionary War was a dreadful war leaving almost 70,000 U.S. and British soldiers dead or wounded. The war lasted eight years with America, France, Spain, and the Dutch on one side and Great Britain on the other. On October 19, 1781 the last major land battle took place, the Battle of Yorktown. Similar to other battles in the Revolutionary War, the Americans were fighting for independence from the British and as threats from them kept increasing, the situation did not get any better. George Washington is recognized to having inspired the victory achieved over the British forces. The tactics, skills, courage and the collaboration George Washington sought with the†¦show more content†¦The actually fighting started in 1775 in Massachusetts when British soldiers were ordered to confiscate arsenal being stored there. Leading up the battle of Yorktown, in February, 1781, Major General Marquis de Lafayette was ordered to take his Continental troops to Virginia. About a month later General Cornwallis and his army had entered Virginia believing that if the American forces had resistance, he would have victory against the Americans and the French. Later that year in August on 1-2, 1781 Cornwallis and his army set up at Gloucester point, hoping to use it as a base for supply and weapons. Couple of weeks later, Washington heard about the base and sent a large army to destroy Cornwallis base. A month later on September 14, 1781, French General Rochambeau and General Washington arrived, and sent 400 French soldiers and 400 American soldiers to storm the British redoubt. On October 19, 1781, being taken under heavy from the Americans and the French, Major General Cornwallis realized that he was short of troops and decided to escape Yorktown before surrendering. Making the move to escape, a sudden sto rm from the Americans and French ruined his evacuation plan and Cornwallis was forced to surrender, due to the lack troops and supplies. On October 19, 1781, the British troops under Cornwallis surrendered to Washington’s combined forces, thus ending the major battle in the American Revolution. After the surrender of the British, all their troops were sentShow MoreRelatedBattle Of Yorktown : Battle For Yorktown1403 Words   |  6 PagesBattle of Yorktown 1 Running Header: Battle of Yorktown Pearson Elizabeth The Battle of Yorktown Battle of Yorktown 2 One of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War took place on September 28, 1781, in Yorktown, Virginia. The Siege of Yorktown was the last battle in the war against Great Britain. Fought between General George Washington with French aid from General Comte de Rochambeau. With a fleet of over 17,000 French and Continental men against General Lord Charles CornwallisRead MoreThe Battle of Yorktown1284 Words   |  5 Pages The Battle of Yorktown was the decisive battle of the American Revolutionary War. The French and American forces laid siege upon the British forces at Yorktown, Virginia and eventually forced the surrender of nearly one-third of the total number of British troops in America. This battle showed that massive loss of life is not the only factor that will determine the victor, as there were a relatively low number of casualties taken by both sides. Instead, it was an aggregate of economic, socialRead MoreThe Battle of Yorktown688 Words   |  3 PagesThe Battle of Yorktown or better known as the Siege of Yorktown was the final battle in the American Revolution. The battle took place in Yorktown, Virginia in 1781. The battle lasted from September 28th 1781 and October 19th 1781. The American and French forces were lead by George Washington, Comte de Rochambeau, and Comte de Grasse. The conflict was caused due to many events like the Boston Massacre and The Boston Tea Party but was re inforced by how the British were treating the people of AmericaRead MoreThe Battle of Yorktown Essay1121 Words   |  5 Pagesfreedom and independence. Each battle that happened during the Revolutionary War had its own significance and contributions to the independence of the colonies. Many brave men laid their lives in pursuit of the dream of independence from British control. One particular battle paved the way for that independence to become a reality. That battle is known as the Battle of Yorktown. The Battle of Yorktown took place in what we know today as Virginia. It was a decisive battle that turned the table duringRead MoreThe Battle Of Siege Of Yorktown1646 Words   |  7 PagesSeptember 5th, 1781, a French Naval Fleet inhabited the lower Chesapeake Bay, which was a major advantage to the continental army. The siege of Yorktown, was the last major battle against the British army under General Cornwallis, resulting in the inevitable surrender and American independence. The re was a great deal of coordination prior to the actual engagement consequently leading to this outcome. The total number of soldiers consisted of 17,600 American and French soldiers, under the commandRead MoreBattle of Yorktown Analysis2211 Words   |  9 PagesBattle of Yorktown During the American Revolution, the Americans and French (Franco-American coalition) fought the British at the Battle of Yorktown also known as â€Å"The Siege of Yorktown†. The Americans and the French fielded a combined force of roughly 16,000 soldiers to defeat the British force estimated at 7,000 soldiers. American General George Washington and French Lieutenant General de Rochambeau led the American and French soldiers. The British commanding officer was Major General Lord CornwallisRead MoreEssay on The Battle of Yorktown952 Words   |  4 PagesThe battle at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781 is most famously known as the â€Å" battle that ended the Revolutionary War.† While this is true, there is still much that can be learned from the principles applied, that still has relevance today. General George Washington, along with his allied French commanders, Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Ponton de Rochambeau and Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves, they exquisitely displa yed how a execute siege operations. This battle also displayed a great example of howRead MoreEssay on The Battle of Yorktown3027 Words   |  13 Pages The Battle of Yorktown was a major turning point in the Revolutionary War and led to the creation of the United States of America. After six grueling years of war the end of the war was near. Six months before the morale of the continental army was at the lowest point of the war. Congress was bankrupt due to rampant inflation caused by the mass production of continental dollars. The continental army was being trounced in the south by the British who had regained South Carolina and Georgia. AlsoRead MoreThe Battle Of Yorktown : A Great Indication1664 Words   |  7 Pagessuccessful during military mission battles. The Battle of Yorktown provides a great example of how working with other nations and being their allies can help us to overcome issues within our own units, batteries, and higher echelon. With further analysis of the Battle of Yorktown, it is also apparent that the strategic usage of artillery played a major role in its success and that its utilization was more than just about operating cannons and howitzers. The Battle of Yorktown possesses a lot of artilleryRead MoreThe Battle Of Yorktown By William Faulkner1569 Words   |  7 PagesBattle of Yorktown A Striking Start You are galloping full speed at full speed like it is the last day of your life, you ride into the city of Yorktown fiercely, then your rider wants you to go faster, you are galloping faster than you have ever run, as fast as a speeding bullet. The wind is slapping your face as hard as a hammer, you finally run into the sea of smoke, muskets, and bayonets. The person riding you violently thrusts his mighty sword, and swiftly fires his French pistol. Cannonballs