Introduction
The United States of America has participated in several wars. These wars include the war for the independence of America to the current day war on terrorism (Grant, 2012). This essay will discuss the particular war America participated in and the cause of the war from America’s perspective. The essay will also discuss the impact the war caused on the social and cultural values of the Americans. The essay will also discuss the impact the war had on the social and cultural values of the indigenous population where the military fought. The paper shall also shed light on the cultural changes the war brought and whether these changes were good. This essay shall then discuss the conflicts’ joint operations, that is, their success and failures, then the decisions made and the strategies put in place by the conflicts’ joint operations.
The American War of Independence
The war that saw America achieve independence was fought between the years 1775 to 1783. The war involved two parties, that is, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the current United States of America. The reason behind the war was to liberate the Americans. Colonial rule was full of oppression. The Kingdom of Great Britain had colonized most parts of the world. The leaders were very harsh and the colonies were forced to perform heavy and compulsory tasks. As a result, there were so many deaths and frustrations (Grant, 2012).
The American war of independence entailed a number of battles such as the battle of Saratoga that was fought in 1777 as well as the war of Yorktown that was fought in 1781. The battle of Saratoga caused the French to join the American side and made the British surrender. The battle of Yorktown fundamentally ended the war in which the British army was captured, thus indicating the final straw for the British people. This meant that the British would no longer support the war after the events following the Yorktown battle. The success of this battle was partly due to the influence of strong propaganda against the British people.
In order to achieve liberty from the frustration, the Americans revolted which resulted in war. During the colonial era, the Kingdom of Great Britain had full control of all the trade in the colonies. The Kingdom of Great Britain ensured that the colonies only consumed English goods. The colonies were also forced to trade with the United Kingdom alone and not with the Asians or other parts of the world. The colonial authority imposed heavy taxes on the people of America. The Americans began an uproar demanding their freedom which then led to their independence.
This war had some social impact on the Americans. Once the Americans were freed they decided to create a democratic government. This government was to perform the duties like any other government but importantly it was to levy lower taxes for the welfare of the citizens. The people of America had knowledge of the importance of government, especially in offering security. They also knew that government would collect taxes for their own good in matters of development and improving social welfare. They nonetheless, wanted a government that would levy reasonable taxes and a government that would not harass the citizens. The war and eventual triumph by the people of America took a year to end the slave trade. Slave trade was deeply rooted but since independence meant freedom for citizens, there was demand all over the world to stop the slave trade. This eventually succeeded. The colonialists also brought the Christian religion to America. The majority were followers of the Hindu religion since the Red Indians were the initial dominant language group. Although during the war the base of the church was shaken a bit, currently the foundation of Christianity is very strong in America. The war for independence left a good number of the American people displaced, wounded as well as saw them lose their loved ones. From the Defense Department, records reveal that the total number of deaths was around 4435. In addition, close to 6188 people were left wounded as a result of the war. This means that the war led to fear and misery in the people of America (Grant, 2012).
The war for independence fostered unity across the country among the Americans. The Americans knew that if they were to succeed then they had to join hands to fight the common enemy- colonialism. Eventually, after they had triumphed, they remained united and had to form a government to serve the interest of Americans. From the economic point of view, the war for independence led to a standstill in economic growth. Most of the infrastructure was destroyed and everything was brought back to almost zero. According to (Grant, 2012) the powerful labor force that could build the economy was greatly involved in the battlefields. Those wounded during the war could not help either because they had to be attended to using the little resources that were assembled.
As earlier mentioned the Americans had to join hands to conquer the colonial government. Those who fought for independence included both the slaves and the native inhabitants. Most slaves were from Africa which led to racism. The whites and the blacks could not do much together. However, during the fight for independence, they had to join hands and fight for a common interest. This means that racism was no longer a factor and the common goal was to liberate themselves from the oppression of the colonial government. Eventually, they managed to obtain their independence. The unity in a way brought them together, and although racism continued afterward, it was not as harsh as it was during the colonial era. The war for independence of America therefore brought or better put, managed to bring close two parties that were rivaling because of skin complexion. This is very positive, as the African-Americans were henceforth involved in developing America. Their working together despite the skin complexion is directly attributed to the fact that they joined hands to fight for their independence. This one positive area resulted from the war for independence. Self-governance is also another positive impact that was brought in the lives of Americans.
After conquering the colonial power, they were aided in forming a democratic government, in which the leaders would be held accountable for their actions, but more importantly, serve the interest of the people of America.
There are several societal impacts that were brought about by the war for independence in America. To begin with, this revolution was the key step that led to the call to end slavery. Several antislavery societies were established that advocated for ending the slave trade and freeing all slaves. An antislavery society, which was by Quakers in Philadelphia, was established and it demanded liberty to the slaves. This society was formed the very year the revolution for the indolence of America began. Slaves who joined hands to fight for independence were immediately granted their freedom after the war. This is a positive impact of the war as trade in humans is in itself inhuman.
The other social impact that was brought about by the war of independence of America was the revolution in social law. Initially, the Americans were confined and observed the British law. This was during the period of colonial rule. The rules were a mixture of good rules and those that were harsh to the people of America. The Americans fought for their freedom and liberation from British law. They then eliminated the laws, which they were opposing. They also maintained the laws they felt were relevant and fit for their new regime. For instance, there were greater changes in the law regarding the holding of land. The British laws demanded land to be passed down from the father to his eldest son a practice commonly called primogeniture. This practice could only concentrate land in the hands of a few individuals. The people of America, therefore, amended this law so that land could be equally distributed among the Americans.
In addition, the role of a woman in American society was changed as a result of the American Revolution. Most men had joined their fellow compatriots on the battlefields leaving their women to run households. As a result, the women became more assertive. The women also discovered their rights and began advocating for the rights during the new government that was established after the war. Initially, only the men were empowered through education. However, free thinkers had to review this culture. They reasoned that the people who were responsible for the upbringing of American children were the women of America. They then discovered that if their children were to be raised to have a bright future then their caretakers, the women, were to be schooled. This change was because of the revolution that had taken in America – the war for independence.
From the discussion, it can be seen that there were many changes in the American culture, which took place after the war. Most of these changes were very positive as well as useful. Antislavery was a very bold and human movement. In addition, the empowerment of the girl child was a key step towards ensuring a successful America.
At the time, the war for independence took place in America there was no established government in America. As such, there was no military team for America during that time. This is to say that the revolutions in military affairs shall not be discussed under this war, as there was no military during this time. However, during the next conflicts, there shall be a discussion on the revolutions within the military affairs, which marched the particular wars that the United States of America were involved in. It is worth noting that the independence of America was fought for and not negotiated by a special team. This method to end the conflict led to thorough bloodshed across America. It also left most of those who fought for independence wounded. However, there was independence finally and the Americans could reap the fruits of their bloodshed.
The Barbary Wars
The First Barbary War
The other war that America was involved in was the First Barbary War. This war was between the North African states of Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. These states are commonly referred to as the Barbary States. The war took place between the years 1801 and 1805. After America had fought and succeeded for their independence, they had to look for markets overseas for their merchandise. International trade was one of the means of growing the economy of the United States of America. The best market for American merchandise was the Mediterranean ports. These ports proved to have a large market and the government of America invested a lot to ensure the success of the trade.
In October the year 1784, the unexpected happened. The smooth trade that was initially a success was brought to a standstill. There was a small band of pirates in the Mediterranean Sea, which was capturing the merchant ships of the United States. This group of pirates was state-sponsored by the government of Morocco. The group of pirates was called Salle Rovers and it captured a merchant ship from America called Betsey. As if this was not enough, pirates from Algeria seized two other merchandise ships from America. The Algerian pirates stole all the merchandise that was on board the two ships. The pirates further held the crew on board captive and demanded large amounts of ransom from the American government for the freedom of the captives.
America had a dream of independence and prosperous free trade in its fight for independence. This act of terror of capturing Americans, denying them the independence they fought for was really a setback for the independence America had just achieved. Furthermore, the American dream of free trade was brought to question by this act of pirates. The American Congress moved to authorize American diplomats to negotiate with the pirates for the freedom of the American captives.
There was a group of diplomats, which comprised John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin who were given a mandate by Congress to negotiate for the freedom of the captives as well as to ensure that the merchandise from America was returned. The negotiations took place although two of the diplomats disagreed when making terms. Adams was of the opinion of coming to terms with the Islamic nations, those that sponsored the pirates and signing treaties with these nations. On the other hand, Jefferson had a varied opinion. He was advocating for war between America and these nations that sponsored the pirates. According to Jefferson, America, being an independent state could fight for her interests and ensure freedom for her people as well as freedom for their merchandise. He suggested that America deploy a small section of her navy force to patrol the waters and tame any acts of terrorism from the pirates. He argued that although this would cut a greater portion of the national budget, it was the only long-term solution for the freedom of the Americans.
This idea by Jefferson was accepted by the government of America and it saw them alter her constitution to accommodate this suggestion. The new constitution gave the government power to deal with Barbary pirates. The new constitution gave the state power to deploy a team of navigation military to safeguard trade over the seas. The constitution gave Congress the power to build a navy team and maintain it. The constitution further gave the government of America the power and mandate to negotiate a peace treaty with the government of Algeria. The peace treaty would ensure the freedom of the captives.
However, the diplomats decided to find out the reason behind the piracy of American merchandise. The response was unexpected which was that the piracy was founded based on Islamic religious teachings. The Koran allowed Muslims to capture and enslave all those who were not Muslims. Muslims could attack all those who did not confess to the Islamic faith and even if they were killed in the process, it was a sure way to go to Paradise. For the Muslim terrorists ransoming Americans and demanding large tributes for their citizens was too profitable.
There were a number of social impacts to both the United States as well as the Barbary States. Even though this was profoundly forgotten outside the academic spheres, it is of essence to the American society as well as the Barbary States. This war depicted the enduring challenges as well as difficulties that faced the military campaigns of nations having limited national resources. Both the combatants that were applied during the war are still applicable even in society today. The conflict between the American people and the Barbary States also set up the foundation for the rise of one power as well as the collapse of the other. In addition, this war was particularly significant to American society as it served as the confidence developer for the young nation. Since independence time, the American society’s economic prospects have been much vulnerable to the whims of the more as well as the most powerful maritime powers. The American leaders voiced the country’s inability to effectively respond to the hostile actions as well as other insults raised upon the American society. The conflict also elevated the United States’ reputation and confidence on the global stage. Moreover, the tactical approach of the American military power led to profound acclaim from other nations.
The first Barbary war also served as the future training ground for many commanders, but it set Tripoli on the decline. On the other hand, despite the American attacks against shipping, Tripoli kept pirating on smaller scales against Europe. To the Tripoli people, the war marked an important point to the planning as well as strategic planning. The war also depicted the significance of an effective military campaign, which pointed out the need for planners to effectively and clearly define the conditions for victory.
The Second Barbary War
After the First Barbary war that took place in the years between 1801 and 1805, the United States realized that its attention was totally diverted to its deteriorating relationship with France as a result of the war of 1812. The Barbary States embraced this particular opportunity and embarked on their practice of attacking the American society as well as the European merchant vessels in the sea by taking crews and officers hostage. The second Barbary war also referred to as the Algerian war took place in the period 1815, which was fought between the United States and the Barbary states, which included Tunis, Algeria, and Tripoli. This was successfully ended after a period of one year. Moreover, this war led to the ending of the American practice of paying tribute to the Barbary States as well as helped in marking the start of the beginning of the end of piracy within the region, which had been a great menace during the sixteenth and the eighteenth century of Ottoman domination (Leckie, 1981). The later decades saw the European nations develop as well as design more complicated as well as sophisticated ships that the Barbary States could never match in terms of the level of technology and expertise.
As this war approached the end in 1812, the American government could not again descend upon North Africa. However, at the start of 1815, in particular, on March 3rd, the American government authorized the deployment of its naval army against the Algiers, which entailed assembling two squadrons ready for war. The squadrons were ready to set sail and departed on the 20th of March 1815. The first squadron comprised of frigates, flagships, and forty-four guns under the command of Lewis Williams. Another squadron comprised of consolation with thirty-six guns under the command of Captain Gordon (Leckie, 1981).
Many social implications resulted due to the second Barbary war. For instance, following the conflict with Tripoli, the tremendous defeat of the Algiers contributed to the winning of respect for the American people as well as marked the victory for the commencement of free trade.
The War of 1812
This war entailed an armed conflict between the American people and Great Britain and it spanned between the periods of 1812 to 1815. This particular war was followed by a period of profound distress between the two nations due to the treatment of neutral nations by England as well as France during both the French revolutions as well as the napoleon wars, in which later the two nations became antagonists. The war was first declared on June 1812, and it was not until great hostilities began that it was discovered how awfully America prepared for the war. The American power under the guide of General Williams, far from attaining the glory, shamefully gave up to a smaller Canadian force. On the sea, the tiny American navy at the start gave an excellent account of itself. The victory of the constitution and the capture of the Macedonians marked the most outstanding achievement by the United States during this war. Although it was an island, the American navy managed to attain the most notable triumphs, which had an important bearing on the course of the conflict.
Two major battles of this war included the battle of Maguaga and the battle of Brownstown. The battle of Brownstown involved a number of worriers and as a result, the Americans got confused and surrendered. The Indians pursued the American forces until the Americans broke their attack. The battle of Maguaga followed after the events of the battle of Brownstown. In this battle, the Americans were also defeated due to overwhelming Indian armies as well as sufficient supply to the Indian forces by the British.
The war of 1812 was caused by a number of factors. The American ships took the advantage of the hostilities that existed in Europe in order to undertake the trade between the Europeans, Spanish, as well as French in the West Indies. By breaking the passage, the United States evaded seizure under the British law of 1756, which restricted nutrias in wartime from any kind of trade not allowed in peacetime. By 1805, the British courts reached a consensus that the American ships breaking passage did not circumvent the rules set out in 1756. As a result, the seizure of the United States ships by the British government increased tremendously.
During this war, the British attained their military objective by stopping the American shippers from repeated inversions of Canada. Moreover, Canada retained her state of independence in America. By contrast, the Americans suffered a severe defeat when their armies could not achieve their military goal of seizing part or the whole of Canada. In addition, the United States lost this was as it failed to prevent impressments that the British refused to repeal until the containment of the Napoleon war. The United States’ actions bore no impacts on the orders in the council that was rescinded earlier enough before the war embarked.
Some people also believe that both the United States and Britain won the war, in which both nations achieved their main aims as the Indians remained at the losing end. Britain achieved its objectives through losing no territories as well as attaining its Great War objectives and managing to secure a grand defeat of Napoleon. The United States is also said to win through securing her honor as well as successfully resisting a powerful empire, therefore, winning the second war of independence and ending the danger of the Indian raids.
Moreover, there prevailed a number of social impacts in both nations. No country lost any territory during the war. Moreover, the threat that ended the war did not address the root causes for contention, yet this particular war changed much among the United States as well as the Britain countries.
The American force severely suppressed the Native American resistance on its western as well as the southern borders. The country also achieved a psychological sense of independence as the people of America celebrated their second war of independence. The sense of nationalism went sour after the victory of the battle, the opposition also collapsed, and the period of good feeling engulfed the nation.
On the side of the British, a heated as well as strong hostility to the ideas of republicanism and the American influences leaked into the western Canada after the war, which helped in shaping the countries policies. British also discouraged immigration from the United States. Moreover, work began in order to defend the port against the United States, and strategies were laid out in order to protect and develop secure waterways that were free of risks from the United States. Many of the nations that were allied to both America and Britain lost their cause. The British opted to develop a neutral Indian zone, which the United States rejected. This issue never again resurfaced.
The Mexican War
This war happed between the period 1846 to 1848 and it involved an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico. A number of factors acted behind the hostilities of these two nations. While the foremost, as well as the immediate cause for the hostility among the two nations, was the United States’ annexation of Texas, other elements had triggered the peaceful relationships among the two republicans. In America, there was increased agitation for the settlement of long-standing complaints from a number of injuries as well as property destruction that were sustained by the American citizens due to various revolutions by the Mexican people.
Another major element that triggered the conflict between the two countries was the American ambition of acquiring California, upon which it was strongly believed that both France, as well as Britain, were eyeing. In spite of the rapture of the diplomatic relationship between the United States and Mexico, a negotiation for peace was contemplated. When Mexico turned down the negotiation process, the United States decided to act in full force because diplomacy had proven futile. The war was strongly supported by imperialists as well as those who wished that the slave-holding territory should be perpetuated. This war included a number of battles namely the battle of Palo Alto as well as the battle of Resaca de la Palma. In the battle of Palo Alto, Mexicans engaged the Americans in attempting to lift the siege of Fort Texas. Arista won over Zachary Taylor in the battle of Resaca de la Palma due to his vague political views.
The United States won an easy victory because, Mexico being torn by civil strife, could not afford a united front in order to face the invader. The Mexican leaders had changed hands a number of times during the war as some other Mexican states refused to cooperate with the central government.
The war between the Mexican people and the United States presented tremendous social impacts for both nations. For America, this war was its first foreign war and was almost entirely on foreign territories. This war involved a number of armies, a long supply of lines, many troops, and it provided a unique as well as the first experience of occupying a foreign capital and developing a military base for an alien people. The war was highly divisive for the northern republic, facilitated by the issue of slavery as well as factious politics in Washington. There was an extensive cost of human life that was felt by the survivors of the war for many years, which claimed more than five thousand American people. Moreover, the war resulted in an enormous financial cost that affected the well-being of the American people.
For the Mexican citizens, this brought a series of tragedies. Besides the many deaths of both civilians and military officers, the war left many orphans, cripples, as well as widows. There was also massive destruction of properties in many cities, in addition to the destruction of roads and other facilities such as hospitals. The massive blockage, as well as the movement of millions of troops, severely affected the Mexican economy, thus disrupting both internal as well as external trade. Moreover, the most enduring impact of this war on Mexican society was the psychological impact. The tragic loss or death of many soldiers as well as battles, the humanitarian impact of having their capital and most of the county occupied by foreign troops alienated many individuals of their national pride. This war was bad as it left scores of people from both sides wounded, crippled, orphans, and widows. Any kind of war that leads to a lasting impact on the lives of people cannot be described as being good, rather as an act of total disregard for the sanctity of human life as well as dignity.
The American Civil War
This was the American civil conflict that involved the northern states as well as the southern states that seceded from the union and developed the confederacy. It is commonly referred to as the war between states, secession war, or war of the rebellion. This war was fought in the period between 1861- 1865. The war was not one that can be described as a class struggle but had roots in the political, social, economic, as well as psychological elements. It is also regarded as an unnecessary bloodshed conflict that was brought by extremists as well as blundering leaders (Wood, 2009).
During the American Revolution as well as the days that followed the adoption of the constitution, many differences among the north as well as the south were drafted through their common interests in developing and building a new country. During the nineteenth century, the southern people remained purely agricultural, with a stable economy and social order that was fundamentally based on the precincts of slavery and plantation system. The mutually autonomous elements produced the staples from which the people in the southern region obtained their wealth. The north also had it own agricultural resources that depended on deriving its wealth. The north, as compared with the south, was more advanced commercially as was rapidly expanding in terms of the industrial base.
The hostilities between the two regions grew enormously from the period of the 1820s resulting from the issues of slavery and many other difficulties in trade tariffs (Karsten, 1986). Other troubles concerning internal improvements and territorial issues were also involved. The southern region became more anxious in regard to maintaining its position as an equal in the union. In the north, moral indignation was on the rise with the rise of the abolitionists. The south region greatly supported the idea of annexation of Texas as well as the Mexican war and further agitated for the annexation of Cuba (Karsten, 1986). This situation contributed to the war between the two regions, which lasted for a very long time. Two of the battles that were fought in this war included the battle of Fort Sumter as well as the battle of Phillip. The battle of Fort Sumter was fought in 1861 in which the confederate won. The union won in the battle of Phillip. Both battles entailed efficient and good strategies by those who claimed victory over the battle.
The social impacts of this war on the American people were far-reaching and more serious not only to the American citizens but also to the economy of the nation. Although the prolonged war between the south and the north came to an end, the victories of this war were marred by the assassination or death of Abraham Lincoln, who was the greatest figure of the war. The ex-confederate nations after enduring long periods of unfruitful efforts of reconstruction in order to impose a new society on the south finally were readmitted to the union, which was now saved and in which slavery was now completely banned. This civil conflict among the north and the south regions resulted in many deaths to more American citizens than in any other war such as World War II. This particular war led to massive costs that resulted in the loss of billions of dollars and increased rather than reduced hatred and intolerance that continued for a long time. Moreover, this war developed and led to the creation of established patterns, particularly a well-built central government.
In addition, the war contributed to a number of advancements in terms of strategy as well as technology. These improvements helped in the shaping the lives as well as the way of living of the people of America.
World War I
This is another in which Americans participated. The war was between the periods 1914-1918 and was also referred to as the Great War or conflict, which was mainly in the European nations and in particular, the western nations. This war marked the greatest and the largest war that has ever been witnessed in the face of the earth. There were a variety of factors that led to the outbreak of this war including a number of assassinations such as that of Archduke of Australia by the Serbian nationals in the year 1914. However, there were also other factors such as the economic rivalries, territorial, and imperialistic issues that had agitated from the nineteenth century, especially among states such as France, Great Britain, Russia, Hungary, and Germany. Increased imperialistic enmity among nations during the 19th century intensified with the establishment of new imperialism. Great nations came into conflict over spheres of influence in many parts of the world, particularly in Africa.
The neutral stand of the United States of America was seriously imperiled and by the end of 1916, Germany announced that it could embark on unrestricted submarine warfare in an effort to eliminate British control of the seas. The United States in protest broke its relationship with Germany and entered the war. The war progressed on high alert and became bloodier as well as went into a stalemate.
The aftermath of the war on the social grounds impacted all the involved nations, which took part in the war as well as those that never participated. This war fundamentally changed the face of Europe as well as precipitated a number of social, political, and economic changes. Germany was compelled to acknowledge being guilty of the war. The war left immense suffering to many people. Approximately ten million people were left dead and another twenty million people severely wounded. Moreover, the war resulted in increased rates of epidemics as well as starvation due to lack of food, a period that even went into the postwar years. This war was bad as it lead to massive deaths and destruction of properties. Many innocent people died as the world was torn apart.
World War II
This was another war and is regarded as the greatest warfare. It followed shortly after World War I. This war took place between the years 1939 and 1945 and it involved worldwide warfare in which every major power in the world took part. It also involved two major parts namely the Allies and the Axis. This war started as a result of the rise in the level of totalitarian and militaristic states in Italy, Germany, as well as Japan which was partly associated with the great depression of the year the 1930s. It was also due to the conditions that followed the outbreak of the First World War
After World War I, disappointed Italy, beaten Germany, as well as ambitious Japan, wanted to ambitiously increase their power, and subsequently, these three nations adopted the same system of dictatorship which made the states appear supreme at the expense of the neighboring nations. These three nations set themselves as the companions over communism. The League of Nations was tasked to bring peace among nations, but was weakened by the defection of America and was unable to promote the disbarment of nations. In addition, the severe, as well as prolonged depression, elevated national rivalries among nations, thus increasing fear and distrust.
The failure of the League of Nations to effectively undertake its functions as well as prevent the second Sino-Japanese conflict was followed by increased cases of treaty violations by many of the nations. Moreover, acts of aggression between nations increased significantly and when Hitler finally took over the realms of power in Germany, he prepared his army for war. Though America was determined to maintain neutrality during this war, it was gradually drawn into the war by the forces of events. America was determined to save Britain from collapse as well as to establish its bases in order to protect its shipping from attacks.
Even though the hostilities that loomed between nations ended, the aftermaths of the war were highly profound. A novel crisis was formed by the postwar conflict between America and the USSR. Peace treaties were made by the year 1950s among the nations that were involved in this war and other nations such as Austria restored their independence. However, despite the birth of the United Nations, the world still remained politically unstable as slowly recovered from the tremendous moral and physical deteriorations that were caused by the most severe war in the history of the world. This war moreover, resulted in famine and diseases that caused many deaths throughout the world. Tens of millions succumbed to injuries and many more people were made homeless.
Just like other wars that America has participated in decades back, suffering and human degradation have always taken a toll, not only on the world outside, but also on the American citizens. Therefore, a war that kills and diminishes the value of human life can never be considered good whatsoever. A good war is one that is fought on the right course as well as one that does not include the destruction of human life or causing any individual to suffer. Human life is meant to be peaceful and tolerant in order to enhance one’s quality and dignity.
The Afghanistan War
Afghanistan is a nation that is bordered by China and Iran. This nation has withstood long and enduring history of invasion as well as instability. The massive geography of this nation hinders the unity of its ethnic groups. The war in Afghanistan started in 2001and continues to date. Moreover, the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan can be traced to the period of the 1920s, though the first contact between these two nations happened in the 1830s when some American diplomats first visited Afghanistan. In the last decade, the relationship between America and Afghanistan has been cemented.
However, the war in Afghanistan up to the present time connotes the interventions by NATO as well as other allied forces in the continuing civil war in the Afghanistan society. The war that followed the terrorist attacks in September 2011 in efforts to dislodge al-Qaeda and eliminate its dominance through removing the Taliban from holding power. This war also included a number of battles such as the battle of Kamdesh as well as the battle of Tora Bora. The battle of Kamdesh was fought in 2009 in which the American forces were severely assaulted by the Taliban and marked the bloodiest battle for the American forces. The Taliban won this war due to their great knowledge as well as an understanding of Afghanistan’s geography. The battle of Tora Bora took place in 2001in which the Taliban fought the Americans and Osama bin Laden managed to escape. The country’s geographic position favored the Taliban.
The social implications of this war have been great and highly enormous as it endeavors to uplift and promotes the welfare as well as safety of the Afghanistan people. This war is good because it aims at restoring peace and eliminating suffering by combating the influence of terrorists.
The Iraq war
The war in Iraq marked an armed conflict in the Iraq nation, which comprised of two phases. The first phase was an invasion of Iraq as from 2003 by the inversion forces led by America. This was then followed by a much longer phase of fighting and killing one another in which insurgency groups developed in order to help oppose the forces as well as the newly established government. The United States finally, completed withdrawing its military personnel by 2011; however, the insurgency groups are still under operation and causing many injuries to people.
The Iraq war involved three major battles namely, the battle of Najaf, the battle of Basra, as well as the battle of Nasiriyah. The battle of Najaf was a very fierce battle in which the United States armored as well as airborne units fought a very intense battle with the Iraq insurgents. The strategy employed by the United States was to fly a gunship helicopter as low as possible under heavy anti-aircraft and small arms that as a result damaged many helicopters, thus frustrating the attack. The American soldiers successfully attacked and won this battle. The Iraqis were severely defeated and key bridges successfully secured. Moreover, the American strategy included capturing Najaf’s airfield and city. The failure of this war by the Iraqis was a result of poor planning and strategy. The Iraq insurgents failed to accurately position themselves and draw effective strategies that they could have employed to secure the Najaf city.
Another battle was the Basra battle in 2003 that entailed the port of Umm Qasr as a great obstacle to the Britons. A joint American-British army was set, which ran onto a stiff and unexpected resistance. This force took many days to clear the Iraqis out. The strategy employed in this particular war was constantly attacking the Iraq insurgents and destroying Iraq tanks.
The effects that this conflict has given rise to are very many and enormous. The Iraq government reports about 40 -80 percent of violence has been curtailed. The civilian deaths since the start of this war were 265 in Baghdad which has significantly dropped from 1,440. The insurgence groups in Iraq have caused serious havoc. This particular war was good because its intention was determined to the right purpose.
Spanish-American war
The Spanish and American war was a conflict between the United States as well as the Spanish community that took place in 1898. The Americans attacked Spain’s possessions, which also triggered the participation of the Philippine revolution. This also led to the Philippine-American war. The revolts against Spain’s domination occurred for some time in the Republic of Cuba. During the period 1890s Americans were agitated by the anti-Spain propaganda.
Two major battles during the Spanish-American war included the battle of Manila Bay and the battle of Cienfuegos. The battle of Manila Bay involved Americans destroying the Spanish squadron, while that of Cienfuegos involved Americans cutting telephone cables at Cienfuegos as a war strategy after two failed attempts. The major success of this particular war is that the American forces managed to employ successful strategies while combating those of the Spanish forces.
This war had some social impact on the Americans. Once the Americans were freed they decided to make a democratic government. This government was to perform the duties like any other government but importantly it was to levy lower taxes for the welfare of the citizens. The people of America had knowledge of the importance of government, especially in offering security. They also knew that government would collect taxes for their own good in matters of development and improving social welfare.
The aftermath of the war on the social grounds impacted all the involved nations, which took part in the war as well as those that never participated. This war fundamentally changed the face of Europe as well as precipitated a number of social, political, and economic changes. Germany was compelled to acknowledge being guilty of the war. The war left immense suffering for many people. Approximately ten million people were left dead and another twenty million people severely wounded. Moreover, the war resulted in increased rates of epidemics as well as starvation due to lack of food, a period that even went into the postwar years. This war was bad as it lead to massive deaths and destruction of properties. Many innocent people died as the world was torn apart.
The Indian Wars
This war was between the Indians and Americans. The war entailed a number of battles such as the Battle of Fallen Timbers and the battle of Tippecanoe. The battle of Fallen Timbers was between the western confederacy of the Indian tribes and the Americans. This battle employed the strategy of working on a huge military force of between 1, 500 and 1,700 people who successfully managed to build a series of forts between the state of Ohio and Maumee River. On the other hand, the battle of Tippecanoe involved American forces and Indians. The Americans employed a winning strategy that involved recruiting many allies of the Indian American people to fight against the Indians. The success of this battle can be traced to the defeat of the Indian-American people. Moreover, the Indians were severely defeated due to poor planning as well as poor strategy enforcement.
This war had some social impact on the Americans. Once the Americans were freed they decided to make a democratic government. This government was to perform the duties like any other government but importantly it was to levy lower taxes for the welfare of the citizens. The people of America had knowledge of the importance of government, especially in offering security. They also knew that government would collect taxes for their own good in matters of development and improving social welfare. They nonetheless, wanted a government that would levy reasonable taxes and a government that will not harass the citizens. The position that the war was founded on any group lacks support. This war cannot be justified as it led to untold miseries and loss of life for many of the people who were involved. A war can be only justified if it does a greater good for a greater number of people.
The Kosovo War
This war occurred in the period 1999. The Kosovo republic was sovereign during the period 1974 up to 1989 when Serbia took control. During their period of independence, the ethnic Albanians enjoyed some level of cultural freedom, which ended with Kosovo’s absorption into the Serbian republic. The Serbian people seek to maintain control over Kosovo for reasons such as cultural reasons. The territory signifies a very important role to the Serbian people. Moreover, the conflict at the Kosovo land figures prominently in the Serbian culture as well as bear a great national significance.
The Kosovo war included two major battles namely the first battle as well as the second battle. The first battle was fought in the year 1389 between the Serbians and the Ottoman Empire, which led to the defeat of the Serbian people. The second battle was also fought in the year 1448 between the Ottoman Empire as well as the Hungarian-Walachian. These wars were successful due to the employment of effective strategies by the Ottoman empire against the Serbian forces.
It saw many humanitarian crises and a great number of soldiers and people perished. The war between the Kosovo people and the United States presented tremendous social impacts for both nations. For America, this war was its first foreign war and was almost entirely on foreign territories. This war involved a number of armies, a long supply of lines, many troops, and it provided a unique as well as the first experience of occupying a foreign capital and developing a military base for an alien people. This kind of war may not be classified as good since it claimed a large number of people’s lives. Many people lost properties as well as lives as other individuals sustained severe injuries.
Vietnam War
This war was fought between the period 1960 and 1975. It was a long as well as a costly war that involved an armed conflict between the regime of North Vietnam and it southern allies against the United States of America. It ended in 1973 with the withdrawal of the United States as well as the unification of Vietnam. It is estimated that more than three million individuals including 58,000 American people lost their lives. The United States lost in the Vietnam War because the United States was not able to fully overthrow the communism system, lacked major interest, and partly due to America’s foreign policy.
The battle of Ap Bac and Xuan Loc were two of the battles that were fought during the Vietnam war. The battle of Ap Bac was fought in January 1963 and it was a small-scale battle near Ap Bac, which later escalated into the Vietnam war. The Vietnam forces lost this battle due to the indecisiveness of their leaders. The battle of Xuan Loc marked the final battle of the Vietnam War, which took place in 1975. The United States never wanted to go to war and finally, had to withdraw its forces. The consequences following both battles were severe and had far-reaching effects. Many people lost lives and properties, as others were badly wounded. The war also severely affected the social fabric of the Republic of Vietnam (Leckie, 1981).
References
Grant, S.-M. (2012). A Concise History of the United States of America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Leckie, R. (1981). The wars of America. New York: Harper & Row.
Karsten, P. (1986). The Military in America: From the Colonial era to the present. New York: Free Press.
Millett, A. R., Maslowski, P., & Feis, W. B. (2012). For the common defense: A military history of the United States from 1607 to 2012. New York: Free Press.
Wood, G. S. (2009). Empire of liberty: A history of the early Republic, 1789-1815. Oxford: Oxford University Pres