Vietnam war how much did it cost

A democracy, backed by the United States, took the southern territory. As a result, North Vietnam became communist and South Vietnam based its economy on capitalism. But dividing the country had economic consequences. The North had mineral resources and manufacturing industries. Its centrally planned economy focused on industrial expansion at the expense of domestic consumption.

The democracy in the South gave its people a higher standard of living by producing personal goods. The South was the rice-surplus area of the country, exporting more than 1 million tons of rice before World War II. Surviving spouses qualify for lifetime benefits if the veteran died from war wounds. Veterans' children receive benefits until age If the children are disabled, they receive lifetime benefits. First, they are the first vets diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Department of Veterans Affairs should pay for. Vietnam vets are more likely to suffer from PTSD because they were not honored upon their return like vets in earlier wars.

Instead, many clammed up about their wartime experiences. As many faced retirement, their PTSD took center stage and required treatment.

Another illness unique to Vietnam vets is the effects of Agent Orange. This defoliant caused health problems in 3 million Vietnamese, according to the Vietnamese Red Cross. The chemical dioxin causes cancer, diabetes, and birth defects. More than 2. Settlement Fund federal officials approved diabetes a decade ago as an ailment that qualifies for cash compensation. It is now the most-compensated ailment for Vietnam vets. The VA also recently included heart disease among the Vietnam medical issues that qualify.

Since it is the nation's leading cause of death, it will further increase compensation costs in the years to come. Spending on the Vietnam War played a small part in causing the Great Inflation that began in In , Congress approved a tax cut. That boosted economic growth enough to reduce the level of deficit spending. In , Johnson signed the law creating Medicare. It helped create a heavy reliance on hospital care, causing rising health care costs.

In its support of full employment, the Federal Reserve hesitated to raise interest rates. The Vietnam War accelerated the mechanization of the agricultural industry. Of those, 2. Farms compensated by buying larger machines and concentrating on one main crop. Controversy over drafting year-old men who could not vote led to two changes.

In , the voting age was lowered from 21 to In , the draft ended and the Department of Defense began relying on an all-volunteer force. Who won the Vietnam War? Was Vietnam a war or conflict? Show us some Love If you've found our articles helpful, please like , comment, share and make a small donation to support our work. Gulf of Tonkin incident. Viet Cong establishment.

Operation Rolling Thunder. Tet Offensive. Paris Peace Accord. Fall of Saigon. The accord established the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas and the U. While the war began as a revolt against unjust taxation, it ended with the colonies and their allies defeating the British Empire and the Founding Fathers rejecting the social and political structures of Europe in favor of a republic.

The Treaty of Paris ended the war in , officially recognizing the United States as an independent country and establishing its borders. Often considered the first media war, sensationalized journalism helped fuel support for America's involvement in the Cuban quest for independence from Spain.

When the USS Maine, which had been sent to Havana to protect American interests, unexpectedly blew up in , cries for American intervention increased. Congress officially declared war under the context of the Monroe Doctrine, which forbade European interference in the Western Hemisphere. As a result of the war, America emerged as a global power. The conflict began after South Carolina seceded from the Union in The war laid waste to most of the South and left the region devastated for years.

In addition to famous battles like Antietam, Bull Run, and Gettysburg, there was guerrilla warfare in border states and areas of conflict that involved the civilian population. The Civil War ended the plantation system and the institution of slavery in the South. For decades, the long-accepted death toll of the Civil War had been about , But a study published in by historian J. David Hacker raised that total to , lives, the highest by far of any U.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, four years later. The Persian Gulf War, one of the shortest conflicts in U. GDP in Despite calls from the United Nations for Iraq to withdraw, Hussein refused. A few months later, a massive U. The offensive lasted just 42 days and ended in catastrophe for Iraq in February However, Hussein remained in power. As the first major conflict after the Cold War, the Persian Gulf War was, at the time, heralded as a success for the international coalition.

War broke out in Europe in , but the United States remained neutral for the next three years. American financial institutions prospered by lending money to the combatants, mostly France and Great Britain. When British intelligence revealed a communication from German diplomats to Mexican envoys that proposed an alliance between the two countries if the United States entered the war against Germany, America was compelled to act.

The United States declared war on Germany on April 2, World War I ended 19 months later, costing the lives of more than , troops.