Why Men Fight Wars

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how, as a nation founded on freedom, most Americans understand the concept of fighting a war in the name of peace and how another reason for war is that of national defense. It looks at how two very good examples of why we fight can be seen in Desert Storm and the Vietnam War. It shows how the war in Vietnam resulted in low morale among soldiers and American citizens alike, placing fear and doubt on reasons to engage in another country's war. Desert Storm, on the other hand, was a success with very few casualties and, therefore, raised confidence in the American military.

From the Paper:

"On the other hand, by observing the outcome of Desert Storm, we can clearly see that the war is a good example in an attempt to explain why men fight for their country. In mid-January, 1991, Desert Storm was launched to defend Kuwait against the aggression of Iraq, who was under the authority of Saddam Hussein at that time. Saddam Hussein had simply moved into Kuwait and declared Kuwait a "new Iraqi province" (Gale Group). President Bush was completely aware that resentment of the Vietnam War that still exists in America and even told the public in his address to the nation on the night that bombing began that "this will not be another Vietnam . . . Our troops will have the best possible support in the entire world, and they will not be asked to fight with one hand tied behind their back" (Gale Group). For all intents and purposes, that statement was a strategic move for Bush, for he was trying to quell fears as well as build confidence in the military."

More papers on Why Men Fight Wars:

• Analytical Essay # 122234 : "Why Men Fight"
• Essay # 46524 : "The Spanish American War"
• Essay # 55667 : "Why the North Won"

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