What was the Outcome of the Vietnam War?
Who Won the War?
The North Vietnamese achieved their goal of spreading communism and reuniting and gaining independence from the French in Vietnam. The US had failed their goal of stopping the spread of communism in Vietnam which eventually spread to Laos and Cambodia in 1975. Our presence in Vietnam did, however, prevent the spread of communism to Thailand and Singapore. Also, the US never lost any battles. But the loss of American lives was constant. The war also carried a large economic burden on its people and forced us to leave Vietnam before the war was over.
What was the Impact for the US?
Congress soon replaced the military draft with an all-volunteer force. The US also reduced the age to vote to 18. The Vietnam War heavily impacted the US economy. President Johnson refused to raise taxes to cover the debt but instead started a cycle of inflation. The war also split the Democrat party and turned many towards politcal independents or Republicans.