The longest war recorded and arguably one of the most controversial in American history is the Vietnam War. In 1959, the communist government of North Vietnam launched a guerrilla campaign in democratic South Vietnam. The government of North Vietnam aimed to unite the two countries under communist rule. The United States quickly became an ally of South Vietnam because it feared the spread of communism. The aftermath of the war resulted in the deaths of sixty thousand Americans and two million Vietnamese. Today, many people question the necessity and rationality of war. It is still debated today whether the American force in Vietnam was a mistake or a noble cause. As the war raged, two groups appeared in America, the Hawks and the Doves. The Hawks were a group of people who supported the war and wanted to increase the number of military troops fighting in North Vietnam. The Doves were primarily composed of students, professors, anti-war protesters, and citizens who believed the war was immoral. The Doves believed that the war brought no benefit to the United States, led to increased troop casualties, and was a waste of billions of dollars. The Doves believed that the war was a civil war between North and South Vietnam and that the United States should not intervene. There were other reasons why the Doves opposed the war, including: unjustly administered war tactics, unwanted aid to Vietnam, and graphic scenes of the war shown on television. As the escalation of troops sent to Vietnam reached an all-time high, there was a surge in anti-war protests and "teach-ins" on college campuses. The Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) were dedicated college activists middle of paper...... the war gave rise to the anti-war movement. The anti-war movement was fueled by fellow musicians because they created songs expressing their feelings about the war. Their songs were very influential as they gave different views and opinions on the war. This raised important questions, such as whether the Vietnam War was necessary or whether the U.S. government was making the right choices in its battle plan. Ray Pratt states that “(...) music promotes the establishment of lasting relationships between community and subculture (...)” (Pratt 14). This was demonstrated when anti-war music aroused a variety of emotions in citizens and music. gave people a reason to take action against the Vietnam War. The effectiveness of the movement was not necessarily the music but the messages in the music. It was a form of communication and a unifying factor for Americans who felt powerless during the war..