Student Question
What were the terms "hawk" and "dove" referring to in the context of the Vietnam War?
Quick answer:
During the Vietnam War, "hawk" and "dove" referred to differing attitudes towards the conflict and the Cold War. "Hawks" were pro-war, advocating for a strong, confrontational stance against communism and supporting deep involvement in Vietnam. Conversely, "doves" opposed the war, favoring a less aggressive approach toward the Soviet Union and advocating for reduced military engagement in Vietnam.
In the context of this war (and really in the context of the Cold War in general) the terms "hawk" and "dove" were used to refer to people with different attitudes towards the war (and towards communism). Hawks were those people who were the most belligerent. They wanted to be confrontational in the Cold War as a whole and they wanted to fight hard in Vietnam. Doves held the opposite opinion. The doves believed that we should not really be aggressive towards the Soviets. In the context of Vietnam, they believed that we should not be deeply involved in the war.
A "hawk" was someone who was pro-war while a dove opposed the war.
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