Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy and the Vietnam War

857 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Causes of the Vietnam War

The leadership styles, experience, personality, and temperament of Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy played a role in deepening the U.S. involvement and commitment to Vietnam. Both presidents vowed to stop the spread of communism, which was viewed as a direct assault to democracy, human rights, and capitalism. (Tucker, 1999) Both presidents also subscribed to the domino theory, or the belief that if one key country should fall to communism, then it would have a cascading effect on other countries turning to communism. (Divine, 1981) This theory was used by many presidents as the reason for ongoing support to the effort in Indochina. After World War II, the French began a fight for their former colony of Indochina, which included Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The French and other countries failed to see at that time the will and desire of the Vietnamese people to gain independence from foreign rule and to have their country unified. Ho Chi Minh, a Vietnamese nationalist, fought the French and overtook the North Vietnam capital of Hanoi with his followers, the Viet Minh, declaring the area the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. (Anderson, 2002) The French were unwilling to give up their colony and drove the Vietminh from many of the larger cities in the south. The United States entered the Vietnam struggle in 1950 when $15 million in aid was pledged to France in order to fight the Vietminh. (Anderson, 2002) The rationale was to align with France and keep the Soviet Union from expanding in Europe and to keep another country from falling into communist rule. Despite the $2.6 billion in aid to the French over a span of four years, they could not defeat the Viet Minh. (Miller Center, 2009) During a siege by the Viet Minh... ... middle of paper ... ...untry to war at anytime and anywhere in the world. Because of this, the American people want to have confidence in its leader’s abilities. Plus, the actions of the President and his staff have a direct influence on the thoughts and perceptions of the people towards interference in foreign countries. Most people did not find the threat of Vietnam falling to communist rule as justification for the number of lives that were lost. Works Cited Anderson, D. (2002). The Columbia guide to the Vietnam War. New York: Columbia University Press. Divine, R. (1981). Eisenhower and the cold war. New York: Oxford University Press. Miller Center. (2009, May). American President: A reference resource. Retrieved November 2, 2011, from University of Virgina: http://millercenter.org/president/eisenhower/essays/biography/print Tucker, S. (1999). Vietnam. London: UCL Press Limited.

Show More
Related

  • Mark Atwood Lawrence´s The Vietnam War: A Concise International History

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Vietnam War: A Concise International History is a strong book that portrays a vivid picture of both sides of the war. By getting access to new information and using valid sources, Lawrence’s study deserves credibility. After reading this book, a new light and understanding of the Vietnam war exists.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of President Eisenhower's Foreign Policy

    1713 Words  | 4 Pages

    All of the history of the United States, foreign policy has caused many disputes over the proper role in international affairs. The views, morals and beliefs of democracy in Americans, makes them feel the need to take leadership of the world and help those countries whom are in need. The foreign policies of President Eisenhower will eventually led to the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War. President Eisenhower’s role with these policies were based on his military type strategies to safeguard a victory in the Global Cold War. President Eisenhower’s foreign policies led to an effective involvement in the Cold War and enviably the Vietnam War from an American perspective. President Eisenhower’s foreign policies when implemented would facilitate the goal of containing communism, and also

    Read More

  • How Is John D Eisenhower And Eisenhower's Leadership Style

    937 Words  | 2 Pages

    Moss, G. D. (2010). Vietnam: An American Ordeal (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Retrieved from http://devry.vitalsource.com/books/9781256086260

    Read More

  • Vietnam War Research Paper

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    After returning, Minh had help from the Vietminh; an organization of communist that wanted freedom from other countries. Their main goal was to turn Vietnam into a self-governed communist country. France wanted none of this non-sense. In 1945 they had moved back into southern Vietnam and ruled most of the cities. Ho Chi Minh swore to fight France to gain control of the whole country. U.S. promised to aid France, and sent almost $15 million worth of financial aid to France. The French fought for four years, being financially aided by the U.S. the whole time. The U.S. spent nearly one billion dollars in order to help France regain control of the tiny country. The only reason that much effort was put into a small area was the fear of the y. Domino Theory. The Domino Theory first showed it's head during a 1954 news conference by U.S. President Eisenhower. The domino theory is the fear of the spread of communism from one country to the next, and so on. Even with the assistance of the U.S. France could not gain the control it once had on Vietnam.

    Read More

  • Vietnam: The Mixture of Protests and Politics

    1644 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...been involved in because it was against an unknown enemy in an unknown territory. The consequences of the war far exceed the benefits. The citizens during that period of time would definitely agree. The war caused a severe decrease in the countries moral. Many people no longer trusted the government and grew extremely skeptical of its actions. The recession soon after the war did not help in boosting the spirit of the country. The Vietnam war also exposed many of the United States‘ weaknesses. It showed that our government had planned poorly. It also showed that it was possible to resist the United States as a mass. There is a major difference between one disagreeing voice and a vast number of them. In the end the United States had devastating losses socially and economically. Protests and politics will always go hand in hand when the “sheep” disagree with the “herder“.

    Read More

  • Fortunate Son

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    It all started with the French fighting a war against all of Indochina, and the U.S providing aid to the French in the late 1940’s. Even with the aid of America, Ho Chi Minh defeated the French in 1954, but America decided to become officially involved in an attempt to defeat the North Vietnamese communists. Eisenhower, addressed the United States with what he called the “Domino Effect,” basically stating that if we allow communism it will spread all over the world.

    Read More

  • How The USA Lost The Vietnam War

    2806 Words  | 6 Pages

    In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam, Times Books, New York, 1995: 72, 76, 218, 219, 220, 240.

    Read More

  • The Cost of a Losing War

    1443 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Vietnam War was a long and severe war that ended in defeat. Not only for America but for all the people lives were ruined. The soldiers who lost their lives to President Johnson who lost all hope. America suffered internally economically for a war that never made progress in favor of an anticommunist revolution. Each President struggled to put an end to the communistic movement in Southern Asia to dissolve the spread from country to country. After three presidents tried to solve this problem Nixon finally had the plan that would put in to movement that the United States did not need to the the World Police but rather a supporter to other countries. This is a serious idea that today many people in America have forgotten, especially the lesson of the war in Vietnam.

    Read More

  • Vietnam

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    Along with moral authority American political leaders felt they had a promise to keep to themselves, America, and the citizens of their country. After WWII concluded America installed what they call the containment theory. The containment theory pledged, According to George B. Tindall and David E. Shi, America's opposition to the advancement of communism anywhere in the world. This goes back to moral authority, why would we control another countries fate, and even over a political ideology such as communism. President at the time Lyndon B. Johnson believed that, "to leave Vietnam to its fate would shake the confidence of all these people in the value of American commitment.

    Read More

  • History Of The Vietnam War

    1977 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Vietnam War (1954-1975) was, and continues to be, a contentious issue around the world. Many analysts of the war attribute it to Lyndon B. Johnson, who was president of America from 1963 until 1969, because under his administration, the American Army became involved in combat in Vietnam. Although there were many facets that lead Johnson to make his decision and there were three other presidents, in power during the course of America’s involvement in Vietnam, who also played key roles, it was Johnson who made the decision to escalate US intervention in Vietnam.

    Read More

  • President Lyndon. B Johnson and the Vietnam War

    1385 Words  | 3 Pages

    The conflict in Vietnam for the United States started when President Dwight D. Eisenhower went along with the domino theory and sent in military advisors in South Vietnam to stop the communist movement from taking place in South Vietnam. The Vietnam conflict was between the communist’s and the United States. North Vietnam was led by Ho Chi Minh, and Ho Chi Minh led the Viet Cong, a guerilla group to help spread communism. The United States were supporters of the South Vietnam because they wanted them to maintain their government rather than falling to the domino theory of communism. After Eisenhower’s term ended, John F. Kennedy became president and took control of the situation in Vietnam.

    Read More

  • JFK and the Vietnam War

    1800 Words  | 4 Pages

    JOHN F. KENNEDY IN VIETNAM There are many critical questions surrounding United States involvement in Vietnam. American entry to Vietnam was a series of many choices made by five successive presidents during these years of 1945-1975. The policies of John F. Kennedy during the years of 1961-1963 were ones of military action, diplomacy, and liberalism. Each of his decision was on its merits at the time the decision was made. The belief that Vietnam was a test of the Americas ability to defeat communists in Vietnam lay at the center of Kennedy¡¦s policy. Kennedy promised in his inaugural address, Let every nation know...that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty. From the 1880s until World War II, France governed Vietnam as part of French Indochina, which also included Cambodia and Laos. The country was under the formal control of an emperor, Bao Dai. From 1946 until 1954, the Vietnamese struggled for their independence from France during the first Indochina War. At the end of this war, the country was temporarily divided into North and South Vietnam. North Vietnam came under the control of the Vietnamese Communists who had opposed France and aimed for a unified Vietnam under Communist rule. Vietnamese who had collaborated with the French controlled the South. For this reason the United States became involved in Vietnam because it believed that if all of the country fell under a Communist government, Communism would spread throughout Southeast Asia and further. This belief was known as the domino theory. The decision to enter Vietnam reflected America¡¦s idea of its global role-U.S. could not recoil from world leadership. The U.S. government supported the South Vietnamese government. The U.S. government wanted to establish the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), which extended protection to South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in case of Communist subversion. SEATO, which came into force in 1955, became the way which Washington justified its support for South Vietnam; this support eventually became direct involvement of U.S. troops. In 1955, the United States picked Ngo Dinh Diem to replace Bao Dai as head of the anti-Communist regime in South Vietnam. Eisenhower chose to support Ngo Dinh Diem. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline, Mass., on May 29, 1917. Kennedy graduated from Harvard University in 1940 and joined the Navy the next year.

    Read More

  • When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip

    1578 Words  | 4 Pages

    Costello, Mary. "Vietnam Aftermath." Editional Research Reports 1974 1 (1974): 1. CQ Researcher Online. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

  • The Cold War and Decolonization

    1661 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ng the democratic election. Once the Vietnamese people chose their president, the country will be unified again. Although many of the Vietnamese people loved Ho Chi Minh since he freed them from colonial oppression. The United States refused to allow Vietnam to reunify under a communist regime since the national policy was containment. Also, President Eisenhower felt that the countries in Southeast Asia would participate in the domino theory, which was if one country in Vietnam became communist than the rest of Southeast Asia would also become communist. Prime Minister Diem canceled the election process which was influenced by the United States in order to stop the spread of communism and not allow Ho Chi Minh from becoming the leader of Vietnam. Since this was the time period for the Cold War, the United States, the USSR, and the PRC began the Second Indochina War.

    Read More

  • The Vietnam War

    1241 Words  | 3 Pages

    Within the war the U.S had the intention to keep South-Vietnam free for communism, and that was also the intention under the war until 1965, where it more than less was gone. In the mid-nineteenth century, France had the control of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. But in 1954, France was forced out of Vietnam and therefore there were no one left to be the anticommunist in the region, except South-Vietnam.

    Read More

More about Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy and the Vietnam War

Open Document