Exploring Why the United States Became Increasingly Involved in the War in Vietnam

Exploring Why the United States Became Increasingly Involved in the War in Vietnam

In 1945 American had no involvement in Vietnam and in 1965 President

Johnson took American to full-scale war with Vietnam. During World War

2, 1939-1945, French were defeated by the Japanese and they took over

Vietnam. A strong ant Japanese emerged called Viet Minh under the

leadership of Ho Chi Minh. He defeated the Japanese and declared

Vietnamese independence. Although this took place, America was

reluctant to get involved and just felt sympathetic towards Ho Chi

Minh, as he had fought for Vietnamese independence. It was a fight

against greedy France.

In 1949, the communists took over China and begun to help Ho Chi Minh.

It became clear that Ho Chi Minh wanted a communist Vietnamese.

America now thought that the Chinese communists were giving the Viet

Minh instructions and faced a communist plan to dominate Asia. America

got economically involved to communist spreading, therefore they found

$500 million a year into the French war effort.

In 1954-1955, French troops were defeated at Dien Bien Phu. Peace

Talks were held which divided Vietnam into communist North and

Anti-communist South. This would happen for two years elections to

re-unite the country. 1955, French set up a non-communist government

in the south. The Americans helped corrupt, leader Ngo Dinh Diem to

set up Republic of South Vietnam and supported it with $1.6 billion.

The US prevented elections from taking place because they feared the

communists would win. America helped France to set up a non-communist

government in the South. Eisenhower was convinced the USSR and China

were planning a spread of communism in Asia. He was worried that if

Vietnam fell to communism then Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Burma and

even India would fall. Communist needed to be contained. This was

political involvement.

From 1900-1965, the regime in the south was corrupt and so the

communist built up support by Ho Chi Minh in the North. 1962,

President Kennedy sent military advisers to fight the Viet Cong.