The Vietnam Conflict: A Life Changing Causes Of The Vietnam War

Vietnam Conflict Men who left for Canada in order to avoid the Vietnam War were known as “draft dodgers” (“Vietnam War History”). Many of these men were scared of the war that was taking place. The Vietnam War was a life changing event in the history of the United States. The Vietnam War started in 1954, and it was a very costly war money wise and men. It was never declared a war; it was called an armed conflict because Congress never actually declared war. It was a conflict where the communist regime of North Vietnam and its southern allies, the Viet Cong, were fighting South Vietnam and its main ally, the United States. Even though the war started in 1954, there was fighting going on back in the 1940’s. During WWII, Japan took over

It left the French educated Emperor Bao Dai in control of Vietnam. The Vietminh took control of northern city of Haoni and they declared it as Democratic Republic of Vietnam with Ho Chi Min as the president. France wanted control back and backed Bao, and together they set up South Vietnam in July of 1949. Fighting continued until a battle at Dien Bien Phu in May of 1954 when the French defeated the Vietnam forces. Vietnam then split after treaty negotiation at Geneva; Ho Chi was in control of North Vietnam, Bao of South Vietnam. They wanted to be reunified which was to be done in 1956. In 1955, anti-communist Ngo Dinh Diem took control from Bao and became president of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had promised his support to Diem and South Vietnam in 1955 (“Vietnam War

Johnson takes over and increases the US military and economic support in November 1963. August 1964 DRV torpedo boats attacked two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. Johnson was given Broad war making powers and U.S. planes did regular bombing raids in February 1965. In March of 1965, with the support from the American public, Johnson sent U.S. combat forces into the fight. By June of 1965, 82,000 combat troops were stationed in South Vietnam and at the end of 1965 General Westmoreland was calling for 175,000 more troops. During this time, there was a growing number of people that were against the war. By July of 1965, another 100,000 troops were sent over and another 100,000 in 1966 (“Vietnam War