Why USA Became Involved in Vietnam

Why USA Became Involved in Vietnam

Before the Second World War, the region between India and China which

now includes Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos was part of the French Empire.

During the Second World War, however, Japan controlled Vietnam. After

the war, the French tried to take over again but a communist group,

the Vietminh wanted independence. During this war of independence the

USA became involved as well. This essay will look at the reasons of

why they did.

The first reason why the USAbecame involved in Vietnam was the Domino

theory. President Eisenhower first used the term in 1954 to justify US

involvement in South East Asia, particularly Vietnam. The Domino

theory was first evident in Eastern Europe when Stalin was taking over

the Eastern European countries one by one with communism. However, it

grew more serious when China fell to communism in 1949, closely

followed by North Korea in 1950. There was a fear that communism would

spread all over the world. The Domino Theory was a long term cause of

why the USA became involved in Vietnam because the term was invented

long before the Vietnam war.

A second reason why the USAbecame involved in Vietnam was the US

policy of containment which is why Truman supported the French in

Vietnam even though he did not believe in colonisation. Also, he did

this as soon as China fell to communism in 1949. Containment was the

backbone of US foreign policy to stop the spread of communism to other

regions of the world and give economic help to any country resisting

communism. Containment was put to practice in Europe due to communism

in Eastern Europe by Marshall Aid and Truman Doctrine. The ...

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...easons above and is the backbone of US foreign policy, for example,

Kennedy and Johnson's foreign policies are both linked with

containment as they both take all necessary steps to try and stop the

spread of communism. The USA could not make the already existing

communist countries to change but it could stop communism from

spreading and stop it in its tracks. It did not want to be the country

that allowed communism to win, therefore, using its policy of

containment it took every possible route to weaken and demolish it,

which is why USAbecame so involved in fighting communism in Vietnam.

Bibliography:

· Class notes and worksheets

· Hindsight magazine

· www.bbc.co.uk/education/gcsebitesize (history section)

· www.learn.co.uk

· www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam

· The Cold War by J. Owen