2007-01-15 09:53:22 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
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2007-01-15 09:59:18 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
In about 1954 the French pulled out of Vietnam because they thought that the war was unwinable. Dwight Eisenhower sent some advisers in to help the Vietnamese to fight against the Viet Cong. When Kennedy came into office he sent some more advisers. Then along came Johnson and he went berserk, he escalated the war to a point that is unbelievable. Nixon finally ended it by withdrawing the Americans and I think the reason we went in in the first place was to just plain help them to fend off the communist. Why Johnson escalated it is beyond me, the more people we sent in the more involved the North became. In the end we lost. I see many parallels with the present war in Iraq. I sure hope it don't escalate to that point.
2007-01-15 18:12:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
The Domino Effect. America felt that if we let the reds take over Vietnam, they would take over all of Asia. Turns out that didn't happen.
2007-01-15 18:05:31 · answer #3 · answered by John S 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Vietnam war was fought continuously from 1945 to 1989.
In order to understand your question you have to understand the history of the Vietnam war. The war started in 1945 when the Japanese lost in WWII. France returned to their former Indochina colonies. Vietnam wanted freedom from them and an independent movement was started against the French. The Communist took hold of this movement and eventually beat the French. The country was divided into Communist North and Democrat South. Much the same way Korea was divided.
The Cold war was in full swing, Free world against Communism, at the time.
The North continued to attempt to overthrow the South under the guise of Unity of the nation. The South didn`t want to be unified under communism. Laos was also infiltrated as was Cambodia. The United States saw this as just one more attempt by world Communism to take more countries. Militarialy an invasion of N Vietnam was always out of the question as it would have resulted in a War with China again just as in the Korean War. The US entered to hold the line and prevent the dominoes from falling. The Dominoes being Laos, S Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia.
58,250 US and 230,000 South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) died. The US failed in its war of containment because the American public lost resolve, the war was run badly by politicians and the Communist supported anti war movement at home. Communists didn`t care how many they lost. 600,000 out of 900,000 NVA that went south never returned. American forces never lost a battle. A cease fire and withdrawal was negotiated with America promising to support the South if they were attacked again. By 1973 the US was out of it but the fighting continued as S Vietnam fought on by itself and as of Aug.15 1974 without funding.
1975, Sen. Ted Kennedy and the Democrats refused to reinstate promised moneys to support the Vietnamese against the Norths increasing military pressure. The North attacked full on and the South collapsed without the promised bullets, air support, and fuels after 55 days of heavy fighting. US helicopters rescued several thousand from the embassy in Saigon. When the North took over 175,000 Montagnard men, women, and children were hunted down and killed. 10,000 Vietnamese, US collaborators, were shot in the streets. 250,000 S. Vietnamese were put into reeducation camps for up to 10 years. 60,000 died there. 1 million boat people escaped Vietnam. 1.5 million drowned trying to escape.
This allowed 2,000,000 to die in the killing fields of Cambodia when the Khmers, Communist, took over there the same month, April 1975. A Democrat Congress had stopped monetary support of Cambodia and Laos in 1973. No one was left to stop them.
Phase 3 of the Vietnam war began almost immediately in 1975 along the Cambodian border and lead to in 1979 Vietnam invading Cambodia. 200,000+ died and finally the fighting stopped with Vietnam withdrawing from Cambodia in 1989.
In the end the only countries that didn`t go Communist were Thailand and Malaysia. Thailand was a staunch anti Communist ally and its divisions fought courageously in Vietnam.
The Left pretends much of this didn`t take place. Great Question.
2007-01-15 17:59:32 · answer #4 · answered by Gone Rogue 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
To protect the world from Communists
2007-01-15 18:10:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
We wanted to fight communism over there so we wouldn't have to fight it at home.
Hmmm. I got 3 thumbs down for my correct answer. I guess the Bushies don't like me pointing out similarities between Vietnam and their president's quagmire.
2007-01-15 17:57:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
To stop the spread of communism in Asia. You should read about the domino theory.
2007-01-15 18:00:40 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Because John Kerry needed to make his "war" video. He knew he was going to run for president and knew that he needed to make it look like he was actually in combat. He then concocted the war to make this happen. Either that or it was Bush's fault.
2007-01-15 18:02:09 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
Because an ally was being invaded by a army back by the Soviet Union.
2007-01-15 18:04:29 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Several reasons. The main one was to combat the spread of communism.
2007-01-15 17:56:46 · answer #10 · answered by Take it from Toby 7 · 7⤊ 1⤋
Going to the aide of the French.
2007-01-15 17:58:34 · answer #11 · answered by JFra472449 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋