what president started the vietnam war?

Answer 1

U.S. military advisors first became involved in Vietnam as early as 1950, when they began to assist French colonial forces. In 1956, these advisors assumed full responsibility for training the Army of the Republic of Vietnam or ARVN. Large numbers of American combat troops began to arrive in 1965 and the last left the country in 1972.[

Truman got us going.
Eisenhower and Kennedy supplied advisors and training.
Johnson escalated the war and sent combat troops.
Nixon started troop reduction and ultimate pullout.

Answer 2

You should have asked "What American President got America involved in the war in Vietnam?" The first American President to involve American in Vietnam was Franklin D. Roosevelt. The OSS supported Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh initially against the Japanese in 1944. After the liberation of Vietnam from the Japanese in 1945, the Vietminh declared independence from France on Sept. 2nd, 1945. Ho Chi Minh was elected President in January 1946. After the French bombed Haiphong Port, Ho Chi Minh ordered an offensive against the French. This led to war between the Vietnamese and France. David Diwight Eisenhower would be the second American President to get the Americans invloved in the war AFTER the French left in 1956 and the country was divided into North and South.

Answer 3

Eisenhower sent advisory troops, and JFK sent in real troops. LBJ sent a zillion troops. No one really started the war per se.

The war had been raging for years prior to that. Just the French were fighting it. They got out in 1954 after the Dien Bien Phu disaster when they realized the war was a ridiculous mistake. The french were in there because they were the colonial power in Vietnam and they were trying to assert their control over the people of Nam.

Too bad we didn't look more into that before we sent troops in.

Answer 4

No president (Vietnamese or U.S.) "started" the war. Strange as it may sound, the seeds of the Vietnam conflict were sown in 1941 -- the two main players in this occurrence were the U.S. via the Office of Strategic Service (the forerunner to the CIA) and their Vietnamese guerrilla counterpart -- Ho Chi Minh. Yes, we both fought on the same side at one point!

Here are the key points / issues that built up to the U.S. involvement in Vietnam:
-In 1945 (before the end of the war even) the country is partioned, with the Chinese Nationalists to remove the Japanese from North of the 16th parallel, while British and U.S. forces handle South of that line.
-France seeks and is awarded the return of all pre-war colonies in Asia -- this will lead to deep seated hatred between Vietnam and France very quickly (it's always the French isn't it?).
-1946: After repeated diplomatic insults and clashes with France, an eight year war begins, with Ho Chi Minh leading the Vietnamese forces (he's not under communist infuence at this point).
-Under Harry S. Truman U.S. involvement begins in Vietnam with military financial and material aid to France.
-Despite increased financing and material aid under Eisenhower, France is stunned when in 1954 they are completely decimated at Dien Bien Phu. It is the death knell for the French in Asia.
-At this point, fearful of the growing presence of Soviet efforts in the region, the U.S. at Geneva fights any attempts at unification.
-In 1955 direct aid to Vietnam begins, under Eisenhower.

Hope that helps. There are an amazing number of resources online to learn about the history of Vietnam from 1950-to-today.

Good luck. --Andy

Answer 5

The French began the war when French Indo China was part of the French empire. They treated the natives like animals and deprived them of any rights. They killed people for the fun of it, often cutting off heads and mummifying them. Why the US would want to become involved in what was a horror story created by the French is beyond me. The natives had no love for the Europeans, due to their wretched behaviour. The Vietnam war was lost before it began.

Answer 6

The initial help from the US went to the Republic of Vietnam at the same time as Ho needed us to help him overthrow the French and develop into self reliant, less than Truman. Ike despatched the first advisors, at the same time as the French left we merely stepped in and escalated...

Answer 7

President Ho Chi Minh with his start of take over of South Vietnam.

Some like to give credit to Johnson for the Gulf of Tokien which was questionable.

We came in after the French gave up.

Answer 8

John F. Kennedy got us involved in the first place, not Eisenhower or Johnson. Johnson inherited the mess from JFK. Interesting as well since the Kennedys and their cronies want to rewrite history and place the blame on LBJ. But with their history in politics, who is surprised they want to change the facts.

Chow!!

Chow!!

Answer 9

President Ho Chi Minh.

Answer 10

Eisenhower got us involved by sending in "advisors". LBJ was the one that brought the war to its peak.