What are some reasons why the Americans fought the war in Vietnam? What are the the assumptions and controdictions underlying the Cold War thinking of the time? Essentialy, why was America in Vietnam?
2007-04-24 07:57:24 · 7 answers · asked by annefrank05 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Perhaps the main reason the US got involved in the Vietnam war is because of the "Domino Theory"...the theory was that is you allow communist to win control in any country, no matter how small, then communists in other countries bordering that country could be empowered and they could experiment or embrace the communist ideology...and countries would fall, one by one, like a row of dominoes.
There were other crucial reasons as well. US government planners had a real fear that Asia was falling out of control...China had a communist revolution in 1949 and North Korea became a communist state after the end of the Korean war in 1953...So there was fear that communist was gaining power in ASia and it was felt that Vietnam would be crucial to maintaing an Asia free of communism.
Finally countries like Vietnam was very crucial to the economic redevelopment of a capitalist Japan and a capitalist Asian integrated system. After losing China with the communist revolution, Japan became more dependent on Southeast and pacific asian countries for their raw material needs.
YOu asked for the assumptions and contradictions during the cold war....The main assumption I described above was the "domino theory"...a second assumption was that all communist movements were directed by the Soviet Union.
A contradiction in US foreign policy was that the US often times stood for "freedom and democracy", but that was contradicted by the fact that at times, people used their freedom and the vehicle of democracy to elect communists or socialists into power. (LIke the case of Salvadore Allende in Chile in 1973). So sometimes the US found itself in a diplomatic and military conflict with those that were freely elected.
2007-04-26 12:18:55 · answer #1 · answered by choseunghuisghost 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The threat of world Communism, with Castro in Cuba, the mind set was that Communism was taking over the world.
Ho Chi Men had turned to the Soviet Union for aid in ridding Vietnam of the french colonialism. After being turned down by the US of A. Theory was if Uncle Ho could take over south Viet Nam like he did in the north half of the country after forcing the French out. Then he would move on to Cambodia and Thailand. Laos had already replaced a dictator with a communist government. Thus the Domino Theory, one falls they all fall.
The US involvement started under Eisenhower, at the request of the corrupt south Viet Nam's government of Nguyen.
There was no support for that government from the people as the president was catholic and abused the majority Buddhist. With the help of the CIA, the regime was over thrown. Kennedy continued the involvement, after his assignation Johnson increased the troop strength"surge" . This goes on and on. It was a major mistake, as in the end we pulled out the commies took over and no other country in the area fell to Communism. It was a long complicated war with millions dead and maimed. Immensely costly, in money and prestige. Had we not left the situation when we did it could be still going on today, 40 years later instead of the 14 years it did last.
Pay close attention to Iraq, we are repeating ourselves.
2007-05-01 08:39:34 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Check the articles on the Vietnam War in Wikipedia.
And pay attention to the fact that the USA was on the side of the Vietminh during WWII, but switched to supporting the French neo-colonial puppet-state of South-Vietnam because China recognized North-Vietnam, and the Korea War broke out.
2007-04-24 08:13:13 · answer #3 · answered by Erik Van Thienen 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Viet Nam was a colony or under the control of France. North Viet Nam got tired of France and told them to hit the road. France stayed in South Viet Nam and cried Help me Help me and the US went over to help them. After the US got there France said we are going home now do whatever you want to. We stayed around and got into the middle of a war while we tried to unite North and South Vietnam.
2007-05-01 19:53:57 · answer #4 · answered by don n 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the french were right. they were leaving vietnam because they cinsidered it hopeless. they told us when we sent advisors over there that we couldnt win it. of course we didnt listen. the word on the street was, you gotta stop em somewhere. meaning , the communists. whole idea was dumb. we didnt have to go there. then when the GI's came back, they were treated very badly. you can compare vietnam and iraq. nuff said
2007-05-01 05:07:22 · answer #5 · answered by oldtimer 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
To stop Comunism. It was a bold move that had no real grounds since the French had been tyrants and the Americans were trying to make them go back to it.
2007-04-30 10:01:33 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gov't is inefficient, the less the greater beneficial. you ought to study your definition of imperialism; this is been awhile because united statesa. has engaged in that activity. (u . s . development in Iraq and the Stan) What makes you think of a worldwide government could have united statesa.'s maximum suitable pastime at coronary heart?
2016-10-13 09:25:27 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋