2007-04-24 08:39:06 · 6 answers · asked by Wolfgang92 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
That is a loaded question. The French asked us to bail them out because the North Vietnamese kicked their tails pretty good. So the US went in with advisers during Eisenhower's administration.
Free elections were supposed to be held. There was a possibility Ho Chi Minh would win, so the US didn't hold the elections. That was before the French were defeated. That was the Truman administration. Why did the US not hold the elections? Because the Soviets reneged on their pledge to hold free elections in Eastern Europe.
Then Kennedy sent in ground forces (and probably had the South Vietnamese leader assassinated), something Truman and Eisenhower didn't do. So you could place the blame on one of those three Presidents, or the Soviets for backing out of their promises in Eastern Europe and causing the US to back out of theirs.
In the end, I think you have to say Kennedy, for he is the one who put combat forces on the ground there. Yes Johnson escalated it, but had Kennedy not put in ground forces, there would have nothing to escalate.
2007-04-24 08:57:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The same type of people that got you into Iraq. First; " Man, things are bad. We need a war. " This is at street level, people.
Bunches of casualties later ..... well, look at the character of all the anit war questions on here. You'll get the idea. I think if we fought a war on our own shores for a good long while, it'probably cure a lot of ' military spending ' and considerably reduce the punk and hood population in this country.
2007-04-24 08:52:30 · answer #2 · answered by vanamont7 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eisenhower was the first to send "advisors" after that, presidents just started sending more and more. So Eisenhower got us there and the guy who really expanded the war was Johnson, especially after teh War Powers Resolution.
2007-04-24 08:48:28 · answer #3 · answered by Sean 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is one very involved question... Eisenhower sent military advisors... JFK expanded the number of troops... LBJ really expanded the numbers of troops... but the SEATO treaty had a lot to do with us getting involved in general, so find out who agreed to that, too.
2007-04-24 08:45:33 · answer #4 · answered by aspicco 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Democrats.
2007-04-24 08:58:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
How far back do you want to go? It would not be too hard to blame the whole thing on the French.
2007-04-24 08:57:47 · answer #6 · answered by Adoptive Father 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋