why did the united states get invovled in the vietnam war?

Answer 1

It was just another front on the war against the spread of Communism.

Answer 2

To stop the spread of communism. China was communist, and from there it had spread to Korea. The UN sent troops to help Korea stop the communist invasion from the north. In the end neither side could win so the country was divided in two and North Korea became communist and South Korea remained democratic.
Vietnam had already split in two, and South Vietnam with its capital at Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) requested American assistance to stop the spread of communism from the north (China borders the north of both Korea and Vietnam).
The Americans sent advisors, including people to train the South Vietnamese Army. The Americans kept on sending people there until it was decided to openly call it a military theatre of operations. The USA never declared war on North Vietnam though, quite odd given that they used conscription to get soldiers to fight this non-war.

Answer 3

This was the era of McCarthy, and a total paranoia against communists. North Vietham had a communist government and South Vietnam did not, so when the North attacked the South, the US felt that it had to help keep communism from spreading, much as they had in Korea. Advisors became combatants, and finally a full shooting war, although it was called a "police action". A soldier killed in a police action smells just as bad as a soldier killed in a war, though.

Answer 4

JFK was a staunch anti communist and the prevailing theory of that time was that if VietNam fell to communism...it would spread into the rest of Asia. JFK was the first president to really escalate the war...and Lyndon Johnson took it even further. Unfortunately our political leaders did not have the cojones or political will to see it to its conclusion. Because of that millions died in the aftermath.

Answer 5

We went in as advisers during The Eisenhower administration to help the South Vietnamese thwart the communist in the North backed by Russia. It was our way of fighting the cold war. It escalated beyond what anyone could imagine.

Answer 6

It was treaty agreement that the United States signed with South Vietnamese Government.

Answer 7

Because our ally (South Vietnam) was invaded by the Soviet backed communist North Vietnam. Democrats failed to grasp the idea of winning the war and it turned into problem it was.

Answer 8

Because our ally asked for our aide to stop the invasion from the North. No different that Britian asking us forhelp in WW2

Answer 9

We feared communism and the so called domino effect, if one nation went communist, others, were to follow. It was incorrect, as, south vietnam did fall to communism, and, no, the world did not follow!

Answer 10

President Dwight Eisenhower would have attributed it to what he called "The military-industrial complex," meaning it was a great way for corporate giants to make mega-bucks quick.