Americans in vietnam war???/?

Question

Americans in vietnam war???/?

Was the American involvement in the vietnam war necessary?? can u please help me..=(

Answer 1

~After the French defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, the French withdrew from Indo-China. The Geneva Accords of 1954 called for internationally supervised elections to re-unify the country. Those elections were to have been held in 1956.

It soon became apparent the Ho Chi Minh and the communists were going to win those elections. Dwight Eisenhower and the USA, in its never ending quest to spread democracy, decided that since the clear and overwhelming will of the people in Vietnam (North and South) was going to produce a government that of which the US did not approve, refused to allow those elections to take place. The Domino Theory was born, and Ike wasn't going to let those dominoes fall, no matter what the people of Vietnam wanted. They weren't going to have a government of the people, by the people and for the people until the people gave the US what the US wanted.

The French warned Ike that if the US got involved in Southeast Asia, they would leave in defeat and humiliation. Ike didn't listen. The French also warned Ike that Ngo Dinh Diem was not only incompetent, but a madman as well. The US promptly insured the installation of Diem as president of South Vietnam. During his bloodthirsty corrupt regime, the CIA and US military were under orders from Ike and JFK to protect him. (More democracy in action.) Finally, in November 1963 (ironic date, what) JFK authorized a coup against Diem. It is less clear from the now declassified documents whether or not JFK also ordered, or at least approved, Diem's assassination. In any event, Diem was deposed and killed under the ever watchful supervision of US troops and intelligence officers. Then Duong Van Minh held the office for 3 months until another coup installed Nguyen Khanh, followed by yet another coup resulting in the reins of government being take by Nguyen Cao Ky.

Each new government was as bad the last. The National Liberation Front (the major anti-government force) continued to gain strength and anti-American sentiment continued to swell. Little wonder, given that the US supported one paranoid, bloodthirsty murdering dictator after another. JFK realized the stupidity of the war and the fact that it could not be won, particularly considering the fact that with each passing day under US sponsored governments, the country was looking more and more like Stalin's USSR. Before he could
withdraw, he went to Dallas. (Could there be connection? Bobby assumed Dallas was because of JFK's policy of detente with Cuba, but a withdrawal from Vietnam too would have been more the the Joint Chief and Langley were going to take.

In any event, no, US involvement in Vietnam was not necessary. Had the elections been held in 1956 and had unification occurred then instead of in 1975, 50,000 American and 5,000,000 Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians wouldn't have had to die just to prove the French were right in 1954.

Answer 2

Yeah, in a way I guess. The thing is, the Northern Vietnamese attacked Southern Vietnam. The French at the time occupied Vietnam. America is an ally to France, so they had to help them out. So did other countries. When America got there, they found out that Vietnam can fall in the hands of the Communists. So, America then says that if Vietnam falls to the Communists, then all of Asia will also. So then the war raged on and protests were overwhelming back in the states. Finally, America withdrew and Vietnam became a Communist country.

Answer 3

Like the current war in Iraq Vietnam was started on a lie.

It was called the gulf of Tonkin incident where it was stated that North Vietnamese navy vessels had attacked ..without provication . a US warship.

Vietnam was about proping up US interests via a puppet government in the south east asia region after America lost the Korean war.

Viertnam was sold as a war to contain the spread of communism , in reality HO Chi Ming was a nationalist and the war from the vietnamese perspective was about soverienty and self determination .

For over 2000 years vietnamese people had been rule by foreign governments be they chinese , Japanese, French or Americans , never vietnamese.

Straight after WW2 HO was allied to the Americans and they had advisors and military personnel actually working with HO .

America was not keen to return vietnam to the French initially however US foreign policy at the time didn't see any future in the area and HO was dropped and vietnam returned to France, which is why HO went to the Russians for help.

Whilst we call this the Vietnam war the vietnamese call it "The American war". Was the involvement necessary to a large degree NO!, it was contrived and built on lies and in many ways an outlet for Kennedy'sbusiness buddies to get rich.

It was claimed that a driver for the conflict was that Bell helicopters was going broke and without a war the Government had no need to purchase any helicopters.

This had the potential to hurt Kennedy politically and LBJ kept the lie alive after JFK's death.

American troops did a tour of duty which was a one year rotation and used conscripted soldiers as well as regulars.

America stayed in the war for 10 years before a strategic withdrawel was enacted

The Vietnam war was never a War and was always considered a "Policing action", war was never officially declared.

Perhaps one day America will learn from follies such as Vietnam , however the current debacle in Iraq would indicate that it will not be anytime soon.

Answer 4

Yes and no ! Vietnam was not just about Vietnam. It was also about Europe and NATO and France. France was reluctant to commit any of it's troops to NATO. The U.S. was counting on French troops to hold the line in case of a Russian attack in Europe. What did France want in order to commit it's troops to NATO ? France wanted it's Vietnam colonies back. Or at least it's defeat in Vietnam erased. So the U.S. sent advisers to South Vietnam at first to help stop and defeat the North. When that didn't work we sent some troops then more troops. We , like France just couldn't believe that these Vietnamese with almost nothing were doggedly defeating us. So was Vietnam necessary , YES. We needed France in NATO so we needed to help in Vietnam. Was it necessary to send so many troops for so long , NO. France would have understood if we had withdrawn our advisers and never committed any real numbers of troops to Vietnam.

Answer 5

No it wasn't necessary. But if you look in to American history you will See that America is country witch was in every war ever in this world. American economy is based on the war. And Vietnam war was one of these wars. They haven't done anything god in Vietnam. If French legion couldn't win there the American army and navy shorelly couldn't.

Answer 6

No! At that time in history this country was operating on what was called the "Domino Theory." Which means that if more countries in southeast Asia fell under communist rule, they would eventually all fall, and the dreaded Russian/Chinese Communist juggernaut would eventually control the world.

The French had already tried and failed to control Viet Nam.

Actually that was a civil war between North & South Viet Nam, the north being controlled by Ho Chi Min - who had defeated the French.

Our involvement resulted in the deaths of more than 58,000 Americans, split the US politically, and gave rise to the most significant anti-war protests this country has ever known - before or since.

At least thats' my take on it. and I suppose it's a valid as anyone's.

I was drafted in 1966, and in Viet Nam from August 1967 - August 1968. I was wounded in the Tet Offensive on January 31, 1968. And almost thirty years after Viet Nam I cam to realize that I also have PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - which is now happening to too many of our brave combatants in Iraq.

PTSD ruins lives. It almost ruined mine.

But to be more specific: Wars ruin lives!

And if you'll allow me one other observation... I cannot imagine why more young people in this country aren't standing up to protest this war! If you have an answer to that question I'd love to hear it.

I hope this helps. Thank you for your interest.

Answer 7

your question is open ended, and it is trying to lead some one to a for gone conclusion. let me help you out;
Wars are fought for only a few reasons, land, money, wealth, or women. VN war was over land and it's people. The US was trying to prevent Communist from taking control of the land and it's people.

As to was the American involvement necessary, no but you can't fight if you don't have someone to fight. We were and still are the biggest standing Army in the world, but for China. It all started in the United Nation, or UN, a vote and we all said lets help and we went. Others did too, and as they left, or dropped out over time, we sent more troops to replace the ones that left. After years of fighting on call and when told to and standing down when told to, the men and women came home to a cold country, one that didn't understand why we went or why we would still do it today if called to fight for what is fair and right for others and yes for ourselves too.

Answer 8

Maybe you can decide.
South Vietnam has been free since then, and prospered far more than North Vietnam.

Hopefully, North Vietnam is changing now.

We will never know how many South Vietnamese may have died, had we not.

As for the cost, 50,000 American lives, that can be debated forever. Their present government is in question.

Answer 9

hi
Most Americans don't believe they lost the war. They like to believe they won that war and then pulled out -- it was negotiated to a truce and cease fire agreement at which point the U.S. left the country. The communists then broke the truce and cease fire agreement and crushed the fledgling country of South Vietnam. Those loyal to S. Vietnam never forgave the U.S. for hanging them out to rot in the sun as they did.
The American media is to blame for having made it an "Unpopular" war. Just as they are doing to the war in Iraq. So, if you like to think in terms of "Honor" and "Dignity," in helping to support a country that wants to remain "Free" and democratic, I suppose it was a "Good and Just" war. If you care instead to think in terms of "Colonialization" or "mercenary for hire," then it was a "Dirty" war. Any way you cut this one, the media swayed public opinion and the citizens demanded a complete and total withdrawl. A truce was negotatied and America left. Two years later, the communists broke the truce and invaded.

Answer 10

If we had not stood up to communist aggression and made it so costly for them, all of the Asian Countries would probably be under a communist dictator today and billions more people would have died in re education camps.