Why Did the Vietnam War Start? The Vietnam War can be defined as the period between 1945 and 1975 in which the United States was heavily involved in political and military conflicts that occurred in Vietnam. The Second Indochinese War is another name for the Vietnam War.
The conflict, which began in 1954 and lasted until 1973, took place during the Cold War. It essentially happened primarily in Laos, North and South Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Why Did Vietnam War Start?
North Vietnam’s desire to unify the nation under its rule was one of the primary causes of the start of the war. Nevertheless, South Vietnam proclaimed itself a republic and declined to join an Alliance.
As a result, seizing control of South Vietnam was the only option for bringing the state together. Terror against the South Vietnamese representatives marked the start of the Vietnam War. Many communist opposition groups were formed, including the NFRU and the Viet Cong.
The United States of America later decided to intervene in the war after growing increasingly concerned about the communists’ success. President J.F. Kennedy saw an increase in American involvement. As a result, the J. F. Kennedy administration chose to provide South Vietnam with more bilateral aid as well as military support.
The United States of America worked to train the Army of the Republic of Vietnam because they feared communism would spread widely. President Kennedy expressed quiet confidence that capitalism would win the war.
People in South Vietnam were unable to defend their country on their own, so they became dependent on American intervention.
Given that America spent more than $2 billion on the military alone—not to mention all other costs like bombs, medical assistance, and other costs—many Americans believed that the war was a huge waste of both resources and human lives.
John F. Kennedy decided to increase the scope of the aid for the armed forces. The conditions of this expansion included additional financing and weapons, but the deployment of American soldiers in the area was a significant change.
Kennedy’s expansion was partly motivated by Cold War-era concerns about the “domino theory,” which held that if communism spread throughout Vietnam, it would overthrow democracies across Southeast Asia.
The United States’ involvement in the war increased significantly during the Johnson administration, as more troops were dispatched for combat missions and a greater quantity of supplies and weapons were provided than during the Kennedy administration.
Why Did the US Support Diem in Vietnam?
After the communist victory in China in 1949, the US government became concerned about an expanding communist bloc and supported South Vietnamese Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem.
US officials thought Diem had the best chance of defeating the Vietminh because he was a more anti-communist nationalist. Eisenhower thought Diem would be a good Ho Chi Minh replacement as leader of Vietnam because of his effective campaigns against the Vietminh.
When Did the Vietnam War End?
With the signing of a final peace treaty in January 1973, open hostilities between the US and North Vietnam came to an end. However, the conflict between North and South Vietnam persisted until April 30, 1975, when Saigon was taken by DRV forces, who renamed it Ho Chi Minh City (Ho himself passed away in 1969).
Vietnam’s population had suffered greatly as a result of more than 20 years of violent conflict: an estimated 2 million Vietnamese people were killed, 3 million were injured, and 12 million more were forced to flee their country. Reconstruction moved slowly because the nation’s economy and infrastructure had been destroyed by war.
Who Won the Vietnam War?
They claim that overall, American casualties were lower than those of its adversaries. There were 58,220 American casualties according to the US military. While estimates of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong casualties vary greatly, it is generally accepted that their losses were many times greater than those of the Americans.
The main reason for US entry into Vietnam was to stop communists from seizing control of the country. It was unsuccessful in that regard because, in July 1976, the two Vietnams were unified under a communist flag.
Similar communist takeovers occurred in neighboring Laos and Cambodia. Furthermore, peace and troop withdrawals were required, not optional, due to internal unrest and the financial burden of war.
Final Thoughts
The United States intervention took place gradually and involved military force, political maneuvering, economic assistance, diplomacy, and presidential personalities. Though historians may never agree on the exact start date of the war, U.S. policymakers were influenced by all of these factors when deciding whether to intervene
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