U.S. Involvement in Vietnam
The long and hopeless Vietnam War started way before U.S. troops invaded
The war in Vietnam started in 1945 lasting until 1975 and was officially fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The North was supported by the Soviet Union, China, and other Communist allies, while the South was supported by the United States (U.S.) and other anti-communist allies. The war was brutal, with casualties and deaths varying but detailed studies have shown that from 1965 to 1975, when the U.S. was most engaged, approximately 1,353,000 Vietnamese were killed, including deaths of both militaries and civilians, with far more dying between 1945 to 1965.
The war was one of the most controversial in history with mass protests occurring, leading to what was known as the ‘Vietnam Syndrome’ describing how the public and politicians no longer wanted to support any further foreign interventions after the Vietnam War.
This article will address how and why the U.S. was involved in Vietnam, starting with the political and financial support for France from 1945 and throughout the Indochina War, going against their anti-colonial beliefs to secure an ally against the threat of communism in Europe. Continuing onto how Washington’s involvement in Asia became publicly direct following the ‘fall of China’ to communism, fearing…
