Causes of the Vietnam War
The Domino Theory
Increased U.S. Involvement
- President Eisenhower gave an historic press conference on April 7, 1954.
- The president noted, "You have broader considerations that might follow what you would call the 'falling domino' principle...You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is a certainty that it will go over very quickly."
- This would lead to disintegration in Southeast Asia, with the "loss of Indochina, of Burma, of Thailand, of the Peninsula, and Indonesia following." Eisenhower suggested that even Japan, which needed Southeast Asia for trade, would be in danger.
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
- In just a few weeks, representatives from the world's powers were scheduled to meet in Geneva to discuss a political settlement of the Vietnamese conflict.
- U.S. officials were concerned that a victory by Ho's forces and/or an agreement in Geneva might leave a communist regime in control of all or part of Vietnam.
- President Eisenhower pledged his support and intent to prevent the spread of Communism.
- In doing so, he endorsed South Vietnam and anti-Communist leader, Ngo Dinh Diem.
President Eisenhower's "Domino Theory" Speech
Other Causes: Communist Aggression
- North Korea's invasion of South Korea confirmed U.S. suspicions that the Soviets wanted to conquer all of Asia.
America's Fear of Communism
Kennedy's Involvement
- In early 1961, when Kennedy secretly sent 400 Special Operations Forces-trained (Green Beret) soldiers to teach the South Vietnamese how to fight what was called counterinsurgency war against Communist guerrillas in South Vietnam.
- When Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, there were more than 16,000 U.S. military advisers in South Vietnam, and more than 100 Americans had been killed.
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Other Causes: Trade
Other Causes: Containment
- South East Asia provided 90% of America's rubber, 75% of its tin, and 27% of its oil.
Containment is working in Europe
- Greece
- Turkey
- Berlin
- and eventually Korea
Post World War II
Other Causes: Inferiority
The United States viewed the Vietnamese as inferior.
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident
- Following WWII, France attempted to regain their control in South East Asia (Vietnam).
- The French fought Communist leader, Ho Chi Minh and his rebels.
Early U.S. Involvement
Ho Chi Minh
- Asked by France via NATO, the United States became involved in the conflict as things began to look bleak for the French.
- America sent troops to advise the communist victims, but were unable to stop the defeat of the French.
- They were defeated after the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
- In early August of 1964 the destroyer, USS Maddox, steamed along the coast of North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin gathering various types of intelligence. Shortly before, the South Vietnamese PTF force had bombarded targets further to the south of Maddox's patrol area.
- This event was the catalyst for the war, it provided President LBJ with ammunition to declare war on Vietnam.
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