How and why did the United States become involved in the Vietnam War? What were its goals when it entered the conflict, and how
did they change over time? Discuss some of the political and military misjudgments made by the United States in fighting the war. How did these errors contribute to a growing anti-war movement in the country? Was the war winnable for the United States? If so, how should it have been fought differently?
1. China had become communist in 1949 and communists were in control of North Vietnam. The USA was afraid that communism would spread to South Vietnam and then the rest of Asia. It decided to send money, supplies and military advisers to help the South Vietnamese Government.
2. War has become more gory and devastating. Advanced weapons have been invented and improved, such as atomic bombs. Conventional weapons have been abandoned; weapons with greater destructive power are used instead. Besides, political leaders have been accused of inhumane treatment of prisoners-of-war
The U.S. entered the Vietnam War in an attempt to prevent the spread of communism, but foreign policy, economic interests, national fears, and geopolitical strategies also played major roles. Learn why a country that had been barely known to most Americans came to define an era.
The notional barrier separating the former Soviet bloc and the West prior to the decline of communism that followed the political events in eastern Europe in 1989.
