Vietnam War from 1945 to 1975 - Essay Example

The implications of US involvement will also be presented, including the domestic response which followed. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a more vivid understanding of the US and its involvement in the Vietnam War, taking note of all the controversies and the implications of the War. Body The Vietnam War came about because of the conflict between France and Vietnam in 19501. France occupied the Indochina region during the mid-1800s and went on to rule the region until 1954 when it was defeated in the first Indochina War.

China then recognized the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the government of which was declared by Ho Chi Minh. Vietnam was later divided based on the provisions of the Geneva Convention and North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union and China and South Vietnam by the US2. President Eisenhower at that time utilized South Vietnam to counter communism and with American funding with the military leader Ngo Dinh Diem using such funds to abuse those who opposed him and his victims included college students, monks, and suspected communists3.

Diem also claimed that North Vietnam was trying to take over its territories and this resulted in conflicts and violent confrontations4. North Vietnam was very much determined to fight until the opposition lost the will to fight. During Kennedy’s term, guerrilla tactics were also employed by the US military along with the deployment of US troops and helicopters into the region. Diem was later overthrown and caused much chaos in South Vietnam. The war continued to escalate under Johnson’s term with additional troops deployed and bombing raids carried out5.

Communist Vietnam was also persistently supported by China and Russia with both parties determined to drag out the war. This caused division within Vietnam, with anti-war and pro-war factions creating a greater momentum for the communist parties. Possible negotiations between parties were further halted when Nixon ordered even more aggressive attacks via air raids6. North Vietnam was also persistent in its fight and the war raged on until 1975 when Saigon was captured and Vietnam was reunited under communist control.

The US pulled out its troops in 1973, but still persisted in aiding South Vietnam until the fall of Saigon. In 1975, after 25 years of fighting and significant losses on both sides, the war ended7. The primary reason for US involvement in the Vietnam War was its concern on communist countries expanding their territories and possibly having more power in Asia8. For this reason, arrangements were set up with France, for the latter to establish a non-communist rule in the south9. Due to American influence, national elections in the south were stopped because of fears of a communist win.

This angered Ho Chi Minh who then launched a guerrilla war in the south, but the US knew that it did not have the power to intervene due to international law restrictions with Russia naturally vetoing the US10. Support for the south was then made through military equipment and troops, but the Vietcong proved to be more effective in its guerrilla warfare. The government of South Vietnam was about to collapse when the US decided to send in its troops11. The US used the Domino Theory to justify its actions.

Based on this theory, one communist victory would likely lead to a communist takeover in the Indo-China region and in other parts of Southeast Asia where the US had political and