The Vietnam War Period - Essay Example

It was due to the nuclear arsenals of both countries which could result in a nuclear war such that they fought each other indirectly using proxies or allies. The North Vietnamese forces were supported by the Soviet Union by sending military supplies through its proxy, communist China. The South Vietnamese were initially supported by the Americans by sending its military advisers but eventually, the Americans got involved in the war by fighting directly themselves. The root cause of the Vietnam War is the American belief in the “domino theory” chain reaction which posits the idea that communism was spreading in Southeast Asia and soon the countries in the region will fall into the communist bloc if America will not intervene forcefully to stop it.

The result of the Vietnam War was adverse for the United States of America as it lost in a war fought on military terms which were fought mostly as a non-conventional or guerrilla war. It marked the decline of American superpower status as it was defeated by a third-world country. America entered an isolationist and pacifist period as there was a strong anti-war public opinion or sentiment against starting new wars that cost thousands of American lives in foreign lands. In retrospect, the Vietnam War made Americans wary of military adventurism afterward. Read More