Why did America fight in Vietnam?

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Why did America fight in Viet Nam?

In 1941 Stalin successfully converted China into a communist country, this was a great blow to America and all capitalist countries because of the domino theory that many people believed in. The domino theory was that if one Asian country fell to communism then the other countries of Asia would soon fall to communism too. In 1951 the communists attack Korea, which was part of French indo China (the southern half of the 16th Parallel). It is at this point America step in and start sending in troops to help build up a defence against any chance of a Communist invasion. In 1954 Stalin’s troops move in on Viet Nam, they had support from Ho Chi Minh and his followers who came about from detesting the way the Japanese treated the Viet Namese people. But what where the reasons behind Kennedy’s decision?

        France where a capitalist country who owned Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Saigon, and Siam (Thailand) When France was defeated. America saw it as their duty to support Japan, when neither sides agreed with the way Japan was acting Indo China got split into 2 sides divided by the 16th Parallel China took over one half and France the other, America who were a capitalist country supported France because they where Capitalists, With only limited forces available in Vietnam, the French were initially having trouble against the Viet Minh (North Viet Nam), France brought in there troops but they where trained to fight in a situation like WWII, The Viet Minh had a different style of attacking, They would appear from nowhere and destroy an isolated unit, but could never be brought to battle by forces which might defeat them. There were no obvious bases or other strategic targets, and the French staff planners had nothing to aim at. America felt Communism would soon have taken over Viet Nam so they brought in troops and specialists who knew how to deal with this kind of a situation in 1954 France lost even though America had sent them over $3 billion worth of supplies, the Geneva agreement was drawn up and Viet Nam was split into 2 sides the Communist north and the Capitalist, catholic run south.
        America wanted to stop Communism, they saw it as a major threat to the way they lived and felt it would soon take over all the Asian countries, if it did this it would become more powerful that Capitalism, With great tension between the 2 sides after the Cold war, The Viet Nam war was really a war to prove who was best.
        America wanted to prove they could not be beaten, they wanted to show the world that they where the best, and that they could keep up there promise of  “we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival of success and liberty.” If the USSR where too win this war then the other countries would turn to them because they saw them as the most powerful side, if this happened then in there eyes Capitalism would fall.

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        One of the main reasons was to help the South Viet Nam government, the south Viet Nam Government had a Catholic leader, but many of them South Viet Namese people where Buddhist. The government also mistreated its people because they had high taxes and the ministers took land from the peasants for themselves, the final straw came when the leader refused to hold elections in 1956, Many Viet Cong (South Viet Nam) people turning to the Viet Minh, America had to do something to help the Viet Cong government win back the support of the people.

        In conclusion I think ...

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