How useful are sources a-c to explain why the United Sates became involved in the war in Vietnam?

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Max Nastasi-Grace

How useful are sources a-c to explain why the United Sates became involved in the war in Vietnam?

The United States initially had no plans whatsoever to send troops to fight North Vietnam. They hoped to overthrow the Communist Government there by paying to fund and train a strong South Vietnamese army. However, by early March 1965, 3500 US marines and combat troops had landed in Da Nang. So how did America become so heavily involved in Vietnam? This is a question which has provoked debate amongst many historians studying this period in history. The 3 sources provided are useful in many ways, however some can be considered more useful than others.

Source A is a speech made by President Johnson to the public a month before the start of Operation Rolling Thunder, that seems to suggest that he was pressured into helping Vietnam fight against communism. This is because every president since 1954 have helped South Vietnam by the use of armed forces. America had never lost a war. The reality that he might be the first president to lose a war persuaded Johnson to send more armed forces and fight the war against communism. America had helped South Korea to become independent of communism from the North. This action showed that America had a tough line on communism, for this reason it was hard for the Americans to ignore the communism attack in Vietnam. Armed forces were fighting the war in Vietnam and the momentum issue of helping them out also contributed to Johnson’s decision to help South Vietnam. USA backed up the South Vietnam government. This action was intended to bring in a US government into South of Vietnam. This meant that President Johnson had very little choice of backing away from the war in Vietnam. President Johnson also had to show the world that the United States was prepared to help countries that faced invasion by communism. This is strongly mentioned in President Johnson’s speech that America is committed to its ‘word’. That it will help any country that is being inflicted by communism. President Johnson in source A is afraid that communism would spread like the ‘Domino Effect.’ This is the theory that when one country fell to communism the nearby countries would also. President Johnson clearly gives out his feelings and intentions about the war in Vietnam. This source states several reasons for the USA’s involvement in Vietnam making it quite useful.

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Source B is an extract of President Johnson’s ideas and thoughts about the war are expressed in a private conversation in May 1964. The source shows that President Johnson is infuriated to the fact that America is involvement in Vietnam. He states in the source that people in America have no knowledge and much care about Vietnam. The quote in the text confirms that he is fighting the war in Vietnam because of electoral reasons. He also feels that there is no point fighting a country that is ten thousand miles away. He clearly feels Vietnam is not worth fighting ...

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