Due to US’ strong alliance with France and South Vietnam at the time, it can be inferred that the US was dragged into the war. Although the US opposed European colonialism in Asia and demanded independence for Vietnam, France still managed to gain US military support in Vietnam because of the Americans’ strong hatred towards communism and their strong alliance with each other. This way, France gained American defense and war materials to assist them in fighting Ho chi Minh and his armed forces. France was fighting to regain their colonial power whereas the US was fighting to “contain” communism. For example, the Mutual Security Act was a US military foreign aid legislation by which the US allowed themselves to support the French war effort. This legislation supervised all foreign aid programs, including both military and non-military, and economic assistance programs that strengthened the defense of U.S allies. This shows that the US’ strong alliance with France made them deploy troops and equipment to Vietnam.
Due to the long course of US policies and doctrines that opposed communism, the US felt obliged to join the South Vietnam forces in fighting Ho Chi Minh and his guerrillas. For example, the famous anti-communist policy of “Containment” was one of the US’ motives when decided to join this war. The idea was to “contain” Ho Chi Minh and his guerillas by not allowing to them to spread communism into South Vietnam or anywhere else in Southeast Asia. The doctrines of both Truman and Eisenhower were also very strict anti-communist as they both agree both targeted Soviet expansionism. The US was not going to tolerate watching anymore countries submit to communism and they felt as though war was inevitable. This aggression and intolerance towards communism in the world motivated the President to send troops and join the war. These strong policies against communist expansions all help justify the US involvement in Vietnam.
At the time, US involvement in the war was justified because the expansion of communism in the world would be a major threat to national security in the US. President Eisenhower first introduced this idea with his “Domino Theory.” With this theory, Eisenhower speculated that if one state in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow in a domino effect. This theory seemed logical during that period of time and it explained why the war was inevitable. In 1965, A man named HW Baldwin once stated, “Vietnam is a nasty place to fight. But there are no neat and tidy battlefields in the struggle for freedom; there is no 'good' place to die. And it is far better to fight in Vietnam - on China's doorstep - than fight some years hence in Hawaii, on our own frontiers.” Baldwin’s logic made sense at the time because no one knew how much communism could have impacted them. Baldwin’s words justify the US involvement in the war based on the domino theory. If the US had not gotten involved, Ho Chi Minh and his guerillas could have conquered Indochina. From there they could have conquered all of Southeast Asia then they could have started expanding west. President Eisenhower’s domino theory certainly justified the US involvement in the war and the decision to join South Vietnam in their fight against the North Vietnamese was certainly not a bad decision because it prevented the possible long-term effects that could have resulted in US national security being threatened by communist regimes.
As a result, US involvement in Vietnam was justified due to them being a world power which causes them to commit to their alliances and their promises to other nations. US involvement and Vietnam was also justified because of the dangers that communist nations placed on Capitalist world. The Administrations of Kennedy, Eisenhower, and Johnson were right for not giving in to the request of the anti-war factions until later in the war. Once again the US lost the war “on the home front and not the battlefield” which implies they could have won if they stayed longer. Even though the US lost this war, not getting involved would not have been the right thing to do because it would have made the US look weak. Not getting involved would have encouraged Ho Chi Minh and his guerillas to continue expanding west along with the help of the Soviets. This would have created a much bigger problem for the US and the Capitalist world. Therefore, US involvement in the Vietnam was justified because it essentially saved the world from communist regimes.
Was US involment in Vietnam justified?
James Ehahoun August 30th, 2012
IB History of the Americas