Why did America become involved in Vietnam?
- The non-A classless society where all property is owned publicly. government of South Vietnam looked in danger of being overthrown by the communist-backed Vietcong Tactic used by a small group against a larger army, normally using hit and run tactics or surprise attacks..
- America was operating a policy of An American policy to try and stop communism from spreading, to restrict it from spreading to other countries. and feared if Vietnam fell to communism, other countries in South East Asia would fall too. This was known as An American idea that if one country fell to communism, others would follow - like a row of dominoes..
- Under Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, the USA had given millions of dollars to prop up the French in Vietnam, and sent ‘military advisers’ to support Ngo Dinh Diem’s corrupt, anti-communist government. The failure of these two policies had shown that providing money and military advisors to train the army of South Vietnam was not enough. Force was needed and this meant American soldiers in a combat role.
- Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated in November 1963. South Vietnamese forces overthrew his government the day before he and his brother were captured and killed. This opened the door for the USA to get involved in order to ensure ‘stability’ and beat back the communist threat.
- A dramatic incident gave them the excuse they needed to directly intervene. In August 1964, the destroyer USS Maddox reported an initial clash with North Vietnamese patrol boats in the Gulf of Tonkin, followed by a second ‘attack’ that was likely misinterpreted or never occurred. This disputed report allowed President Johnson to claim U.S. forces had been attacked again and to order strikes on North Vietnam.
