The underpinnings of the Vietnam War and its effects on the United States

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Introduction
There is no definite date for the US involvement in the Vietnam War. Due to this, it is also a bit difficult to point at the exact causes of the United States involvement in the war. However, there are a number of general causes for the entry of the United States forces into the war. The reasons evolved and shifted over time. This paper will discuss the justifications and causes of the United States involvement in the Vietnam War and the effects that this war had on the United States.
Reasons for involvement
As mentioned earlier, the reasons for the United States involvement in the Vietnam War evolved and shifted over time. However, one of the biggest reasons for the entry into the war was the view of the North Vietnam government and leader- Ho Chi Minh as an agent of global communism. French colonialists left Vietnam divided between a communist north and a non- communist south. This did not impress the United States government and law makers as they viewed communism as ‘an aesthesis of what the American people held dear’. American policy makers compared or viewed communism as a contagious diseases that if not checked would spread to other free nations. The need to prevent another nation from falling into communism was the reason for presidents Truman’s decision to aid the French who were fighting the Vietminh in 1950. This was also the beginning of the gradual escalation of the United States involvement in the Vietnam War.
In addition, the United Statesdecision to help France in the fight against the Vietminh was to help its major ally and a non- communist nation to rebuild its economy a factor that depended a lot on the stability of the region. This would allow France to recover gain the ability to check Germany’s rearmament program, a matter that was of strategic importance for the United States. The stability of the region would also be of major importance to Britain’s recovery and would provide Japan with a market for its products. The involvement in the war was therefore important for the United States cold war strategic measures.
After the initial entry for these modest reasons, the United States found it extremely hard to withdraw from Vietnam as this would signal a win to the communists. The United States government beli...