Why did usa attack vietnam?

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Phoenix

I love Vietnam very much and I have my own opinions about the whole thing. I'd rather not answer this question because it would upset me tremendously.

G M

There is no single reason and many seemingly unrealted considerations:
- US popular thinking at the time was based around the domino theory. If the south fell to communist forces, the rest of SE Asia would follow.
- It was strongly believed (also by the US President) that if a democratic election was held, Ho Chi Minh would win 80% of the vote. This would then realise the domino theory.
- The President of Sth Vietnam Ngo Dhin Diem wanted to hold onto power so refused to hold democratic elections. He was chosen and supported by the US (the bastion of democracy). To preserve his power Diem attacked any opposition groups (including religious groups) and suggested that they harbored communist agents. As these spiralled out of control, Diem asked for US forces to be committed under the auspices of a northern threat.
- Kennedy determined to prevent a communist victory in Vietnam said, "Now we have a problem making our power credible and Vietnam looks like the place" (New York Times).
- In August 1964, the USS Maddox, on an intelligence mission along North Vietnam's coast, started a gunfight with torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. A second attack was reported two days later. The second attack led to retaliatory air strikes, prompted Congress to approve the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, and gave the president power to conduct military operations in South East Asia without declaring war (interestingly the documents about the attack have been declassified, and the reports were found to be false).

The US did lose.........hence the withdrawl.

Who wants to know

It's my country you're talking about. We try to move on but the pain that we'll never forget.

One thing I must say, if we knew then as we know now, I wish we (brothers and sisters) never hurt one another.

Ð‘loosÐ‘oy With a Lump of Celery

GM , so refreshing to read an informed and reasonable response on here. Unfortunately the brainwashing that Americans are subjected to from infancy prevents them from viewing anything subjectively, even from the distance of 33+ years.

Ian s

The Vietnamese war was originally started by the French after the second world war trying to recolonise Indo China so the split in the country was caused by external forces. After the French came Australians and I think the British. America then jumped in to try and stop communism spreading to the south. Atrocities were comitted by both sides during the conflict but i think we should remember that the Vietnamese people were involved in a politictal struggle within there own territory. America wanted to stop the spread of communism to the west and used Indochina as a battle ground. As regards the atrocities America was fighting a poorly armed country with agent orange and napalm bombs plus every other piece of modern technology that existed then got their butt kicked. Thats it in a nutshell.

Archer Christifori

We didn't attack vietnam, contrary to what the media would have you to believe....
We were asked to come there and help train their troops, which we did. Then the North Vietnamese attack and we got pulled in from there.
The bad things we did there paled in comparison to the atrocities committed by the China backed NVC.
Also contrary to media claims, we did actually win all the key battles during that war.
The vaunted Tet offensive was an utter failure for the NVC, they failed to take any of their objectives it was the media that gave them the victory and caused us to quit... fueled by peace riots in the US backed by the Russia, as well.

tmuthiah

Cholesterol

fatalfairie7

im vietnamese
and the US did not attack vietnam
attack is a strong word

i would say that the US helped south vietnam from communism
north vietnam was taking south vietnam by force
and the US stepped in and helped
the US believes in the domino effect
which is if countries started to become communism
there would be no democracy
and the US wanted to prevent this

even thou the US lost
the still played a role
and helped any south vietnamese flee the country
i thank the US tremendously
they took in both my parents
and i was born here
so im proud to be a US citizen

Professor Wonderful

If a rapist was assaulting a woman, would you claim the policeman attacked the rapist?

(Well, you could if you are a Democrat.)

The USA responded to a request from the government of South Viet Nam. We did not even lose, as mentioned above.

Thank the scum in the USA for allowing the people to be brutalized.

P.S. If you want to reward the Communists, elect Hillary or The Manchurian Candidate.

US didn't attack Vietnam. US just helped South VN army to protect its region and kept VC out.

Facile Princeps

Because North Vietnam was attacking South Vietnam, if only they had asked us Brits to help them the may not have lost

noplomojovens

For the OIL... it was another war started by AmeriKans to benefit the OIL companies... because 78 PERCENT of the world's NATURAL GAS resources are under southeast asia...

And AmeriKans are so stupid they have never asked or been told why so many men and women had to die for the oil companies.

funnycunny

because it was there........!.

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