Kennedy's Policy towards Vietnam

From the US perspective, the Vietnam War truly was a war of inheritance. As congress never officially declared war, the war became defined by the choices of each successive president. However, according to the quagmire theory each president became more limited to what he could do based on what choices his successor made. If this belief is to be accepted, then it is necessary to ask the question; did any president have a clear policy about US involvement in Vietnam? If so, when did that change? The earliest sign of a clear policy was President Roosevelt. He had the intention of “peaceful coexistence and collaboration with the West” However, with the pressure surrounding Vietnam building presidents stances regarding Vietnam changed. However, in 1954 (with Truman as President) French dominion in Vietnam ended, leaving the divided Vietnam that Kennedy was eventually involved with. As France left Vietnam, many Historians consider “Truman’s involvement in Vietnam to be part of his containment strategy” This is a key turning point in the Vietnam war, one which arguably had the most significant impact on the rest of the war. As a result of Truman resorting to a “containment policy” all successive presidents may have been influenced by this outlook. Because of this, Kennedy’s policies may have been influenced by the idea of containment which will have an effect on his approach towards Vietnam.

As Schlesinger Jr would argue, Kennedy was very limited in his ability to make clear individual decisions. Kennedy would have been greatly influenced by his predecessor, Eisenhower.
“Eisenhower was a firm believer in the domino theory,” the belief that if one country fell to communism, its surrounding countries will fall. In fact, Eisenhower and his senators were well known for their strict Republicanism and fear of the left wing. “Senator Taft and his followers warned, there would be no return from a steady march toward ‘socialism’” As Eisenhower was such a staunch