Policy Of Containment In The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War persisted for decades and outlasted many American administrations. The protracted conflict, which lasted from 1955 to 1975, was ostensibly a civil war between the communists in the north of Vietnam and the capitalist regime in the south; however it escalated into a proxy war between foreign powers. The United States’ level of engagement in the war was a direct result of the U.S. presidents’ foreign policy: American leaders who were passionately anti-communist such as Kennedy and Eisenhower believed it was their duty to be more involved in the war as an integral part of foreign policy such as Containment, fueled by the fear of the Domino Theory. However other administrations, such as those of Johnson and Nixon, were more attentive
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Tensions between the United States and the USSR were high, with the clash between the ideologies, Capitalism and Communism, and the battle for global influence. The U.S. followed a “Policy of Containment” and did everything in its power to prevent the spread of communism; it was engaged in proxy wars with the USSR prior to the Vietnam War, including the Korean War (1950-1953); however none lasted as long as the Vietnam War where The US attempted to do everything in their power to prevent the South of Vietnam falling to …show more content…
Kennedy, Eisenhower’s successor and avid anti-communist, significantly escalated the war with support from Congress and the public, by increasing US military advisors from 3200 to 16 000 within a few years. despite the concerns from his advisors. After Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Johnson was hesitant to escalate the war; as he was aware that it would diminish his popularity, which could cost him the following year’s presidential election. Despite his promise not to send “American boys” to Vietnam, the incident at the Gulf of Tonkin escalated the war. The supposed exchange of fire between American and Soviet-backed Vietnamese military ships resulted in Congress authorizing Johnson a ‘carte blanche’ with regard to the Vietnam War. During his presidency, Johnson continuously increased the number of soldiers deployed until it reached a peak in 1968, with over 500 000 soldiers in
Tensions between the United States and the USSR were high, with the clash between the ideologies, Capitalism and Communism, and the battle for global influence. The U.S. followed a “Policy of Containment” and did everything in its power to prevent the spread of communism; it was engaged in proxy wars with the USSR prior to the Vietnam War, including the Korean War (1950-1953); however none lasted as long as the Vietnam War where The US attempted to do everything in their power to prevent the South of Vietnam falling to …show more content…
Kennedy, Eisenhower’s successor and avid anti-communist, significantly escalated the war with support from Congress and the public, by increasing US military advisors from 3200 to 16 000 within a few years. despite the concerns from his advisors. After Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Johnson was hesitant to escalate the war; as he was aware that it would diminish his popularity, which could cost him the following year’s presidential election. Despite his promise not to send “American boys” to Vietnam, the incident at the Gulf of Tonkin escalated the war. The supposed exchange of fire between American and Soviet-backed Vietnamese military ships resulted in Congress authorizing Johnson a ‘carte blanche’ with regard to the Vietnam War. During his presidency, Johnson continuously increased the number of soldiers deployed until it reached a peak in 1968, with over 500 000 soldiers in