Why did the US get involved in Vietnam?

Question

I'm a history fan and doing a research on the Vietnam War. The first question I need to deal with is that why did the US get involved in Vietnam. So could you please give me some materials?

Answer 1

I'd like to conclude it for 4 reasons:

1. Containment. In 1949, China fell to communism, and in 1950-53, America fought in Korea to stop communism from spreading. Lyndon B. Johnson, the US president said that he wasn't going to be the US president that witnessed the breaking away of South-East Asia like China did.
2. Domino theory. It was America's belief that the falling of South Vietnam will lead to the fall of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, and then India and Burma. According to President Johnson, if you allow a bully into your garden, he will be in your porch the very next day, and he will rape your wife the day after he enters your porch.
3. ARVN'S weakness. It was quite obvious that South Vietnam couldn't resist the infiltration of the communists by the Vietcong if they are not given any assistance. According to a 1963 report credited to the American commander about the The Southern Vietnamese Army (the AVRN) were believed to be ill-equipped home militia who were always murdered in their sleep while they maintained their defensive positions. The United States believed that a combination of a good government and a very efficient full-blown war would be enough to defeat the Vietcong.
4. The United States was attacked. In August 1964, the North Vietnam attacked the USS Maddox, and in 1965, they massacred American soldiers. Johnson was very convinced that the action being carried out in Southern Vietnam was not enough to win the war. He said America was playing the role of swatting flies when they should be attacking the manure pile.

Comments

If you're going to steal someone else's answer at least put the source:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/vietnam/howtheusgotinvolvedrev2.shtml

Answer 2

Why did the US get involved in Vietnam? All the US wanted to do was to prevent those areas in the world that fell under the influence of communism. In the late 40s and early 50s, The Cold War was at its peak, when the United States asked America for help. To the United States government, Vietnam was just another Korea.

Once America became involved, it made attempts to make sure its investments were protected from loss by sending more and more aid.

The Domino Theory then gained some wide acceptance by the US politicians. This was the notion that every neighboring country will fall to communism the moment one country has fallen. According to a 1965 book written by John Kennedy, the South Vietnam was instrumental to the liberation of every part of the whole South East Asian region, despite the fact that South Vietnam was far free under Diem.

The United States military advisers were deployed to provide the needed help to the military outfit of South Vietnam. When he was made president in 1961, the number of military advisors were increased from 700-15, 000. The failure of the Bay of Pigs caused Kennedy a whole lot of embarrassments and he needed to revenge for the construction of the famous Berlin Walls.

The building of strategic hamlets were ordered by Kennedy. These villages were some of the heavily protected villages that South Vietnam people were relocated. The main idea was to see that they were moved away from the Vietcong and given the necessary protection by the AVRN.

Vietnam people were much opposed to this policy, they never wanted to leave their villages, and several of them had to turn to the Vietcong.

Answer 3

I wouldn't argue that the major reason was to keep the country protected from communism. Though I often wonder if the Vietnam conflict wasn't more of a conflict between the United States and the USSR than a conflict between Southern and Northern Vietnam.