With the little we do know concerning the causes of the Vietnam War, it is for sure that it all began due to the works and effects of the Cold War. Before World War Two began, Vietnam was part of the French Realm. During the war, the country had been overrun by the Japanese. After the war had ended, the Allies gave South Vietnam (Viet Cong) back to the French while the North (Viet Minh) continued to be left under non-communist rule. In 1946, the French declared their plan to reclaim the North meaning that the Viet Minh would have to fight for it. There are many conflicting arguments advanced by historians to the reasons why the U.S. became involved diplomatically and militarily in the business of another country. A fight between ideologies; capitalism and communism formed an international power struggle with two countries competing for dominance. While most American wars have obvious starting points or triggering causes, there was no fixed beginning for the United States involvement in Vietnam. I have listed and explained the controversial views that Gabriel Kolko, Michael Latham and James Thomson continue to argue in today’s Vietnam origin debate. Gabriel Kolko offers an unexpected perspective on the Vietnam War. Society is used to hearing tributes to the United States ' greatness in war. Kolko however, is critical of the United States ' involvement in Vietnam and argued on the duties of the national security bureaucracy. Facilitating priorities and resistance to communism was an essential part of American intervention. In Kolko’s eyes, this war was America trying to assert its dominance, and prove its greatness to the rest of the world. Yet, he also sees U.S. intervention in Vietnam as the American determination to exert control over the capitalist system worldwide. “The United States was the major inheritor of the mantle of imperialism in modern history because it sought to create a controllable, responsive order elsewhere, one that would permit the political destinies of distant places to evolve in a manner beneficial to American goals and interests far surpassing the immediate needs of its domestic society” (Kolko, 279). The need for raw materials and investment outlets in the U.S economy set problems with revolutionary nationalist currents throughout Asia. Preventing the spread of communism or “containment” formally began when the domino theory emerged in the Truman Doctrine. The domino theory claimed that if one country fell under communist control, its neighboring countries would soon follow. If Greece was to fall for example, it was argued that Turkey might follow and thus Soviet communism will extend over the entire Middle East and Asia. Kolko argued, “If a chain is no stronger than its weakest link, then that link has to be protected even though its very fragility might make the undertaking that much more difficult (283).” As long as the U.S had no realistic sense of the constraints on its power, it was ready to take greater risks. It was because of the many definitions of containment, dominoes, intervention, and linkages of discrete foreign policy throughout the world that the U.S made the unforgettable decision to enter
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The Communist Party 's top members were thinkers and formulated strategies, they reacted with patience instead of haste and unlike the U.S, they waited until the time was right to attack. The Communists were part of the native population and understood the terrain and people and were able to make frequent adjustments when attacked. The North Vietnamese were not expected to last long against the American military. “To develop a sense of mastery was the objective, but the fact that the technologies and strategies for attaining it were constantly being debated produced a perpetual dilemma (Kolko, 285).” The American policymakers never managed to fit military strategy to U.S. goals in Vietnam and massive bombing had little effect against a vast economy like one of North Vietnam. Kennedy had wanted counterinsurgency warfare in the southern countryside but the effort to win the favor of the Vietnamese peasants was unsuccessful. According to Kolko the United States had no business getting involved in Vietnam. If they had chosen a different country to prove their dominance, they might have been more
The Communist Party 's top members were thinkers and formulated strategies, they reacted with patience instead of haste and unlike the U.S, they waited until the time was right to attack. The Communists were part of the native population and understood the terrain and people and were able to make frequent adjustments when attacked. The North Vietnamese were not expected to last long against the American military. “To develop a sense of mastery was the objective, but the fact that the technologies and strategies for attaining it were constantly being debated produced a perpetual dilemma (Kolko, 285).” The American policymakers never managed to fit military strategy to U.S. goals in Vietnam and massive bombing had little effect against a vast economy like one of North Vietnam. Kennedy had wanted counterinsurgency warfare in the southern countryside but the effort to win the favor of the Vietnamese peasants was unsuccessful. According to Kolko the United States had no business getting involved in Vietnam. If they had chosen a different country to prove their dominance, they might have been more