Vietnam

5 Pages 1187 Words

Vietnam has had conflicts since the 1800’s. The French struggled for years to take control of Vietnam. In the early1930’s the French fought to stop the spread of communism in Vietnam. In the late 1940’s they started losing massive amounts of troops. U.S. president Harry S. Truman decided to send funding to the French. The Truman administration decided it was right to help in the fight against communism (“Eve of Battle 38”).
America officially entered Vietnam in 1965 (“Eve of Battle 38”). The U.S already had advisers in Vietnam at the time of arrival. President John F. Kennedy increased the number of advisers after taking office. He felt it necessary for further increase in U.S. help (“Barr 20”). The struggle later escalated into a major controversy that Americans will never forget. J.F.K. was eventually assassinated and Lyndon B. Johnson took over the presidency. Johnson made many decisions that greatly effected the lives of soldiers and the entire outcome of the Vietnam War.
Johnson was an important part of Vietnam. He made several big moves that helped the U.S. get seriously involved in the war. Suprisingly he did not run for another term as president. In 1968 Richard Nixon was elected president. He resigned in 1974 to avoid impeachment (“Vietnamization 114”).
Nixon had many decisions to make while in office. He faced the public, U.S. soldiers, politicians and many obstacles in his political career. The public would later question his honesty and ability to serve as Commander and Chief. Many Americans questioned the reason for U.S. involvement in Vietnam. When Americans herd about the spread of war into Cambodia and the “Watergate Scandal” they started to question his authority. U.S. citizens felt they should no longer trust a president that lies and keeps secrets from them. In 1974 Nixon resigned and Gerald Ford took over presidency.
After the Vietnam War Americans learned of the ...