American Involvement In The Vietnam War

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The Vietnam War was a result of the prolonged struggle between the communist nationalist forces wanting to unite Northern and Southern Vietnam. President Johnson explained the reason we were at war in Vietnam was because “ Most of the non-Communist nations of Asia cannot, by themselves and alone, resist the growing might and the grasping ambition of Asian communism.” The United States, allied with South Vietnam, promised to help fight in preventing the spread of communism when South Vietnam was not able to produce the military training needed. Americans didn't understand what the war was all about. It was indeed about freedom for South Vietnam, but not the kind of freedom they imagined. The Vietnamese wanted to be free of foreign rule. They wanted to vote and choose their own leaders. They wanted freedom even to …show more content…
President Johnson explained: "We intend to convince the communists that we cannot be defeated by force of arms or by superior power." This was the driving force in American involvement in Vietnam, was the fact that we were a nation of enormous power and like comparable nations in history that we would seek to use this power at every opportunity. He also stated, “Our power, therefore, is a very vital shield. If we are driven from the field in Viet-Nam, then no nation can ever again have the same confidence in American promise, or in American protection”. Although, America was considered a rich and powerful nation, President Johnson used his power to engage a war as well as corrupt it. His arrogance attained from the belief that to have power, is to be able to do anything. Vietnam was there, a challenge to his power and an opportunity for action but no move planned by his actions proved to be a winning factor. In the end, America was still unable to beat the