SUMMARY:
The Vietnam War spanned from 1954-1975. Throughout the long 21 years that this war was going on, it saw many leaders rise to power. The United States elected Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Gerald R. Ford. South Vietnam, who we were aiding in the fight against communism, elected Ngo Dinh Diem as well as Nguyen Van Thieu. North Vietnam during the war was led by Ho Chi Minh and, after his death, Ton Duc Thang.
US GOALS:
The goal of the United States ties all of the way back to 1954 when President Eisenhower made a speech describing Domino Theory. This was a foreign policy that believed that when one country falls to communism, all surrounding countries will also fall. Although Kennedy was obviously trying to prevent the spread of communism, he was far more diplomatic than the next president, Lindon B Johson. Originally Johnson had no realistic reason to get us involved in the war, but the eventual attack of USS Maddox and another US Destroyer ship prompted him to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution which involved America further in the war, allowing us to send troops onto foreign soil in order to prevent the Vietnam domino from falling.
FOREIGN POLICY:
Although the US' basic foreign policy prior to and during WWII would be best described as collective security (e.g., allying with many other governments to beat a common enemy, in this case Hitler and the Axis forces) afterwards it changed to a form of internationalism or the "world policeman" (e.g., going alone into a war in order to promote important national interests, in this case preventing the spread of communism through Vietnam.)
STATISTICS:
Total deaths: 1,353,000
Allied deaths (US and South Vietnam): 282,000
Viet Cong (North Vietnam): 444,000
Civilian deaths (North and South Vietnam): 627,000
Cost in USD: $173,000,000,000
Cost in USD (2016 inflation adjusted): $768,000,000,000
The Vietnam War spanned from 1954-1975. Throughout the long 21 years that this war was going on, it saw many leaders rise to power. The United States elected Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Gerald R. Ford. South Vietnam, who we were aiding in the fight against communism, elected Ngo Dinh Diem as well as Nguyen Van Thieu. North Vietnam during the war was led by Ho Chi Minh and, after his death, Ton Duc Thang.
US GOALS:
The goal of the United States ties all of the way back to 1954 when President Eisenhower made a speech describing Domino Theory. This was a foreign policy that believed that when one country falls to communism, all surrounding countries will also fall. Although Kennedy was obviously trying to prevent the spread of communism, he was far more diplomatic than the next president, Lindon B Johson. Originally Johnson had no realistic reason to get us involved in the war, but the eventual attack of USS Maddox and another US Destroyer ship prompted him to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution which involved America further in the war, allowing us to send troops onto foreign soil in order to prevent the Vietnam domino from falling.
FOREIGN POLICY:
Although the US' basic foreign policy prior to and during WWII would be best described as collective security (e.g., allying with many other governments to beat a common enemy, in this case Hitler and the Axis forces) afterwards it changed to a form of internationalism or the "world policeman" (e.g., going alone into a war in order to promote important national interests, in this case preventing the spread of communism through Vietnam.)
STATISTICS:
Total deaths: 1,353,000
Allied deaths (US and South Vietnam): 282,000
Viet Cong (North Vietnam): 444,000
Civilian deaths (North and South Vietnam): 627,000
Cost in USD: $173,000,000,000
Cost in USD (2016 inflation adjusted): $768,000,000,000