Causes Of The Vietnam War

War can often occur with diminutive warning and result in vast destruction and excessive mortality. Greed, power, and improvement in standard of living constitute some of the causes for wars. Another cause of war is to protect the boundary of the country. In some countries such as Korea and Vietnam these boundaries define the different political views of the territories. Korea and Vietnam became divided between the Communists North and the Democratic South. This division of the countries led to disputes and then war. The causes of the Korean War were very similar to the Vietnam War with their roots in the Truman Doctrine and the Domino Theory, and events led to the War on Terrorism, however they did have differences and varying perspectives

After World War II the Japanese surrendered Korea to the Soviets in the north and the Americans in the south. The Soviets and the United States signed an agreement that the 38th parallel would be the dividing line between them. After that North Korea became a target for the Communist Soviet Union since the Japanese withdrew from the northern area. The United States troops were not prepared for their obligations in Korea because they did not understand the history and relationship with Japan. Unification and independence were the goals of the Koreans. However, the United States supported a Korean nationalist, Syngman Rhee, and they asked the United Nations to settle the dispute of a divided Korea. Despite opposition from the Soviet Union, a United Nations commission voted for elections in Korea. Therefore, Kim II Sung led a newly formed government, Democratic People’s Republic in North Korea. This event caused Korea to split into two distinct political parts: the communist north and the democratic south. At that time, the United States had control over the southern region of Korea. The Republic of Korea began in the occupied United States area in Korea, and subsequently the United States started to cut back its armed forces in South Korea. It only had 500 American troops there. Therefore, the Soviets concluded that since the United States had limited troops in South Korea the U.S. would not help defend South Korea.

Similarly, the causes of the Vietnam War found its roots at the end of World War II. At that time the Japanese occupied a French colony, Indonesia. This colony consisted of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Then in 1941 the Viet Minh, a Vietnamese National movement formed by Ho Chi Minh, resisted the occupants. Confrontations and internal conflicts caused the Viet Minh to wage guerilla warfare against the Japanese. The war initiated as a civil war similar to the Korean War. Also triggered by fears of the domino theory, the United States took action in Vietnam in hopes to contain communism. In 1950, President Truman consented the authorization of the United States to aid the French, so they could maintain the control of the Indonesian colony that included Vietnam. However, the Vietnamese Nationalist forces defeated the French and that established the North and South division similar to Korea. The l7th parallel formed the dividing line and North Korea became the Communist Vietnam while South Korea became the non-Communist entity. However, the United States did not support the decision and this influenced the involvement of the United States to take a new direction under new leadership. Thus, the Vietnam War began after World War II similar to the Korean War with different political movements causing fear of communism to spread throughout the