How Far Did The Vietnam War Affect The Spread Of Communism

Maia Than Miss Schonher World History B 10 May 2024 To what extent did the Vietnam War affect the spread of communism? As many are made aware of, the Vietnam War was a tragedy that many soldiers fell to. Its effect on other countries and their resistance or fall to communism is widely explored among historians. This war was fought between North Vietnam communists and South Vietnam republicans, alongside each of their allies, in the years 1955 to 1975. While the majority of the world was fighting in the Cold War, this side conflict was a major turning point that decided whether other countries in Southeast Asia, and elsewhere, could lead to communism. It was feared that if Vietnam fell to communism, a domino effect would occur and other Southeast

The domino theory instilled fear in the U.S. and prompted their entrance into the war. Considering the years after the war, the domino theory did not significantly happen and most Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines did not fall to communism, even if countries like Laos and Cambodia did. After the end of the war in 1975, that same year, both Laos and Cambodia came under communist rule. In terms of how the war actually played out, despite the fact that Vietnam fell to communism, the domino theory did not majorly apply and most Southeast Asian countries strayed from communist control. Another aspect as to why the Vietnam War had minimal, but not an absence of, effect on the spread of communism was that it did not heavily change the world. After three decades of war, the U.S. pulled out of the war after the communist Tet offensive in 1973 and caused an opening that allowed for communism to take over

The conflict caused lasting tension between the northern communists and the southern republicans that somewhat lasts to this day. In Vietnam, America’s economy and social life were impacted, but no other country was highly affected by the war. This major dispute changed all aspects of Vietnamese life and history, as well as America’s, but overall, it did not severely burden any other countries in the long run. In the present day, the Vietnam War’s effect on the spread of communism is weak because most governments are mainly non-communist parties, communists are not as assertive as they once were, and Cambodia is no longer communist. Currently, there are only five official communist countries: China, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, and Cuba. That is less than 1% of the entire world. Although there are plenty more communist parties in the world, none but the five listed have total control of their government and country. Even in these countries, communist leaders are not as assertive, tenacious, or demanding as they used to