The Quagmire Theory: United States in The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was an atrocity which involved the U.S.A, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and other U.S.S.R backed allies. Lasting from 1st November 1955 to the 30th April 1975, it not only secured the Communists an upper hand in the Cold War it also meant an end to French colonialism in Indochina.

The conflict was spurred by nationalist groups led by Ho Chi Minh, who would play an astronomical part in the Vietnam War, he was inspired by Communism in other parts of the continent. In addition to this, there was also opposition to Communism in the south of the nation, especially in the capital Saigon. The South wanted a Western capitalist democracy that would increase ties with the U.S.A. On the other hand, the North and certain rural areas of the South wanted Communism and close ties with the Soviet Union and China.

The controversy concerning the United States’ involvement and the use of Agent Orange meant that numerous studies were made into the number of casualties, injured and those affected by Agent Orange. As many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters were killed by mainly (but not all) American soldiers. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war.

The quagmire theory analyzes the root of the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. It advocates that American troops and leaders had involuntary and acidentally led the US into the Vietnam War. Although, this was simply a war we couldn’t win. At the time so many events led up to the answer, war. The United States founds itself in a “quagemire” because of the thought held by America that communism was about to expand all over south-east Asia. The quagmire theory advocates that American troops and leaders did not mean to lead the US into the Vietnam War.

The United States founds itself in a “quagemire” because of the thought held by America that communism was about to expand all over south-east Asia. Of course, the US did not like that so they wanted to do something about it. During the Cold War, phrases like, American credibility and the Domino Theory, which is a belief that defeat in South Vietnam would spread communism throughout Southeast Asia. Clouded judgment as Washington weighed its options. When Johnson assumed the presidency Nov. 22, 1963, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the new president took in a Cold War foreign policy forged during the three previous administrations. At the heart of that policy was confronting communism.

Later, South Vietnamese defeats on the battlefield, political issues in Saigon and North Vietnamese resolve in the face of an American bombing campaign. They had come together to come up with a situation in which Washington faced the choice of war or disengagement. This was simply a war we couldn’t win, but at the time so many events led up to the answer, war. the quagmire metaphor represented the one-step-at-a-time process that the U.S. inadvertently became entrapped in the military and diplomatic swamp of Vietnam.

American leaders and troops were nervous about the first option but unwilling to face the political consequences of the second. They clung to the belief that if they committed more resources, the North Vietnamese would ultimately “come to their senses” and back down rather than risk all-out war with world’s strongest military power. This is what they thought soThe United States got caught in a “quagemire” because America believed that communism was about to expand all over south-east Asia. The quagmire theory advocates that American troops and leaders did not mean to lead the US into the Vietnam War.

The United States founds itself in a “quagemire” because of the thought held by America that communism was about to expand all over south-east Asia. Later, South Vietnamese defeats on the battlefield, political issues in Saigon and North Vietnamese resolve in the face of an American bombing campaign. American leaders and troops were nervous about the first option but unwilling to face the political consequences of the second. American simply got involved in this war and turned it in to an american war because of our pity ideas.