throats for sheer domination that has often and savagely involved much of the depopulation of
each other’s lands. Throughout history, wars have occurred between tribes, city-states, nations,
and entire empires. One of such wars brought forth a new nation known today as the United
States of America. Prior to the Spanish-American War, practically every American battle had
transpired on the North American continent from the Revolutionary War to the numerous Indian
Wars fought between the United States government and indigenous populations. However,
America had started to gaze across the pacific in hopes of competing against European countries in reaching China. Since America’s involvement with international affairs, the United States has
made many enemies and has involved it self into several needless confrontations. One of such
inessential belligerencies was the Vietnam War. “The American Journey” written by David
Goldfield, Carl Abott, Virginia DeJohn Anderson, Jo Ann E. Argersinger, Peter H. Argersinger,
William L. Barney, and Robert M. Weir and the college history class of Alan Flanders had
provided in great account the struggle that took placed during the middle of the twentieth century
in that isolated, little country of Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, there were many causes for
America’s involvement in the Vietnam War and several major flaws in America’s management
of the situation.
Certainly, there consisted of many reasons for why the Vietnam War to have happened
and for why America took part in the heated blood sport. Similarly, these very reasons
fundamentally flawed America’s chances of achieving its agenda. Significantly, the Vietnam
War had started due Ho Chi Minh’s ambition to unify all of Vietnam and remove all foreign
influence or occupation over the land. Explicitly, “The American Journey” noted that Ho had
asserted his regime as the rightful administration to rule all of Vietnam as a result of Diem
rejection with American support to follow through with the accordance of the Geneva Peace
Conference in arranging an election that would offer a peaceful means to unify the country as a
whole (Goldfield 891). Furthermore, America’s support for a civilian dictatorship under Diem
only propelled sympathy and action by the Vietnamese people to favor Ho (Goldfield 891).
Subsequently, America’s ambitions and fears would provide a suitable cause for its involvement
in the war. A notable reference from Professor Alan Flander’s HIS 122 class offered the fact that
American Entrepreneurs hungrily sought to capitalize on Vietnam’s rubber trees to provide the
rubber necessary to manufacture cars and tanks (Flanders). Moreover, America’s intended use of Vietnam for rubber manufactory provided a suitable case for Ho Chi Minh to boost support for
his movement towards a truly independent Vietnam (Flanders). Finally,
In conclusion, many events and conditions caused the Vietnam War to take place,
America’s involvement into the war, and provided several key flaws in American policies. These
flaws would continue to precipitate grievances and a downward turn in the relations between people and the government within the socio-sphere of American politics for years to come.