What Caused the Vietnam War?
The Vietnam War started partially because of American beliefs that derived from the Cold War. America believed communism was going to spread throughout all of south-east Asia. Because of Mutually Assured Destruction, the Soviet Union could not attack the US. But instead they armed their fellow communist state, China who then would arm the North Vietnamese. Before World War Two Vietnam was run by the French Empire. During the war, Vietnam was overrun with the Japenese. When the war ended and the Japanese retreated, the Vietnamese took the opportunity under Ho Chi Minh's leadership to establish the Vietminh and lead North Vietnam. After the end of the war the US had taken South Korea and given it back to the French. The North was being run by non-communist Chinese. The Vietminh soon fought for North Vietnam and won. In 1954 the nation was officially split in two. The North backed by the communist nations, and the South backed by America and other non-communist nations. After many years and many events, they were thrown into war. The straw that broke the camel's back was when in 1957 the Vietminh became more aggresive and the US had to help South Vietnam.