How did the beliefs of Kennedy about the spread of communism abroad lead to the US in involvement in the Vietnam?

Answer 1

Actually, J.F. Kennedy's BELIEFS regarding the spread of Communism abroad HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS PART in US involvement in Vietnam! Now that I've got your attention, here is how it happened. I may not have it all precise, but basically, it's correct. Basically, Kennedy was obligated to assist the non-Communist people and government of South Vietnam when they requested assistance from all the members of SEATO. Here is the background as best I can recall. The Communists, decades before, had determined that they could spread Communism to finally achieve world-wide dominance by slowly, one-by-one beginning to overtake countries directly adjacent to those who were already Communist controlled. Someone eventually applied a nickname to this operation, calling it the "Dominoe Theory." The idea being, like the novelty game of standing dominoes vertically near each other in lines, and then knocking over one which would knock down the next, in a continuing chain of events which would eventually result in ALL the dominoes being down. During President Dwight D. Eisenhower's term of office, the leaders of the free world decided to do something to discourage, and/or prevent the Communists from using this technique. The resultant plan was to set up multinational treaties in various parts of the world, which were thought to be targets of the Communist plans. The parties to the treaties agreed to collectively assist in the defense of any member nation, under assualt by Communism, IF THAT NATION REQUESTED assistance under the treaty. In addition to the local countries in a given area, the nations of major power also participated as members. One high priority target area was the war cripled but still free nations of Europe. The resulting treaty to protect this area was called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [what is commonly refered to as NATO]. In the southwestern Pacific, another such treaty was enacted. This area is commonly refered to as southeast Asia. The treaty organization for this area was called the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization [what we commonly refer to as SEATO]. For many decades prior to World War Two, Vietnam had been a colony of and controlled by France. During WWII, the French were driven out and it was under the control of the Imperial Japanese Army. After WWII, the French retook control of the country, but by then, the Communists had gained a physical and somewhat popular foothold, particularly in the north. Both the Communists and the some of the non-Communist Vietnamese were fed up with French occupation and exploitation of their people and natural resources [mainly natural rubber from French plantations]. The country was "ripe" for removal of the French, and the Communists did just that, finally defeating the French forces at Dien Bien Phu. Once France was out, and as the majority of the Communists were in the north, and the majority of the population of the south were not Communist, civil war was imminent as the Communists naturally wanted it all. To prevent civil war, the United Nations partitioned Vietnam into north and south, as had been done for Communist North Korea, and non-Communist South Korea. Naturally of course, the Communists wanted it ALL, and from the expelling of the French in 1954[?], the Communists continued to fight anyway, attempting to subvert and conquer the south. Finally, the government of South Vietnam invoked the SEATO treaty and asked the other member nations to assist in its defense againt the Commuist agression. I think the member nations responding included: Australia, South Korea, the US, and Great Britain. There may have been others, but these are all I can recall. Now, regarding John F. Kennedy's beliefs about the spread of Communism; he like most supporters of Liberty, believed in participating in resistance to it's spread, but as stated at my opening, it made no difference what he believed, he was comitted to commit the US to fulfill it's OBLIGATIONS under SEATO, as were all US Presidents succeeding him.j3h.