Identify two key causes of the Vietnam war
Two key causes of the Vietnam War were the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, and the desire of the Vietnamese for independence from colonial rule.
1. Cold War rivalry: The Vietnam War was part of a larger proxy conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The United States, as a democratic capitalist country, feared the spread of communism throughout Southeast Asia and viewed Vietnam as a potential domino that, if it fell to communism, would lead to the collapse of other countries in the region. The U.S. believed in the containment policy, aiming to prevent the spread of communism, and thus escalated its involvement in Vietnam by supporting the anti-communist government of South Vietnam. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, supported the communist government of North Vietnam. This rivalry between the superpowers played a significant role in fueling the conflict and maintaining its intensity.
2. Desire for independence: Another key cause of the Vietnam War was the Vietnamese people's desire for independence from colonial rule. Vietnam had been occupied by various foreign powers throughout its history, including France, China, and Japan. By the mid-20th century, the Vietnamese wanted to assert their independence and establish a unified country free from foreign domination. The nationalist movement led by Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh sought to rid Vietnam of French colonial rule and establish a socialist government. This desire for independence and self-determination sparked a long and bloody struggle against foreign forces, as well as among different Vietnamese factions supporting different political ideologies, eventually leading to the Vietnam War.