|
|
The Origins of the Vietnam War The origins of the Vietnam War stem from the end of the Second World War. To defeat Hitler, UK, USA, and USSR all joined forces to help defeat him. The "big three's" relations although on the surface portrayed a co-operative alliance, were actually very uneasy. Problems arose from differing ideas on how to win and keep peace after the war, but also fundamental principles such as communism and capitalism were to prove difficult to agree on. After the war relations worsened, the UK and USA became increasingly suspicious of USSR motives and each side interpreted the others' movements as being aggressive. This started the beginnings of the Cold war. The Korean War turned the cold war into a global issue rather than a European one and worsened tensions between the East and West. Russia flooded aid into China and consequently the two communist giants became less trusted and more feared. After the war America immediately set up "SEATO" (South East Asia Treaty Organisation), and America actively supported Nationalist China. America was very committed to a theory called the "Domino Theory" and the Truman doctrine of containment. America believed that Communism was likely to spread very rapidly if left, and if just one country fell to it then many others would follow, just like a game of dominos. When America decided that the threat now came from the Chinese Communists they acted by isolating them from the UN by cutting off trade; this left China with only one alternative and so relied more and more on the USSR, the bond between communist USSR and communist China became stronger and so the likelihood of communism spreading throughout the rest of Asia was increased. After World War II the French tried to hold on to their colonies that ran from North Africa to Vietnam.
|
