US Takeover of the Vietnam War: Containment and Escalation

The United States took over the Vietnam War from France after the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, driven by the Cold War policy of containment to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. The Geneva Accords divided Vietnam at the 17th Parallel, with Ho Chi Minh leading North Vietnam and Ngo Dinh Diem leading South Vietnam. Diem canceled elections in 1956, leading to renewed conflict. The US initially provided aid and advisors under Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, but lost faith in South Vietnam's military effectiveness due to corruption and incompetence in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). The Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964 led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing military force. President Johnson launched Operation Rolling Thunder, a massive bombing campaign, and sent ground troops starting in March 1965. General Westmoreland pursued a strategy of attrition and search-and-destroy operations, but underestimated North Vietnamese resilience. By 1967, 470,000 US personnel were in Vietnam, but public support waned after the Tet Offensive in 1968.