How and why did the United States become involved in the Vietnam War?

Cold War politics of the day caused the United States to intervene in Vietnam. Two similar theories of containing communism were proposed by politicians in the United States. These ideas suggested action in Vietnam was necessary. The domino theory stated that if one nation fell to communism, all of the ones around it would fall. It was first proposed by President Dwight Eisenhower in a speech. The state department had endorsed a policy of containment proposed by George Kennan. Kennan stated that the United States should ignore the countries that have already established communist governments and focus on stopping the spread of Marxism to new areas.

The failure of the French to contain the communist government of North Vietnam in the 1950s meant that the United States would have to intervene. The United States intervened in a number of ways in Vietnam, as early as 1950. This was the year that the United States commenced the delivery of military aid to the French. In 1955, military advisors were sent to Vietnam. This is considered by historians to be the official start of the Vietnam War. The United States would eventually utilize all branches of the armed forces in a full-scale attempt to prevent the fall of South Vietnam to communist forces of the North.