Why did the United States get involved in the Vietnam War?

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, lasted from 1955 to 1975 and was fought between communist forces led by North Vietnam and non-communist forces led by South Vietnam with the United States as its main ally. The United States became involved in the Vietnam War due to several reasons:

• Containment of communism: The United States was following the policy of containment to stop the spread of communism throughout the world. The US believed that if one country fell to communism, other countries in the region would follow.
• Dominos theory: The Domino Theory was a belief held by the United States that if one country in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow in a domino effect.
• Support for South Vietnam: The United States supported the government of South Vietnam, which was fighting against communist North Vietnam. The US provided military aid, advisors, and troops to South Vietnam to help them fight the Viet Cong insurgency and the North Vietnamese Army.
• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a joint resolution passed by the US Congress in August 1964, which gave President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to use military force in Southeast Asia to protect American interests.
• Cold War rivalry with the Soviet Union: The Vietnam War was also a part of the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union supported North Vietnam, while the US supported South Vietnam.

The US involvement in the Vietnam War was highly controversial and resulted in a loss of American lives and resources. The war ended in 1975 with the fall of Saigon and the reunification of North and South Vietnam under communist rule.