Truman Doctrine

All things in history have a place and time. In fact we are history. Had it not been for the previous events in world history, our existence could have been questionable. What would have happened if Hitler did take over the world? Would we be alive today? What if the cold war turned hot at some point? All these doubts tend to help an individual realize that everything in world history happens for a specific reason and therefore everything has its own time and place. One significant event in United States history had been the Vietnam War. However, the Vietnam War that I speak of didnÐ"Ѓ─≥t last from the mid 1960Ð"Ѓ─≥s to early 1970Ð"Ѓ─≥s. Rather, the events that had lead up to the proceedings of the situation in Vietnam began on March 12, 1947 with the creation of the Truman Doctrine.

Proceeding World War II, the threat of communism had been particularly high. In fact, the US feared the spread of communism within many undeveloped regions throughout the world. Therefore, within the Truman Doctrine incorporated the policy of containment. The policy guaranteed immediate aid to Greece in Turkey, which had been in danger of falling under communistic influences. Within such, the policy stated they would provide military and economic help to a country that was underdeveloped and being endangered. In reality, the policy was designed to secure countries that would easily fall to a communistic regime. President Truman had established this to create a sense of security not for the US, but the world as a whole. Truman believed that Russia was out to spread the sphere of influence in the east. In return, the US had been there to prevent such occurrences. Each country battled for its own beliefs. The policy of containment could be argued to be an initial yet distant spark for a happening in Vietnam. Nonetheless, President Truman left his imposing mark on the world history with his Doctrine and policy. Many still continue to argue that all post 1945 US Foreign Policies were in some way or shape related to the tactics of containment.

In 1954, the Presidential tide was turned and the US was fresh out of a 3-year war campaign in Korea. The threat of communism had been rather high. The fear that life in the US might never be the same hit the hearts of many Americans. No American was prepared to give up their rights that had been fought for so hard in not one, but two devastating World Wars. In fact, no American was prepared to let anything or anyone between him and the American-Lifestyle. The average Joe had wanted to live a carefree life, in which he was protected. After the completion of the Korean War (1950-1953), President Eisenhower was quite concerned with communistic influences throughout the world. In fact, Eisenhower was reasonably apprehensive about communistic rule within Indochina particularly. On April 7, 1954, Eisenhower presented his views and thoughts on communism within Indochina to the people of the United States of America. What Eisenhower had theorized had been what is known today as the Domino Theory. Eisenhower believed that if one region in Indochina fell under communistic rule, the others would be pressed to do so as well. In turn, this would cause a tumbling effect, which would cause all the countries in Indochina to fall under a communistic regime. This so called Domino Theory would be the driving force throughout the Vietnam War.

Precisely a month after Eisenhower brought forth his views on communistic influences within Indochina, the Vietminh (north Vietnamese communist resistance forces) had taken control of Dien Bien Phu (central base with an airstrip) on May 7, 1954. With Dien Bien Phu at hand, The Vietminh were able to take a controlling force at the Geneva Convention the following day. With Dien Bien Phu at hand, the Vietminh were able to create secure their own country north of the seventeenth parallel. This seventeenth parallel split Vietnam into a north and south region. With communistic influences in the North, the south had pretty much been subjected to rule from the Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem. With full support from Eisenhower, Diem went ahead and declared himself the president of Vietnam in 1955. In addition, he organized the Republic of Vietnam as an independent nation. However, the Vietminh had also agreed to a Vietnam-wide election in 1956. Nevertheless, the Vietnamese leader Diem refused to hold the 1956 Vietnam-wide election.

With EisenhowerÐ"Ѓ─≥s Domino theory effect, America had been shook and frightened. Many believed that communism should be avoided at any cost, even if it meant war. However, Eisenhower knew what war was and what war brought. Eisenhower once said, Ð"Ѓ─Ð'oÐ"Ѓ─╕.I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.Ð"Ѓ─² With thus in mind, Eisenhower knew what lied ahead if he was to follow through with force. Therefore, he chose to take a less hostile perspective. In addition, Eisenhower finished off his presidency with little instigation. The same could not be said for John F. Kennedy.

On January 21, 1961, John F. Kennedy took office. Immediately, it had been evident that JFK was more of a risk taker than Eisenhower had been. In the following month, the US military began a buildup in Vietnam. Furthermore, JFK followed up by saying that troops will respond if fired upon. With such hostility, JFK is considered by many to be the starter of the physical conflicts in the region. In fact, many have held him in charge for the Vietnam War in its entirety.

JFK believed