Vietnam war: how did it start?

Question

Does the US, Australia, France (all non communist countries)etc. go to war in Vietnam to stop the spread of communism? Is that the whole purpose behind the Vietnam war?

Answer 1

essentially yes

the war started with communist infiltration of Vietnam (via China) in order to secure warm water ports for the soviets. this was succesful and led to a partition of Vietnam into North and South

then was a small pause while the communists exterminated all opposition in North Vietnam. By "exterminated" I mean a bullet in the head for any suspect AND their families.

Next was the invasion of Laos and half of Cambodia- to secure the route for the "ho chi minh" road. coupled with the extermination (see above) of any real and supposed opposition

next comes the infiltration of South Vietnam- then defeat on the battlefield (twice- by the US led coalition and then by the South Vietnamese fighting alone) then victory by the action of communist sympathisers in the US Congress (cutting of all aid to South Vietnam) followed by mass extermination of any real and supposed opposition- some 4 milion dead

BTW this process still continues

Answer 2

we had no right there in the first place, just like other wars i can think of...and our troops suffered...just like other wars i can think of...

Answer 3

It is, and always has been, my opinion that the Vietnamese people simply wanted independence, firstly from France and latterly from the USA.  They were labelled communist because they didn't have the same politics as the USA, apart from a few in the South, and the Chinese assisted them.

Answer 4

I can't explain it that well.

but my mom told me that..

the north was influenced by other communist countries and soon wanted the south to do the same.

the south didn't want to cooperate with such "stupid" ideas of communism.

so, there was a war between the north and south.

kinda like the us civil war or something.

but the north had support from the other communist coutries.

and france had investments in vietnam.

and they didn't like the idea of communism.

the us came in for the same reason as france.

i think.

or it was because that if vietnam was taken over, the rest of asia would too.

and then would eventually spread to the usa.

that's what my mom told me when i was young.

kinda amazed how i still remember what she said.