The United States became involved in the Vietnam conflict in the 1950s, m part, because of Cold War policies. The Cold War was a post-World War n development in international relations. It involved a standoff between the United States and the USSR, as well as their respective allies, over nuclear armaments and the spread of communism France, an ally of the United States, had occupied much of Indochina, of which Vietnam was a part, before World War II and again after the war ended. In the 1950s, a communist independence movement in Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh came into conflict with the French-supported nationalist forces. In response, the United States gave financial aid to France's fight against Minh and his forces The United States wanted to ensure that Vietnam did not fall into the hands of the communists.

The battle in Vietnam had reached...