What were the primary causes of the Vietnam War?

The primary causes of the Vietnam War are intricately connected to the geopolitical context of the Cold War. The aim to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia accurately captures one of the driving motivations behind U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

In the aftermath of World War II, the United States adopted a containment policy toward communism, especially under the influence of the "Domino Theory." This theory posited that if one country in a region fell under communist influence, neighboring countries would soon follow. Thus, U.S. involvement was largely predicated on the fear that a communist victory in Vietnam would trigger similar outcomes in other Southeast Asian nations, undermining U.S. interests and allies in the region.

While the desire for Vietnamese independence from colonial rule and the protection of French colonial interests are important historical contexts, they do not encapsulate the primary motivation for U.S. intervention. The overarching concern for the United States was not merely about France's colonial ambitions or Vietnamese nationalism, but rather how these issues intersected with the broader struggle against communism during the Cold War era. The effort to spread communism across Southeast Asia also relates to the context but is framed more in terms of the actions of communist entities rather than the defensive posture of the United States