The Vietnam War affected America in that it caused citizens to gain a new view of government, military, and U.S. policy. The outlook on U.S. foreign policy changed drastically at the launch of the war, and the attitude of American citizens towards the government continued in a downward spiral of resentment, confusion, and skepticism throughout the drawn out, seemingly pointless war.
Dwight D. Eisenhower involved the United States in the Vietnam conflict in 1954 when he offered assistance to Premier Ngo Dinh Diem, the head of the government in South Vietnam, through a letter. The United States government felt as though the country was obligated to further the advancement of pro-Western government beyond its borders, and without American support South Vietnam would be taken over by Communism. Prior to the United States' military aid offer, Ho Chi Minh's Communist guerillas, known as the Viet Cong defeated the French at the battle of Dien Binh Phu. Following the battle, a peace conference was held to rearrange and form the boundaries of Indochina. In this conference, the area became four separate countries--North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. South Vietnam lacked a stable, organized government and protection from North Vietnam's Communist forces.
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