Causes

French rule was harsh over Vietnam during WWII. When Vietnam gained independence, it was split up between northern communist Vietnam and southern anti-communist Vietnam. South Vietnam was under the threat of a communist take over by its neighboring country. The Gulf of Tonkin incident, where North Vietnam supposedly opened fire on the U.S.S. Maddox, also provoked the war. Finally, Truman signed the SEATO treaty stating that all countries under the threat of communism would receive aid from the United States. These factors all caused the Vietnam War to begin.

This picture represents the SEATO Treaty. This document was signed by President Truman. It stated that any country under the threat of communism would receive aid from the United States.