The United States' involvement in the Vietnam conflict began in 1950 with military advisors being sent to aid the French in their fight against communist forces in Vietnam. This was part of the United States' policy of containment, which aimed to prevent the spread of communism. In 1954, after the French were defeated, Vietnam was divided into North and South, with the North being communist and the South being non-communist. The United States continued to provide aid to the South Vietnamese government.
By the early 1960s, the situation in South Vietnam had deteriorated, with the Viet Cong, a communist guerrilla group, gaining strength and influence. President John F. Kennedy sent additional military advisors to the region, and by 1964, the United States was involved in a full-scale war in Vietnam. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, passed by Congress in August of 1964, gave President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam.
By 1965, the United States had deployed over 180,000 troops to Vietnam, and the conflict had become a major issue domestically. Many Americans were opposed to the war, and protests and demonstrations against it became widespread. The United States' involvement in the Vietnam conflict would continue for another decade, resulting in tens of thousands of American and Vietnamese deaths and a deeply divided American society.