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Two false claims hiding the real reason for the US-Viet Nam War mislead much of the public to believe falsely that the war began in 1954, with a noble intent to fight communism. So, many voters falsely think that since that war, a noble intent has continued, to fight terrorism. Exposing these false claims, plain facts show that the US entered long before 1954, and that the war began with a wrongful intent of US leaders. Many voters will realize they cannot assume that after Viet Nam, foreign policy continued to be noble.
The first false claim asserts that the U.S. entered Viet Nam in 1954, presented as a noble defense against communism. But during 1865–1954, US businesses expanded in Viet Nam, enabled by French force. France was defeated in 1954, So, US leaders attacked in 1955 to continue the business. That is the real reason for the US-Viet Nam War, Escaping blame for that real reason, US leaders have similarly continued using force for business worldwide through 2024.
In U.S. National Archives, about 252 reels of reports from US consuls in Viet Nam starting in 1889 have long lain silent. These papers are 100 percent proof of the early period. They are declassified, awaiting only requests from high school classes, college students, and adult discussion forums. Please see Teachers page.
Why have US leaders not discussed those papers with the public, in discussions about the real reason for that war?
A second false claim is that a “North Viet Nam” existed, against which the US supposedly fought. But no “North Viet Nam” was ever created on this Earth. The 1954 Geneva Accords did not create any such country. It is “an absurd concept” to think the Accords did, historian Joseph Buttinger wrote Click for full quote. The Accords simply set up two “regrouping zones” in the existing, single nation. One zone was the north half of Viet Nam, and the other zone was the south half. The purpose was to disentangle many opposing army units. Article 14(a) says, in plain words, that France had a temporary duty to administer the southern “regrouping zone” until elections. No other entity had any right to administer there.
Other than the two zones, nothing else was created.
So, the US did not fight a country named “North Viet Nam.” What is the huge difference in the US fighting against the actual one Viet Nam that existed from the southern tip in the sea to the northern border with China? See the next paragraph.
Corporate Tsunami in Countryside Paradise : 1875–1900 Origin of US War in Viet Nam (2020) details the early US business. And, in the 1940s, US leaders set up a system for worldwide business expansion, often by force. In 1954, the superpower US pressured France to depart from Viet Nam. Then, US leaders attacked trying to continue the early business. But Viet Nam being one country, the overwhelming majority in the south, who had helped defeat the French in 1954, now defended against the US. That was the difference. It is hidden by the absurd US false claim that Viet Nam was now two countries.
Foreign Policy Fault Line 1619–2024, with US in Viet Nam 1865–1975 (late-May 2025) applies various Analytical Lenses to show: (1) The real reason for the war; (2) after 1954, Viet Nam remained one country, north and south; and (3) The false claim of a noble purpose in Viet Nam has built unwitting US public support for a destructive foreign policy worldwide through 2024.
The Teachers page in this website features various Analytical Lenses as aids to assess the many facts. Each lens shows the real reason for the war was to continue the early business by force. Keeping communism at bay was only a factor. A lens of 21 Facts shows that business expansion, often by force, started in 1619 and never abated. In that system, a 1943 State Dept report is “The Future Status of Indochina [Viet Nam] as an Example of Future Colonial Relationships.” It says not one word about communism,
Photo 1, on this page, shows the US military in 2007, training soldiers in Niger. In 2024, US military “security” was exposed as “security” for France to pay 1/250th of the value of Niger uranium. So, Niger kicked the US out in 2024.
By the late 1860s, much of the rice harvested from fields such as in Photo 2 was stolen by France. and sold overseas. US cargo ships took part. In the 1880s, widespread malnutrition hit Viet Nam, persisting the entire colonial period. So, the overwhelming majority angered at foreign invaders.
Worldwide, reactions against ignoble US foreign policy have ocurred through 2024. Mercosur, BRICS+, and other blocs seek to reduce trade with the US. And, local people sometimes fight back. US leaders often mislabel them as terrorists. A lens to view them is the Golden Rule of all major religions. Where the US system has violated it, the reader can understand foreigners’ reactions.
For six reasons, the US public has failed to correct the wrongful foreign policy. One is the that the false claims mislead the public. Another is a sense of entitlement: Some Americans think they have a right to a good life without worrying about what others do in foreign policy.
Photo 1. After attacking Viet Nam during 1954–1975, US leaders continued a similar policy worldwide. They pursued business expansion and access to resources, often by force. This 2007 photo shows the US training soldiers in Niger. US “security” in that nation enabled France, a US ally, to take Niger minerals at low cost. Much of Niger lived in poverty. Public domain photo 2007, Wikipedia: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael Larson.
From 1865 onward, much of Viet Nam’s rice, grown in fields like shown here, was stolen by French colonials and sent overseas, some on US ships. The rice supported growth of the French and US economies. Widespread malnutrition struck Viet Nam in the 1880s. It lasted through the entire colonial period. Photo by Kieran Barry (2021).