Why did cold war tensions rise in the years after the creation of North and South Vietnam

Cold War tensions rose in the years after the creation of North and South Vietnam due to several critical factors:

1. Ideological Confrontation : The global struggle between the capitalist West, led by the United States, and the communist East, led by the Soviet Union and China, characterized the Cold War. The division of Vietnam into the communist North and the anti-communist South was a direct manifestation of this ideological division.

2. Containment Policy : The United States was dedicated to a policy of containment, which aimed at preventing the spread of communism. The establishment of a communist government in North Vietnam was seen as a threat that could lead to the spread of communism throughout Southeast Asia, often referred to as the "domino theory."

3. French Colonization : Before the division, Vietnam had been a French colony. The defeat of the French forces at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and the subsequent Geneva Accords led to the temporary partition of Vietnam at the 17th parallel, pending elections. The United States, concerned about a potential communist victory, supported the establishment of an anti-communist regime in the South, thus deepening its involvement in the region.

4. Failure of Reunification : The Geneva Accords called for elections in 1956 to reunify Vietnam. However, these elections were never held, in part due to fears that the communists would win. Instead, both North Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, and South Vietnam, under Ngo Dinh Diem initially, solidified their separate governments, further entrenching the division.

5. Insurgent Activities : The Viet Cong, a South Vietnamese communist insurgency with support from the North, launched attacks against the South Vietnamese government. This was seen as aggression by the international community and particularly by the United States, leading to increased military involvement to support South Vietnam.

6. International Support and Crisis : Both parts of Vietnam received support from their respective Cold War allies. North Vietnam was backed by the Soviet Union and China, while the United States heavily supported South Vietnam, including direct military intervention in the 1960s.

As the United States increased its military presence in South Vietnam to support the South Vietnamese government and to fight the Viet Cong insurgents and North Vietnamese forces, the Cold War confrontation between the Soviet Union and the US intensified. Each side feared the other's intentions, leading to an arms race and proxy wars around the world, with Vietnam becoming a critical battleground.