Leecia Chery

Ms. Waller
IB 11 History
Period: 7
June 13, 2015
Final Exam
Vietnam War - Just or Unjust?
Richard M. Nixon once said, No event in American history is more misunderstood than the
Vietnam War, 1985. Of all the wars that the U.S. was involved in, the Vietnam War has constrained
Americans to question what we were fighting for. Was the Vietnam War a just or unjust war?
The Just War Theory has been created over centuries by historians. The Just War Theory was
developed by Saint Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologicae. From the Theory of Aggression its clear
that wars cannot be justly declared for political, religious beliefs, self interest, or aggrandizement.
Aggression towards the political sovereignty of a nation can justify war, the war must be declared by
proper authority. This authority exist in the sovereign power of a nation. The provision claims that a
nation going to war must obtain the right goal. The nation engaging in a just war should be carrying on
war for justice. War should be carried on to oppose aggression. The nation carrying on a just war must
have a chance of success.
Americas involvement in the Vietnam War was certainly unjust. According to the Just War
Theory, a war can be considered Just if it conforms all of the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.

The war must have just cause

Be declared by a proper authority
Possess the right intention
Have a reasonable chance of success

While it can be argued that the U.S. properly declared the war and had a reasonable chance of success, its
beyond question that the U.S. did not go to war for a just cause.
The Just War Theory states that only vengeance of aggression, defensive strikes, and specific
interference qualify as just causes for war. The U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War did not qualify for
any of those cases, they were lured into the Vietnam War by political efforts to hold the spread of
communism throughout Asia. American officials believed that a communist victory in Vietnam would

eventually lead to further communist victories throughout the world. Wrong! The Just War Theory
expressly states that wars fought for political interests are unjust. The Vietnam War was a warfare
between North and South Vietnam. It wasnt until the U.S. became physically involved in the war that
North Vietnam showed hostile behavior towards America,who first engaged in battle with the Vietnamese.
Conclusively, the actions of the U.S. in the Vietnam War were obviously unjust, according to the
Just War Theory. America failed to meet the requirements, for a defensive strike or a just intervention, the
U.S. didnt have a just cause for including themselves in the Vietnam War. The event connected with the
American officials political reasons for going to war, which have resulted in the most misconceived war
in the U.S. Sadly even today, number of studies and declassification of military documents, Americans
dont understand why American soldiers died in the unjust Vietnam War.