c) Containing Communism

The U.S.’s main aim in the Vietnam War was containing Communism, consistent with the Domino Theory that posited if one country fell to communism, others in the region would follow. The U.S. involvement in Vietnam, which escalated in the 1960s, was a manifestation of its commitment to stopping the spread of communism, a key aspect of its Cold War foreign policy. The conflict became highly controversial at home, sparking widespread anti-war protests and leading to significant social and political upheaval.