Background Information

The Vietnam War

Richard Nixon’s “Silent Majority” speech should be analyzed in the context of the Vietnam War, which was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1955 to 1975. The Vietnam War was fought between North Vietnam – which was supported by the Soviet Union, and South Vietnam – which was supported by several anti-communist allies, including the United States. 

The United States’ presidents supported South Vietnam in different ways. In the early 1950s, President Truman sent military assistance to the French troops in Vietnam. In 1955, President Eisenhower sent military assistance to train the troops of South Vietnam, a moment that marks the official involvement of the US in the Vietnam War. In the early 1960s, President Kennedy offers military assistance to all...