This book examines world events leading up to United States involvement in Vietnam with the purpose of determining whether these events were instrumental in the shaping of the decision to enter the conflict. These events include the actions of nations, governments and individuals. The period of examination is limited to the years of the first Truman and first and second Eisenhower administrations. This book will determine whether the United States' decision to enter the war in Vietnam was to protect her vital national interests or interests so skewed by the effect that world events had on political decision making that the interests were neither national nor vital.