After WWII, how did America "involve itself" in Vietnam?

Americans got involved in the Vietnam War because they opposed the Soviet Union and the spread of communism.

After World War II, the United States became involved in Vietnam through various means:

1. Economic Aid: The United States provided financial assistance to France, which was trying to reassert control over its former colony, French Indochina, which included Vietnam.

2. Military Assistance: The U.S. provided military aid to the French forces fighting against the Viet Minh, a communist-led nationalist movement seeking independence for Vietnam.

3. Advisory Role: American military advisors were sent to assist the French forces in their efforts to combat the Viet Minh.

4. Geneva Accords: Following the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the Geneva Accords divided Vietnam temporarily into two parts along the 17th parallel, with the North under communist control and the South under a non-communist government supported by the United States.

5. Military Involvement Escalation: As the situation in South Vietnam deteriorated due to insurgency by the communist Viet Cong and political instability, the U.S. increased its military involvement by sending more advisors and eventually deploying combat troops.

6. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: In 1964, the U.S. Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, granting President Lyndon B. Johnson broad powers to escalate U.S. military involvement in Vietnam following reported attacks on American naval vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin.

These actions marked the beginning of significant American involvement in the Vietnam War, which ultimately escalated into a prolonged and divisive conflict.