There are many similarities and differences between the Philippine Insurrection of the late 19th century and the Vietnam War of the late 20th century. The types of war and atrocities committed during the two conflicts are comparable, while factors such as the aims and motivations of the war differ significantly. Personally, I think the United States had a better case in the Vietnam War, even though it was our first major military defeat. Despite the American loss, the Vietnam War was more worth fighting than the Philippine Insurrection because the United States had a more worthy reason to get involved. American involvement in the Philippine crisis represented a courageous new step for the country as it had emerged from its previous state of isolation. However, at the start of the Vietnam War, America felt obligated to participate simply because it was the most militarily powerful nation in the world and had extensive experience in war and foreign relations. Vietnam fought for its independence from France during the First Indochina War. It was divided between North Vietnam, which fell under communist control, and South Vietnam, which attempted to establish a republican form of government. The North Vietnamese were determined to reunify Vietnam under communist rule. However, the United States, subscribing to the “domino theory,” was determined to prevent this from happening (Encarta). Essentially, this theory stated that if one country fell under communist rule, many others would follow in a chain reaction, or domino effect (Encarta). The United States was determined to contain communism and spread capitalism and democracy, and therefore supported South Vietnam's resistance against... middle of paper ... the Vietnamese people. 2003. Kissinger, Henry. End the Vietnam War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2002. “Centennial of the Philippine-American War (1899-1902).” René N. Sumodobila. 1998. “Philippine Independence: Is the Real Story Being Told in the United States?” » Aurora José Wong. 2003. “The Philippines.” WGBH Educational Foundation. 2000. “The Vietnam War – Overview.” The Classroom History Channel UK. 2003. Young, Marilyn B. The Vietnam Wars, 1945-1990. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. 1991. “Vietnam War.” Encarta 2002. CD-ROM. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft 2002.