I keep watching the Vietnam War and it just makes me angry

[Xolodno]

37. Real estate grab, resource plunder, prestige.....

The war was fought primarily in Europe, but it was all about territory everywhere else in Asia, Africa, etc. plus territory they felt entitled to. Both sides thought they would win rather quickly, thinking they would have the upper hand.

For example, if the Russian Revolution never happened and stayed in the war, Russia was going to get Istanbul...rename it back to Constantinople and pretty much the Russian Patriarch of the Orthodox Church would become the "First Among Equals". Plus it would bolster Russia's claim to being the inheritor of the Roman Empire. They were also going to get a big chunk, if not all of, Korea. Which would set them up in a good spot for Russo-Japan war part 2....which did eventually happen in WW2.

But that didn't happen, so France and Britain pretty much got everything they wanted and then some...which would ironically overextend them. Arab revolts in the Mid-East really taxed the British and French Armies at times, so much so, they had to leave some areas in open revolt until they quelled one, so they could move on to the other.

The economic reasons, resources. Maintaining and empire requires resources the home country doesn't have or can't continue to appropriate. Even if you don't need the resources immediately, having them in reserve was important for future use. Remember, Europe had just went through the industrial revolution and manufacturing was key to their economic success. For example, they didn't have the ability to find oil easily yet, but the logic was, if there was oil in one place, there might be more nearby.

But yes, real estate grab, resource plunder, prestige, "empire penis size", etc. is what led to it. You could say, they were planning it the entire time....but assumed the other guy wasn't, which led to the shit storm that it was.