Johnson’s War

What was President Johnson's involvement in Vietnam?

Johnson's intentions for Vietnam mirrored that of his predecessors, Eisenhower and Kennedy. He did not want to commit combat troops. However, under Johnson's leadership, the USA's involvement greatly increased and it is often for his role in Vietnam that Johnson is best remembered.

Why did President Johnson get involved in Vietnam?

There were 4 main reasons why Lyndon B Johnson got involved in Vietnam:

• ❖ Like many American presidents of the Cold War era, he firmly believed in Eisenhower's Domino Theory and was anxious about the spread of communism in Asia.
• ❖ Johnson began his time in office following in Kennedy's footsteps, and was only willing to commit military advisers to South Vietnam. However, his advisers wanted him to become more involved.
• ❖ Historian Arthur Schlesinger argued that Johnson (as well as Kennedy) escalated involvement because of what he called the 'quagmire theory'. A quagmire is a soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot; Schlesinger argued this was how Johnson's actions in Vietnam could be viewed.
• ❖ Other historians have argued that Johnson did not want to be seen as the president that 'lost' Vietnam to communists, as Truman had 'lost' China. Johnson did not want the Democrats to be seen as 'soft on communism'.

What influenced Johnson's involvement in Vietnam?

Two key factors influenced Johnson's involvement in Vietnam in the early years of his presidency:

• ❖ Johnson had to win an election in 1964. He did not want to alienate the electorate, and believed a more peaceful appoach to the situation in Vietnam would win him public support.
• ❖ Many presidents of the Cold War era had to balance the economic costs of domestic and foreign policy. Johnson wanted to create a 'Great Society' that was fair to everyone in America, and such an ambitious domestic programme would require extensive funding. He was worried about the cost of further involvement in Vietnam.

Why did Johnson's advisers want him to get more involved in Vietnam?

His advisers, including US Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara, did not think the ARVN could defeat the Vietcong. However, he believed if North Vietnam was attacked, Ho Chi Minh would stop helping the organisation.

What were the key events in Johnson's involvement in Vietnam?

There were a number of key events in Johnson's involvement in Vietnam:

• ❖ He approved Operation Plan 34A in August 1964.
• ❖ On 2nd August, 1964, North Vietnam attacked the USS Maddox which was stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin.
• ❖ On 4th August, 1964, Johnson launched a retaliatory act on North Vietnam. This became known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.
• ❖ On 7th August, 1964, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed.
• ❖ In February 1965 the Vietcong attacked Camp Holloway, a US helicopter base in South Vietnam.
• ❖ On 13th February, 1965, the USA launched Operation Rolling Thunder.
• ❖ By the end of 1965 there were 200,000 US combat troops in Vietnam, increased from 3,500 at the beginning of the year. Many see this as the start of the conflict.
• ❖ By 1967, Johnson's administration was spending $30 billion a year on the war in Vietnam.
• ❖ In October 1967, over 100,000 people protested at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington against America's involvement in Vietnam.
• ❖ On 30th January, 1968, the North Vietnamese army and the Vietcong launched a series of attacks. This became known as the Tet Offensive - a significant turning point in the war.
• ❖ On Saturday, 16th March, 1968, 80 soldiers from the US military's 'Charlie Company' massacred over 300 innocent civilians in the village of My Lai in South Vietnam.

What was the significance of Operation Plan 34A in Johnson's involvement in Vietnam?

Operation Plan 34A involved sending South Vietnamese mercenaries into North Vietnam, and US naval ships into North Vietnamese waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. This marked a key turning point, as it was a huge increase in the USA's involvement in the region, and it led to the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

What was the significance of Johnson's involvement in Vietnam?

Johnson's involvement in Vietnam was significant for 3 key reasons:

• ❖ At first Johnson followed the pattern of presidents before him. He increased US presence in Vietnam, with military advisors and support for the ARVN. However, his role was significant because his policies sent US troops to the region.
• ❖ US Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara stated that, in 1963, the military did not anticipate being in Vietnam for long and expected the withdrawal of 16,000 military advisers by the end of 1965. However, by the end of that year, Johnson had committed 200,000 combat troops to the region.
• ❖ Johnson's administration, and the president personally, faced mounting criticism from the American public about US involvement in Vietnam. The peace movement grew rapidly.