Confrontation in the Vietnam War

• • Johnson's policy in Vietnam; the Gulf on Tonkin resolution
  • Escalation
  • Tactics and relative strengths of the two sides
  • The Tet offensive
• Why did LBJ get more involved in Vietnam? - Johnson's inheritance

  • Meant escalation JFK previously increasing US commitment
• Why did LBJ get more involved in Vietnam? - Johnson's background

  • Anti communist/Disapproved of appeasement
  • Legacy of JFK
  • Patriotic (devotion and support to one country)/proud of American's forces
  • Success was question of national honour
  • Supported Domino theory
  • Misunderstandings of foreigners
  • Not want to be 1st particular to lose war. Election coming up
• Why did LBJ get more involved in Vietnam? - Snowballing costs

  • Not give up investment already made
• Why did LBJ get more involved in Vietnam? - Advisors

  • JFK's advisors
  • Robert McNamara and Dean Rusk
  • No rethink of policy
• Why did LBJ get more involved in Vietnam? - Weaknesses of South Vietnam

  • 6 leaders in 4 years
  • Vietcong controlled 75% of countryside
  • ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam). Army of the South
• Timeline of Vietnam in cold war

  1. Vietnam declared independent (1945)
  2. 1st Indo China war (1946 - 54)
  3. Dien Bien Phu (May 1954)
  4. Geneva accords (Jul 1954)
  5. Diem refuses to hold elections (1956)
  6. Vietcong formed (1960)
  7. Strategic hamlet programme formed (1962)
  8. Battle of Ap and buddhist crisis (Jan and May 1963)
  9. Diem is assasinated (1963)
• US Presidents in order:

  1. Herbert Hoover (1929 - 1933)
  2. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933 - 1945)
  3. Harry S. Truman (1945 - 1953)
  4. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953 - 1961)
  5. John F. Kennedy (1961 - 1963)
  6. Lyndon B. Johnson (1963 - 1969)
  7. Richard Nixon (1969 - 1974)
  8. Next three presidents
  9. Ronald Reagan (1981 - 1989)
  10. George H.W Bush (1989 - 1993)
  11. Bill Clinton (1993 - 2001)
  12. George W. Bush (2001 - 2009)
• Johnson's temporary 'solution' - Operation plan 34A

  • Covert military operation carried out the the U.S in Vietnam during the early 1960s
  • Operation aimed to disrupt North Vietnamese supply lines and support Viet Cong
  • The communist forces fighting against the U.S - backed South Vietnamese government
• Operation oplan 34A

  • Objective = Undermine North Vietnam's ability to support the communist insurgency (revolt or uprising) in South Vietnam
  • Covert operations = OPLAN 34A involved secret and covert activities, including commando (soldier trained to carry out raids), sabotage and intelligence gathering
  • Actions = Special forces and intelligence operatives were sent to infiltrate North Vietnamese territory. Conducted raids on transportation routes, destroyed supply depots and gathered information
• Operation OPLAN 34A

  • Deniability = Operation was kept secret, U.S government aimed to maintain plausible deniability, meaning they didn't want to openly acknowledge their involvement
  • Escalation = OPLAN 34A contributed to the broader conflict in Vietnam, occurred during the early stages of U.S military involvement.
  • Covert actions eventually played a role in escalating the Vietnam war
• Johnson's temporary 'solution' cover action: OPLAN 34A

  • January 1964: launch of OPLAN 34A
  • Covert action: 'progressively escalating pressure... to punish North Vietnam' to force Hanoi to stop 'aggressive policies'
  • Increasing number of military advisers 16,300 - 23,300
• Gulf of Tonkin incident August 1964

  • Key and controversial event behind escalation of conflict
  • Start dates as USA's direct involved in 'Nam
• Gulf of Tonkin Aug 1964

  • Refers to two separate events that occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin, near Vietnam, during the early 1960s
  • Played a significant role in escalating U.S involvement in the Vietnam war
• Gulf on Tonkin

  • August 2nd = USS Maddox (U.S Navy destroyer), reported being attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo (missile fired from ship or submarine) boats in the Gulf of Tonkin
  • Incident led to U.S congress passing the gulf of Tonkin resolution. Gave Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war
• Gulf of Tonkin

  • August 4th = Another reported attack on the U.S ships occurred. Later investigations raised doubts about the accuracy of the information
  • Some evidence suggests that the second attack may not have happened as initially reported
• Gulf of Tonkin Aug 1964

  • 2nd August, USS Maddox was close to N.V territory carrying out intelligence operations
  • N.V torpedo boats attacked only landed with a single machine gun bullet
  • 4th August, The Maddox and Turner Joy are sent back and the ships claim to received radar, sonar and radio signals of another attack
  • Apparently sink two N.V ships (despite no physical evidence
• Gulf of Tonkin August 1964

  • McNamara informs the president of the 'attacks' and he order further retailiation 30 mins later as well as giving a speech on national television announcing the two attacks
  • This is in spite of later corrections of 'freak weather' affecting the radar
  • US casualties nor ship losses compared to 4 N.V. Dead, 6 wounded and a severely damaged boat
• Gulf of Tonkin August 1964

  • The press began reporting the 'attacks'
  • American public outranged president pressure congress into action passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
• 1964 Presidential election

  • November
  • Johnson plays the Vietnam issue more carefully than his opponent Goldwater
  • Wins a landslide victory
  • Now LBJ has his own mandate to pursue escalatory action
• Johnson's predicament (difficult, unpleasant and embarrasing situation)

  • Inheriting a very tricky situation
  • Coming up to an election in 1964 and wants to win the war quickly
  • Taylor, McNarama and JCS (Joint chiefs of staffs) favoured direct action against the North and its supply lines
• Johnson's predicament

  • USA not yet with war with NV. Supporting SV government LBJ was cautious not to 'Americanise' the war
  • All out assault on the North (Nuclear option0 might bring victory against communism might lead to WW3
  • US involvement was encouraging Soviet and Chinese involvment creating a vicious cycle
• Johnson's predicament

  • Every US escalation was counter escalated in the VC and PAVN - People's army of Vietnam
  • PAVN more willing to set more men for this
  • Advice of hawks (strong and confidential stance against Soviet Union) and doves (diplomatic and peaceful approach) conflicted on 'middle ground' approach brought neither victory nor withdrawal
• Johnson's predicament

  • International allies were critical to the U.S involvement (UK and France)
• Quagmire war = Conflict you get stuck in. Fog of war
• Gulf of Tonkin resolution - Enable the president to do

  • Gave Johnson the opportunity to get this resolution passed
  • Also gave him the power to wage war in Vietnam
  • '' all necessary steps''
• Gulf of Tonkin resolution - Vote and little opposition

  • Senate had been two thirds empty for the debate on the resolution
  • which it passed 88 to 2. With resolution, Johnson appeared to have the nation behind him
• Gulf of Tonkin resolution - LBJ's approach, approval and public opinion about the war

  • His approach was to bomb North Vietnam
  • Public approval rating increased 42% to 72%. Helped win the election
  • American prestige was even more firmly committed to defending South Vietnam
  • Election suggested nation united behind its president in his Vietnam policy
• Escalation under Johnson - Enemy strengthening
• Escalation under Johnson - Enemy strengthening

  First North Vietnamese force PAVN moved down the Ho Chi Minh trail. Vietcong strengthened the positions in part of South Vietnam. Meking Delta near Saigon
• Escalation under Johnson - Allies weakening

  Bombing response to gulf of Tonkin failed to bolster South's Vietnamese government. Rise in Anti - American feelings amongst population. Rural and urban
• LBJ reject a diplomatic approach

  • No move towards diplomatic settlement. Johnson convinced faced with economic and military might of USA. North Vietnam would backdown
  • Had a mandate from congress to take whatever action he deemed fit in order to protect US interests
• Escalatory steps LBJ took

  • Operation rolling thunder. Bombing campaign progressed in years 1965 to 1968
  • Marked start of both Americanisation of the war and escalation of US involvement
• Truman's policies in Vietnam

  • French financial and military aid - Economic and military assistance to french in war against Viet Minh
• Eisenhower's policies in Vietnam

  • Domino theory - If one country falls under communist the rest will fall
  • Geneva accords (1954) - Divided Vietnam at 17th parallel 1956 national elections pending
  • SEATO (Southeast Asia treaty organisation) - Created in 1954. Collective defene against communism in Southeast Asia
• Kennedy's policies in Vietnam

  • Flexible response 1961 - Range of military options to address different levels of conflicts
  • Strategic hamlet programme 1962 - Relocating rural populations into fortified villages to isolate them from communist influence
  • Counterinsurgency - Strengthen South Vietnamese government ability to resist communist insurgency
• Major events that happened in Vietnam when Truman was president

  • 1st Indochina war (1946 - 1954)
  • Geneva accords (1954)
• Major events in Vietnam that happened when Eisenhower was president

  • Geneva accords (1954)
  • Creation of North and South Vietnam
  • Dien Bien Phu (1954)
  • SEATO created in (1954)
• Major events that happened in Vietnam when Kennedy was president

  • Strategic hamlet programme 1962
  • Assassination of Diem 2nd Nov 1963
  • Gulf of Tonkin incident Aug 1964
• Truman's policies in Vietnam impact

  French financial and military aid:

  • Helped French maintain control over colony in Vietnam
  • U.S assistance led to escalation of the conflict in Vietnam