(13) Confrontation in the Vietnam War Flashcards
When did Johnson become president?
✩ On November 22, 1963, when Kennedy was assassinated, Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President
What was Johnson’s Policy in Vietnam?
✩ > In January 1964, Johnson agreed to the implementation of OPLAN 34A.
✩ OPLAN 34A was a covert U.S. program initiated in 1964 that involved commando raids, psychological warfare, and offshore assaults against North Vietnam. It was a strategy aiming to progressively escalate pressure to force Hanoi to detest from their aggressive policies.
✩ It was clear that Johnson was not committed to a negotiated resolution and that he did see the conflict expanding into North Vietnam.
What else did Johnson advocate for in Vietnam?
✩ Johnson wanted a South Vietnam victory without the war becoming ‘Americanised’.
✩ He continued US commitment to Kennedy’s counterinsurgency strategy and increased the number of US political advisers in Vietnam from 16,300 to 23,000.
What was The Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution and when did they occur?
✩ The Gulf of Tonkin incident refers to confrontations between North Vietnam and the United States in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin in August 1964.
✩ On August 7, 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in Southeast Asia.
Why was The Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution significant in raising tensions?
✩ After this, it had been essential that the USA uphold their reputation as a counterforce against communism and thus had to change their policy in Vietnam.
✩ The Gulf of Tonkin incident and the subsequent Gulf of Tonkin resolution thus provided the justification for further U.S. escalation of the conflict in Vietnam.
What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail and why did this lead to increased US involvement?
✩ By 1964 the war in Vietnam was escalating and North Vietnam seemed to be winning. The reasons for this were:
✩ The use of the Ho Chi Minh Trail by the North Vietnamese for infiltration of troops and supplies (including their Chinese and Soviet support) into South Vietnam.
✩ This increased support and effective supply route that the Vietcong had meant that the USA had to get even more involved in Vietnam by disrupting and interdicting the Ho Chi Minh Trail to hamper the growing threat of communism and its support in Vietnam, which the USA feared.
What was Operation Market Time?
✩ In response to the Ho Chi Minh Trail. the USA launched Operation Market Time, a naval effort aimed at blocking the Viet Cong’s Sea supply lines for weapons and equipment.
✩ This operation required a notable increase in naval assets, showing a clear escalation in resources and personnel commitment. By focusing on cutting off the Viet Cong’s maritime support, the U.S. demonstrated a more intense dedication to disrupting their logistical networks.
What was Operation Game Warden?
✩ At the same time, Operation Game Warden concentrated on patrolling Vietnam’s intricate rivers and waterways.
✩ This strategy aimed to limit the enemy’s movements and interfere with their supply routes.
✩ Committing troops to navigate and secure challenging terrains indicated a more profound engagement in the region.
What was the significance of these events?
✩ The willingness to commit a significant financial investment in equipment technology and infrastrcuture and carry out these naval and riverine operations indicated a pronounced elevation in the U.S.’s commitment to containment efforts.
✩ These operations were not isolated incidents but rather part of a broader strategy to limit the spread of communism in the region.
When was the Tet Offensive?
✩ January - February 1968
What was the Tet Offensive and how did it increase tensions?
✩ Coordinated surprise attacks by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces targeted over 100 towns and cities, resulting in heavy casualties but ultimately being repelled by U.S. and South Vietnamese forces.
✩ Beyond its military outcome, the offensive had profound psychological effects. It shattered public confidence in official narratives as the scale of the attacks contradicted optimistic assessments.
✩ Graphic media coverage brought the harsh realities of the war into American living rooms, intensifying anti-war sentiments.
✩ This surge in dissent manifested in widespread protests.
✩ Politically, the Tet Offensive led to a recalibration of U.S. strategy, with increased troop commitments and a more aggressive stance, reflecting an escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
during the Tet holiday in 1968
Why had the impact of the use of military within Vietnam had been ineffective?
✩ Search and destroy tactics were failing, lost sight of their mission when performing the My Lai Massacre in 1968.
✩ Inexperienced American fighters- were defeated by guerrilla tactics
✩ Destroyed Vietnam’s agriculture during Operation Rolling Thunder and still failed to achieve its aim of severing the Ho Chi Minh trail
Why had Operation Rolling Thunder been significant?
✩ After further Vietcong attacks on Camp Holloway, Johnson ordered Operation Rolling Thunder, where 63,000 tons of bomb tonnage had been deployed.
✩ Even after North Vietnam had offered a four-point proposal, Johnson rejected the proposals due to his belief that accepting them would have led to a unified and communist Vietnamese state.
✩ His desire for containment through force had been realised through the USA’s military role, deploying 75,000 ground troops in Vietnam by July 1965
✩ The commitment of ground troops demonstrated a more direct and forceful application of containment, aiming to stabilize the South Vietnamese government and prevent communist expansion.
What happened in 1965 according to Johnson?
✩ Johnson publicly declared in July 1965 that he would escalate the US involvement in Vietnam.
✩ In 1965, Johnson sent two battalions of US Marines to protect military bases at Da Nang. This was a shift away from Kennedy’s policy of using ‘military advisors’ in Vietnam to instead using combat troops.
✩ In 1965 there were 184,000 American troops in Vietnam and by 1968 there were 536,000.
How had the impact of the war reached within America - that the strategy had to change quickly?
✩ Anti-war movements spread quickly: people fled abroad to avoid being conscripted. Influential figures such as Muhammed Ali refused conscription into the Vietnam War.
✩ Economy was failing due to heavy military spending and use, needed to recover.
✩ Activists such as Martin Luther King in his ‘Beyond Vietnam’ speech criticized the U.S. government’s priorities, arguing that funds that could be used for social programs and poverty alleviation were instead being spent on war.
✩ Social issues at home such as racism needed to be addressed.
