20 Marker : LBJ Evidence

Question 1

LBJ ideology

Answer 1

Intensely patriotic, anti-appeasement, believed in do,into theory and not comfortable it’s foreigners

Question 2

How did LBJ escalate military involvement?

Answer 2

Gulf of Tonkin resolution - Aug 1964 - said US had no political interest in NV defeat + US = bringer of freedom against unprovoked VC aggression
Operation Rolling Thunder = continuous bombing
Sent in ground troops = March 1965 - first 3500 on 8 March, further 1800 approved 4 weeks later

Question 3

Impact of Kennedy’s assassination

Answer 3

Kennedy assassinated in Nov 1963 - LBJ didn’t have popular mandate - compelled to continue Kennedy’s policies
Retained Kennedy men (Rusk + McNamara) = no fresh ideas on Vietnam
Maybe unimportant as voted into office in 1964 election

Question 4

External pressure

Answer 4

Kennedy men
Pressure from military - Vietnam their only war and they wanted to win, LBJ felt duty-bound as their commander in chief