Escalation under Johnson Flashcards
Johnson’s Intentions
Set up a popular South Vietnamese government
Stopping SV from becoming communist
Stopping further escalation and avoiding nuclear war
Why was LBJ in a worse position than Kennedy?
The VC were stronger
The southern government was weaker
The US was less popular in the South
What happened in the South Vietnamese government after Diem’s death?
There was a struggle for power. Duong Van Minh eventually became the new leader. He was an army general in the ARVN
Situation in South Vietnam after LBJ came to power
South Vietnam would not survive without more US support as it only controlled 30-40% of the country
The ARVN got caught up in government struggles, while the VC put them under pressure
NV sent more men and equipment along the HCM trail
China sent $100 million to the North from 55-63. Much of this money went to fighting the South
Why were the VC more of a threat in 64? (Local Support)
Corrupt government officials in VC controlled areas were removed
Villagers were respected and involved in decision making
VC lived in villages, sharing the hardships of the villagers
Why were the VC more of a threat in 64? (VC Ideals)
The VC propaganda stressed that they were fighting:
-the US and their puppet govt
-to end poverty and injustice
-to united Vietnam with a fair government.
Why were the VC more of a threat in 64? (Time)
The VC didn’t care how long it took them to win. They stayed motivated as they were fighting for their country.
Why were the VC more of a threat in 64? (The Southern Government)
Villagers did not like being forced into Strategic Hamlets
The Government was seen as a puppet of the US
The Southern government was split by infighting, and was not focused on defeating the VC
Why were the VC more of a threat in 64? (Foreign Aid)
China and the USSR provided ammo, weapons, troops, and advisers. This allowed the VC to make larger and more damaging attacks.
Why were the VC more of a threat in 64? (Organisation)
The NLF provided a political leadership structure
The North sent more people to organise resistance
The VC organised into cadres (three man cells). This allowed them to work better.
The gulf of Tonkin Incident summary
1964- US destroyers looking for intelligence on strength of VC navy
-they were attacked by VC torpedo boats
-Johnson uses as justification to attack the North after congress gives him unsupervised military power (Tonkin Resolution)
What happened was uncertain- bad weather made it unclear to those on the ship
(Gulf of Tonkin) events of 2nd August
Maddox’s radar showed 3 VC boats closing in- captain requested air support- Maddox retaliates and withdraws once support arrives
(Gulf of Tonkin) events of 4th August
During a storm, Maddox captain Turner Joy reports more VC boats and claimed to have sunk two. There was uncertainty as to wether the VC boats were attacking due to the wether.
Johnson knew that there was uncertainty but ordered US planes to target NV. Two US planes were shot down
(Gulf of Tonkin) events of 5th August
Johnson tells congress and asks for power to stop future attacks on US forces
(Gulf of Tonkin) events of 7th August
Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution with little opposition. It gave Johnson the power to use military force at will in Vietnam without consulting congress
