Gulf Of Tonkin Incident (1964) And Increased US Involvement In Vietnam Flashcards
How many advisers had Johnson sent in by end of 1964?
20,000
What did Johnson want Congress to do?
Authorise US troops in Vietnam but didn’t bring it up as it was election year
What were the two US navy ships that patrolled Gulf of Tonkin?
Maddox and C. Turner
What did small US boats secretly do and how did N. Vietnamese respond?
Secretly carried ARVN troops to raid N. Vietnamese territory and ships. N. Vietnamese responded in anger
How did N. Vietnamese respond on 2nd August?
Fired torpedo boats and Maddox fired back and withdrew when US planes arrived
What happened on 4th August of Gulf Of Tonkin?
During a storm, both US navy ships allegedly sunk two enemy boats but there was confusion as to whether it really happened
How did Johnson react to the confusion on the 4th August?
Ignored it and ordered US planes to strike N. Vietnamese targets
How many of the US jets Johnson sent in were shot down?
2
What happened on 5th August of Gulf of Tonkin?
Johnson aked Congress to give him power to stop future attacks on US forces
What happened on 7th August 1964?
Congress passed Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that gave Johnson power to stop attacks on US forces without consulting congress. Included sending troops to Vietnam. Resolution wasn’t a declaration of war on N. Vietnam but had the same effect
What did the Resolution allow Johnson go escalate?
US military involvement
Why didn’t Johnson want to officially declare war?
It would lead to conflict with China and USSR
How did N. vietnam react to resolution?
Took it as a declaration of war and increased involvement in South Vietnam
What increased between Nov 1964 and Feb 1965?
More people and supplies were sent south
What did VC start to target?
US bases
What fight happened in December 1964?
Fight at Binh Gia lasted until January and VC won
How many helicopters were damaged or destroyed at the fight at Binh Gia?
50
What did VC do on 7th January 1965?
Attacked US airfield at Pleiku and left 9 dead
How much did US involvement in Vietnam cost by Feb 1965?
$2 million a day
What were USA and Vietnam now committed to that they didn’t want?
War
All USA wanted was for S. Vietnam to be a protected democratic nation
All N. Vietnamese wanted was for S. Vietnamese to revolt and unite Vietnam
What were some of Johnson’s advisers optimistic on?
How long fighting would last
Why was it difficult to see Americans doing so poorly in the war?
Struggled to see a rich country struggle against N. Vietnam
What was the most important thing to the USA at the time?
Keeping S. Vietnamese in power
What did Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson all make speeches saying?
S. Vietnamese had to be won over by other Vietnamese to win the war
Why did US slowly move towards sending troops to keep S. Vietnam in power?
Because ARVN couldn’t
