Hist Test 2 Part 12

• · More military and economic assistance to Saigon.
• · Had he pulled out he would probably be charged with the loss of Vietnam to communism

• · Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated
• · Johnson wanted the same victory as Kennedy and Eisenhower. Containment and stopping of communist aggression.

· a policy of neutrality by US in Vietnam would lead to a communist take over

· General Nguyen Khanh

• · Use of American Navy to help south Vietnam forces through the gulf of Tonken and then they would land and attack in North Vietnam.
• · This was not announced and not generally known.

• · Early August 1964. Maddox and Turner Joy
• · In direct response to apparent attacks, House and Senate voted overwhelmingly for the gulf of Tonken resolution.

• · August 7, 1964 Gave president Johnson a blank check to do as he wished to stop communist aggression
• · The captains said themselves that they were not sure they were being attacked but Johnson wanted this.
• · Johnson thought Truman made a mistake not committing congress in Korea so he wanted congress to back as well

· He tried to seize more power in Saigon but in Feb 1965 replaced by Nguyen Van Thieu and Ngoyen Cao Ky

• · In air power and on ground. Johnson did not announce this but sent more troops to Vietnam.
• · Use of American troops Changed. April 1 1965 he approved a search and destroy mission for American land forces. Americans would now be directly involved.
• · During summer and fall more troops were sent. By 1968 over 500,000 American troops in Vietnam.

• Sanctuary. If China
• intervened the US may just attack China.

• · Ho Chi Minh agreed with them, should remove US
• · Said that Siagon Gov had no legitimacy

· The independence of south Vietnam and freedom from attack.

• Called upon North to leave
• · Return to Geneva agreements of 1954 (which never called for two Vietnam governments. bit of a signal Johnson would negotiate to create on Vietnam)

• · North attack on the South. The Hanoi regime is clearly and simply a communist attack.
• Thus US should contain just like in Korea

• · People
• questioned the legitimacy of the Saigon Gov in the South.

• · He believed it. If south Vietnam left, Communism would take over all of south East asia.
• · Johnson had the same perspective not just for Vietnam but global effect with Domino Theory

• · Body count reports. This was going to be used to gauge how much US was winning the war.
• · They were shelling from 20 miles away, but were expected to add up body counts.
• · Secretary of Defense Robert McNamera took these reports very seriously

• · Johnson's presidency. Not good politics in the long run
• · In goldwater context he wanted the Tonken Operation

tell the Soviets to back away they would.

• · Young college students opposing the war.
• · In actuality Parents and Grand Parents were even more opposing to the war.

· 'mistakes were made' but never acknowledged anything he did could have been wrong

• · Late Jan and early feb 1968
• · Massive uprising in South Vietnam. Seemed to prove the war was not being won. American and Vietnamese forces put down the Tet Offensive but it shifted the way Americans looked at the war.
• · Some because of Tet thought the war was unwinable. Others said because we put it down so well if we would only stick with the plan we could have won

• · Simply an anti-war person. Almost beat Johnson in the primary
• · Robert Kennedy would enter the race
• · Johnson then decided to step aside.

· to encourage Hanoi gov (lead by Le Duc To) to make a peace negotiation

• Used this as a way to win election in 1968. elected in wake of aftermath of Vietnam.
• In actuality there was no secret plan