Shortly after the Killing of Diem and Nhu and their fall of leadership in South Vietnam, it

was evident that predictions stirred up before their removal, were going to cause a turnaround
shift monumental enough to rebirth the country, effects were nothing less than a complete
nightmare. With the assassination of Kennedy and transitions of leadership globally, communism
saw the opportunity and stepped up its effort more over to pressure countries like the united
states for further influences. As Lyndon B Johnson took office, it was clear that as he swore to
uphold Kennedys work in south Vietnam, he was also here to make a statement about himself
and the nation. The Gulf of Tonkin incident was a long-awaited justifiable excuse for the U.S. to
finally make its moves against communism and fully engage in South Vietnam. Pressures of
communism along with political strife in the U.S. pressuring president Johnson to make a name
for himself and win his election, made the Gulf of Tonkin’s timing impeccable for turning tides
in 1964.
The Gulf of Tonkin incident was a pivotal push that incited U.S. support to the cause in
South Vietnam. Although embassy reports in South stated that enemy attacks were present in

m
rural areas, showing how active the North was starting to be, all the president could do was enact

er as
OPLAN 34-A to combat the DRV but not have full engagement in the matters (Duiker, Pg.

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164,165). Presumably, the Chinese were more aggressive and reckless as ever (Herring, Pg, 142),

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the Viet Cong Controlled between 45-45% of the total land area now (as compared to 30%

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before) (Duiker, Pg. 165) and the North mobilized its troops for war on its Ho Chi Minh trail
rs e
(Herring, 145). Looking at the obvious signs of aggression, the shift of leadership in the South
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stirred thoughts of opportunity in the enemies of democracy but also pressed bigger pressures on
the U.S. As George C. Herring states in chapter 4, “Under these Circumstances, Americans
Increasingly looked north for a solution they could not find in the south”, and that was
o

responding to aggression with the same attitudes (Herring, Pg. 146).

aC s
vi y re

The U.S. was truly waiting for something like the Gulf of Tonkin incident to justify the
means it would go to finally counter fight in the Cold War. The Cold War was all about making
its enemy look weak, and although globally its goals were to make that identity of western
ed d

countries, president Johnson was also affected due to an upcoming election. Johnson vowed time
and time again to meet the communist aggression and uphold Kennedys dreams of democracy.
ar stu

Being pressed for action upon his words, Johnson did not want to deliver due to fears of an all-
out war. With overmounting pressures and now an upcoming election, Johnson knew he needed
to react, or his opponent would crush him as the American people wanted a president who would
is

act (Herring, Pg. 151). President Johnson did not want to portray himself as a weak leader and
Th

portray his country as weak either. In all, the pressures of communism made pride act out and put
Johnson in a position of “not jeopardizing his political fortunes by escalating the war” (Herring,
Pg. 151)
sh

Although his advisers and some skeptics doubted that the Gulf of Tonkin was enough for
change in south Vietnam, maintaining the credibility of the U.S. as the good doctor to save it’s
“alienate patient” was more important than anything (Herring, Pg. 153). The U.S. had built an
identity evident of maintaining power but with the amounting pressures of communism building
up, Cold War tensions made all who oppose communism appear weak and fragile. The American

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 population was spurred by nationalism that it reasoned with its self that the intelligent services
were educated people able to make the most appropriate judgments and were trusted (Small,
paraphrased, Pg.25). Johnson won his election and then conceded to play the good guy after
killing innocents due to the bombings (Small, Pg. 20). Therefore, Johnson successfully played
the role of a victorious/strong leader and the loving peacemaker to the world and his people. But
as the reports would soon follow, Johnson and his administration came under fire and there was
massive discontent. What congress and the president should have done, in order to show true
democracy, was to promote peace by pulling out of Vietnam, issue a global apology while
promoting policy to ensure Vietnams nationalistic identity is honored and not our own.
Unfortunately, the pressures around the president made it ripe to justify his actions and work
around the American people and therefore as Herring states, the Cold War “Crisis atmosphere
seemed to leave no time for debate” (Herring, Pg. 150).
The Gulf of Tonkin incident was a long-awaited justifiable excuse for the U.S. to finally
make its moves against communism and fully engage in South Vietnam. Pressures of

m
communism along with political strife in the U.S. against president Johnson to make a name for

er as
himself and win his election, made the Gulf of Tonkin’s timing impeccable for turning tides in

co
1964. President Johnson insured that he would make a name of himself and preserve the nations

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responsibility on preserving democracy by initiating action in South Vietnam. As time will show,

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his actions will set off an uncontrollable road of actions for the U.S. that will eventually lead into
all out war in Vietnam. rs e
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References
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Duiker, W. (1995). Sacred War: Nationalism and Revolution in a Divided Vietnam (1st ed., pp. 139-184).
aC s

Boston [etc]: McGraw Hill.

vi y re

Herring, G. (2014). America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975 (5th ed., pp.
135-177). New York: McGraw-Hill.
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Small, M. (2004). Antiwarriors: The Vietnam War and the Battle for America's Hearts and Minds (1st
ed., pp. 19-36). Lanham, MD: SR Books.
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is
Th
sh

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