Escalation of the Vietnam War

“For all I know, our navy was shooting at whales out there”
LBJ, the Gulf of Tonkin and the escalation of the Vietnam War

Think/pair/share: Why did the United States get involved in Vietnam?

On 2nd August 1964, an incident took place in the Gulf of Tonkin which provided the
legal basis for America’s war in Vietnam. It is important to note that the United States
never declared war in Vietnam but instead “escalated the conflict”. Using some or all of
the historical sources below and the transcript of “Johnson Questions Dissenting Under
Secretary of State George Ball, 1965”, you are to investigate the following focus question:

Following the Gulf of Tonkin, incident should President Lyndon Johnson have
escalated the conflict in Vietnam?

It is important to note that the sources below provide a variety of different perspectives of
events that led up to events. You should consider not just the immediate events that led
to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution but also America’s involvement in Vietnam since the
French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. You may wish to consider events further back in
time than 1954. I have also grouped the sources and ranked them for difficulty. Try to
consider the issue from as many angles as you can: what pressures was the President
under at the time?

Activity 1: Use the sources to fill out the table below:

Focus question: Following the Gulf of Tonkin,

incident should President Lyndon Johnson have
escalated the conflict in Vietnam?
What were the facts?
Immediate cause of escalation – Gulf of Tonkin On August 2, 1964, the USS Maddox
incident claimed to have been fired upon by North
On 2 August 1964 a US naval vessel in the Gulf Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of
nd

of Tonkin, the USS Maddox, claimed to have Tonkin. - This led to the Gulf of Tonkin
been fired upon by North Vietnamese torpedo Resolution, granting President Lyndon
boats. This led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Johnson broad powers to escalate military
which enabled the President Lyndon Johnson to action in Vietnam without a formal
use the military aggressively in Vietnam without declaration of war. - Subsequently, massive
a declaration of war. This then led to massive
aerial bombardment campaigns such as
Operation Pierce Arrow and Operation
aerial bombardment campaigns such as
Rolling Thunder were initiated, along with the
Operation Pierce Arrow and later Operation
rapid deployment of ground troops in
Rolling Thunder. It also led to the rapid
Vietnam in 1964-65.
deployment of ground troops in Vietnam in
1964-5.
Questions have been raised about the veracity of
the claim that US warships came under attack.
According Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon, in
1965 Lyndon Johnson privately admitted as
much. “For all I know, our navy was shooting at
whales at there.” In 1967 former naval officer
John White declared that McNamara, President
Johnson and the Joint Chiefs of Staff had lied in
their testimony before the congress about the
Gulf of Tonkin incident.
Long term causes of increasing US involvement President Harry S Truman initially
in Vietnam committed monetary and military support to
Harry S Truman had first committed monetary the French in their war against the Viet Minh
and military support for the French in their war due to concerns about the spread of
with the Viet Minh because they were communism. - After the French defeat, the
concerned that Ho Chi Minh would establish a U.S. continued to support South Vietnam and
communist state. After the French defeat they President Diem in their efforts against
continued to support South Vietnam and communist forces.
President Diem.
U.S. strategic strengths/opportunities The U.S. had a strong military and economic
position, which could be leveraged to support its
allies and contain the spread of communism. U.S.
strategic weaknesses/vulnerabilities
U.S strategic weaknesses/vulnerabilities The U.S. faced challenges in navigating a complex
and unfamiliar political landscape in Vietnam, as
well as growing domestic opposition to the war.
What are the sources? What are you inferring from the facts and the
Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon's claims sources?
about President Johnson's private admission. - There are doubts about the veracity of the
John White's accusations about the testimony Gulf of Tonkin incident, suggesting that it
of McNamara, President Johnson, and the may have been exaggerated or misrepresented
Joint Chiefs of Staff. to justify escalation in Vietnam. - The long-
term commitment to supporting South
Vietnam was driven by Cold War concerns
about the spread of communism.
Who were the major stakeholders? What were their beliefs/views/values?
There are doubts about the veracity of the Gulf There are doubts about the veracity of the
of Tonkin incident, suggesting that it may have Gulf of Tonkin incident, suggesting that it
been exaggerated or misrepresented to justify may have been exaggerated or misrepresented
escalation in Vietnam. - The long-term to justify escalation in Vietnam. - The long-
commitment to supporting South Vietnam was term commitment to supporting South
driven by Cold War concerns about the spread Vietnam was driven by Cold War concerns
of communism. about the spread of communism.
What other possible solutions were available at Diplomatic efforts to negotiate a peaceful
the time? resolution to the conflict. - Continued support

What is your judgement on this issue? Justify
your opinion
How fair is your judgement? Justify your
opinion
for South Vietnam's military and political
development without direct U.S. military
intervention. - Seeking a diplomatic solution
through the United Nations or other
international bodies.
President Johnson should have been more
cautious in escalating the conflict following
the Gulf of Tonkin incident, considering the
doubts about its veracity and the long-term
consequences of U.S. involvement in
Vietnam. - The escalation led to significant
human and financial costs, both for the U.S.
and for Vietnam, without achieving the
intended goals of containing communism or
stabilizing the region.
The doubts raised about the Gulf of Tonkin
incident suggest that the justification for
escalation may have been based on inaccurate
or misleading information. - The long-term
commitment to supporting South Vietnam
was driven by Cold War ideology rather than
a clear assessment of the situation on the
ground. - The escalation of the conflict did
not lead to a resolution of the underlying
issues and instead prolonged the suffering of
the Vietnamese people and the U.S. military
involvement in the region.
The judgment is fair based on the available
evidence and historical analysis, which
suggests that the escalation in Vietnam was
based on questionable grounds and had
significant negative consequences. - It is
important to consider the context of the time,
including Cold War tensions and the
perceived threat of communism, but this does
not justify the decision to escalate the conflict
without a more thorough examination of the
facts and potential alternatives.

Sources:
Basic:
1) https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/1960s-america/
v/vietnam-war
2) https://www.syracuse.com/kirst/2014/08/
the_speech_that_launched_the_vietnam_war_president_lyndon_johnson_in_syr
acuse_19.html
More difficult:
3) U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian,
Essay on “U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam War: the Gulf of Tonkin and Escalation,
1964”
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/gulf-of-tonkin

Primary source documents taken from:

FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1964–1968
VOLUME I, VIETNAM, 1964
Easier
257. Memorandum From the Duty Officer in the White House Situation Room to the
President
Washington, August 2, 1964.
4) https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v01/d257#fn2

Most difficult
280. Notes of the Leadership Meeting, White House
Washington, August 4, 1964, 6:45 p.m.
5) https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v01/d280

Activity 2: Complete the table below

The official reason for escalating: The real reason for escalating

Activity 3: Write a ‘STEAL’ paragraph answering the following question:

Why did the United States and President Johnson escalate the conflict in Vietnam?