The Dilemma Faced by Lyndon Johnson During the Vietnam War

Running head : THE REFLECTIVE ESSAY
THE REFLECTIVE ESSAY
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Author Note

1THE REFLECTIVE ESSAY
Introduction
In my report, I am going to discuss about the dilemma faced by Lyndon Johnson the
president of America during the Vietnam war which forced him to escalate the war. The
escalation year was 1965-68. Congress approved the Gulf of Tokin Resolution on August 7,
1964 and gave the authority to President Johnson to take necessary steps that he believed were
necessary to hit back and to encourage the preservation of international harmony and safety in
southeast Asia. American association in the Vietnam War ended on March 29 and withdrawn
their troops from Vietnam. Around 58,220 U.S. military person died on the Vietnam war.
Discussion
Escalation during Vietnam War by Johnson was a crucial moment for his government.
Many things, which made him to escalate, influenced Johnson; this includes suggestion from the
working group, the cold war situation, and the flaws of the South Vietnamese Government.
Moreover, to protect the US base (Walton and Dale). According to me, the main factor that
influenced Johnson to escalate US contribution was the advice he received from the working
group, as they were the trusted group of people. Johnson believed that if Vietnam became
communalist, then it would become threat to American security and interests by an influential
communist network. Politically, Johnson may end with loosing the midterm elections (Page and
Caroline). Johnson was aware of the consequences that the state can face due to this Vietnam
War. It was believed by Johnson that , there lies a threat of domination by Communism over the
world, as the consequence of the cold war among American politicians from 1940s to the

2THE REFLECTIVE ESSAY
1980s.Johnson followed the political elucidation and strategy known as “Containment” which
was first suggested by George Kennan and later was adopted by Harry Truman in 1947(Barrett
and David ). According to Joseph Syracuse, “There has been vast development for America in
recent years; also there is an increase in strict ideological outlook for the world – anti-social,
anti-communism, anti-leftist – that came as opponent for communalism.” Johnson was among
one of the genuine social reformer, who always wished to lift Americans out of scarcity, enlarge
the scopes for education, always tried to provide better wellbeing and free medicinal care,
undertake urban restoration, conserve and guard the surroundings and finished racial prejudice.
This was the main reason, which forced Johnson to carry out the military escalation secretly
(Johnson and Harry).
Johnson achieved escalation through applying the Tonkin Resolution from Congressional
Gulf in 1964 ,this empowered the president to take every a essential measures to drive back the
armed attack in opposition to the forces of the United States and to avoid any extra violence.
Johnson assumed that escalation would eventually help to protect his armed forces. Thus,
Johnson ordered the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force to start an intense series of strikes in ,known
as “Operation Rolling Thunder”. He thought that bombing will demonstrate the U.S.
commitment to South Vietnam and will further resolve to halt the communism. However, the air
raids increased the number of attacks by North Vietnamese army and Viet Cong. Meanwhile,
Johnson ordered the Working group from various department, that included State department,
defense Department, the CIA, and the JCS to learn about the Vietnam and put forward the policy
options required (Logevall and Fredrik). According to the Working Group, an self-governing and
anti-Communist South Vietnam was essential for America. In the Cold War, the analyst for
foreign policy subscribed to "The Domino Theory" —that contended, if a particular country