A Reflective Essay on Lyndon B. Johnson and the Vietnam War Escalation

This reflective essay examines the critical period of the Vietnam War during President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration, specifically focusing on the escalation of the conflict between 1965 and 1968. The essay explores the key influences that shaped Johnson's decision-making, including the advice from his working group, the broader context of the Cold War, and the perceived weaknesses of the South Vietnamese government. It delves into the political pressures Johnson faced, such as the fear of losing the midterm elections and the broader ideological struggle against communism. The essay also analyzes the strategies employed, like the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and Operation Rolling Thunder, and their impact on the war's trajectory. Ultimately, the essay highlights the dilemmas Johnson faced and the factors that led to the escalation of American involvement in Vietnam.

Running head : THE REFLECTIVE ESSAY
THE REFLECTIVE ESSAY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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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 American association in the Vietnam War ended on March 29 and withdrawn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

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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

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follows communist rule, than the neighbors of that country were likely to follow the same.
Johnson deliberation that America would have to take a place and that if they fails to, then this
will harm the American prestige.
During his time, Johnson hassled that the policy on Vietnam imposed by him was a
prolongation was made by the action of his predecessors’ back in 1954 (Lind and Michael).
Johnson emphasized four factors; it necessarily stated that not only the presence but there is a
need of escalation for American military. The factors were that promises made by America are
always kept; the issue was with the future of all Southeast Asia; that the main purpose was to
maintain the peace; and that war was a reason for getting freedom. Johnson also constantly
cleared the legal basis on which he was asking for escalation. Moreover, like every other
politicians Johnson consistently asserted that, the reason behind everything was to follow ethical
non-self-regarding reasons: The reason behind supporting Vietnam was that, the promise made
by America back in 1954, that America will support South Vietnam people , and will help them
to achieve independence . America never wanted anything for them in return. In late 1963,
Vietcong received great supplies of weapons from the North Vietnam and infiltrated standard
military units towards the South. This created a chaos among the people in South Vietnamese
government, army and administration along with this Diem was being assassinated (Herring and
George ). The North Vietnamese were having a bet on the condition that will strike to the people
of South Vietnam , according to them, South would fall down and the Americans will be left
with nothing to support for, America will eventually leave them and will finally withdraw. The
main principal was that to limit the war, to restrict the consecutive US presidents, they feared of
initiating Russia or China involvement that has happened early in Korea in 1950. This clearly
intended in exacting that America in no way could send ground troops in North.

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Conclusion
The South Vietnamese would determine America’s victory or defeat in the war. President
Johnson's refusal to give additional troops to the war was accepted by Vo Nguyen Giap the
senior strategist. Therefore, from this event we can understand the dilemma faced by the
Johnson. The time was too crucial , but according to me the decision made by Johnson was
absolutely right , as America were losing their armed forces , and whatever he did was to protect
them and to save America.

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Reference
Barrett, David M. "The Mythology Surrounding Lyndon Johnson, His Advisers, and the 1965
Decision to Escalate the Vietnam War." The Vietnam War. Routledge, 2017. 47-73.
Herring, George C., ed. The Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War: The Negotiating Volumes of
the Pentagon Papers. University of Texas Press, 2014.
Johnson, Harry G. Further Essays in Monetary Economics (Collected Works of Harry Johnson).
Routledge, 2013.
Lind, Michael. Vietnam: The necessary war. Simon and Schuster, 2013.
Logevall, Fredrik. "Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam." The Vietnam War. Routledge, 2017. 75-87.
Logevall, Fredrik. The origins of the Vietnam War. Routledge, 2014.
Page, Caroline. US official propaganda during the Vietnam War, 1965-1973: the limits of
persuasion. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016.
Walton, Dale. The Myth of Inevitable US Defeat in Vietnam. Routledge, 2013.