2. Why Johnson continued US involvement in the war
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 20-06-17 09:16
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- Why Johnson continued US involvement in the war
- Patriot
- LBJ intensely patriotic
- Believed USA was always victorious (even in Korea)
- Referred to Vietnam as:
- 'that raggedy-*** little fourth rate country'
- 'that damn pissant country'
- LBJ intensely patriotic
- No appeasement
- LBJ abhorred the idea of appeasement
- 'If you let a bully into your yard one day, next day he'll get on your porch, next he'll **** your wife'
- US always fought for freedom
- Gave examples of WW1 + WW2
- Felt US was always a democracy
- Containment
- LBJ continued policy laid down by Truman
- Long Telegram
- Communists aggressive and ideologically driven
- NCS-68
- Long Telegram
- LBJ continued policy laid down by Truman
- Domino theory
- LBJ believed Vietnam was another domino and more countries in Asia would fall
- Theory prescribed by Eisenhower and carried on by Kennedy
- Saigon regime still not winning
- South Vietnam was not popular
- Diem particularly unpopular
- Largely because of anti-Buddhist policies
- Wouldn't let them celebrate Buddhist birthday
- Thich Quang Duc
- Set himself on fire to demonstrate
- Thich Quang Duc
- Nov 1963 Diem murdered in coup authorised by Kennedy
- Wouldn't let them celebrate Buddhist birthday
- Largely because of anti-Buddhist policies
- Ap Bach showed failure of SV army
- Misunderstood Vietnamese
- LBJ was not foreign policy genius
- Couldn't cope with Vietnam differences
- Thought Ho was new Hitler
- Completely misinterpreted intentions
- Failed to see Ho was more interested in independence than social reforms
- LBJ was not foreign policy genius
- Military advisers
- By 1963: 16000 in Vietnam
- Kennedy's advisers
- LBJ retained Kennedy's main advisers
- Dean Rusk
- Secretary of State
- Robert McNamara
- Secretary of Defence
- Incredibly arrogant, always considered himself to be right
- Later admired he lacked historical knowledge of Vietnam
- Looked at Vietnam through Cold War prism
- Kennedy's policies
- LBJ was Kennedy's Vice President
- LBJ felt responsibility to carry on JFK's policies
- Continued with policy of containment and to defend South Vietnam
- Continued with Diem's policy of strategic hamlets
- SEATO
- Kennedy inherited it from Eisenhower
- Didn't like it but thought it would look bad to abandon it
- Asian equivalent of NATO
- Commitment trap
- Once US was engaged in Vietnam, politically is was very difficult to withdraw
- Barry Goldwater accused Johnson of being soft on Communism so Johnson wanted to appear firm
- Patriot
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