The Road to Escalation
This naval incident in August 1964 involving the USS Maddox was the main excuse LBJ used to officially send US troops into Vietnam.
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident.
This was the name of LBJ’s massive bombing campaign over North Vietnam that ended up lasting for over three years.
Operation Rolling Thunder.
Anti war protestors on college campuses frequently burned these government papers in public to show they refused to be forced into the military.
Draft Cards.
This was the main US General in charge of all military operations in Vietnam during the years when LBJ kept sending more and more troops.
General William Westmoreland.
At the end of a big TV speech in March 1968, LBJ shocked the entire country by announcing what personal decision?
He was dropping out of the presidential race and wouldn't run for re election
This was the resolution passed by Congress that basically gave LBJ a "blank check" to do whatever he wanted in Vietnam without actually declaring war.
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
This was the main strategy for US troops on the ground: go into the jungle, find the enemy, kill them, and leave. Success was measured by body counts instead of taking land.
Search and Destroy.
This was the popular phrase used to describe the massive gap between what LBJ’s administration was telling the public and what people were actually seeing on the nightly news.
The "Credibility Gap."
He was LBJ’s Secretary of Defense who treated the war like a math problem based on stats and numbers, before eventually realizing it wasn't working and quitting.
Robert McNamara.
LBJ famously said that the Vietnam War destroyed his true love, which was his massive domestic plan to end poverty and fight racism in America. What was that plan called?
The Great Society.
When LBJ was running for president in 1964, he ran as the "peace candidate." What major promise did he make to American parents about their sons?
He promised he wouldn't send American boys to fight a war that Asian boys should be fighting themselves.
This was the hidden network of jungle paths through Laos and Cambodia that North Vietnam used to sneak weapons and troops into the south.
The Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Anti war protests outside this big political event in Chicago turned into an absolute riot with the police, showing how split the Democrats were over LBJ's war.
The 1968 Democratic National Convention
This guy took over as Secretary of Defense after McNamara left, and he was the one who honestly told LBJ that the war was a stalemate and they needed to get out.
Clark Clifford.
This was the nickname for a group of old, retired politicians and generals who LBJ trusted for advice. They supported the war at first but totally turned on him after the Tet Offensive.
The Wise Men.
Right after JFK was assassinated, LBJ signed these official policy memos (NSAMs) that shifted the US goal from just "advising" South Vietnam to doing whatever it takes to stop communism.
NSAM 273 and 288.
To destroy the thick jungle cover where the Viet Cong hid, the military used these two famous chemical weapons—one that killed trees and one that was basically fire gel.
Agent Orange and Napalm.
To try and make the draft fair because people were complaining, the government started using this randomized system based on physical birthdays.
The Draft Lottery.
He was the most trusted news anchor in America. After visiting Vietnam during Tet, he went on TV and said the war was stuck in a stalemate, causing LBJ to say he lost the support of everyday Americans.
Walter Cronkite.
In May 1968, LBJ finally got North Vietnam to agree to sit down for peace talks in this European city.
Paris.
The VC (Viet Cong) attacked this US helicopter base in 1965, killing 8 Americans. It made LBJ lose his patience and immediately start bombing North Vietnam.
Pleiku Air Base.
This massive surprise attack by the communists in January 1968 was a military failure for them, but it totally shocked the US public and proved the war wasn't almost over like LBJ said.
The Tet Offensive.
These were televised Senate hearings led by a critical politician where foreign policy experts basically called out LBJ's administration on TV about how bad the war was going.
The Fulbright Hearings
This general became the President of South Vietnam in 1967. He was LBJ’s main ally, but they argued a lot behind the scenes.
Nguyen Van Thieu.
This is the scandal where Richard Nixon’s campaign secretly told South Vietnam to stall LBJ's peace talks so it would help Nixon win the 1968 election.
The Chennault Affair.