Analysis Of The Tonkin Gulf Resolution

A. Plan of Investigation

The investigation evaluates how the Tonkin Gulf Resolution was purposefully done by Johnson Admin as an excuse to be involved more in Vietnam. To help understand this, the investigation breaks down the different tactics the United States took during this time.

In order to see how the Johnson Admin purposefully took advantage of the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, tactics such as Lyndon B. Johnson ordering the “Operation Rolling Thunder” bombing North Vietnam by the Air Force, the first American combat troops arriving in South Vietnam in March, and by June 50,000 United States soldiers fighting in Vietcong will be evaluated.

B. Summary of Evidence

The Tonkin Gulf Resolution (August 10, 1964) started when congress responded to two alleged attacks on United States ships in the Gulf of Tonkin. Lyndon B. Johnson asked Congress to support a move of building up troops in South Vietnam to protect the U.S. ally from Communist invasion. Johnson was given permission to find a way of guarding against any military attacks against United States forces in Vietnam. The resolution stated, “"The United States regards as vital to its national interest and to world peace the maintenance of international peace and security in Southeast Asia” also giving Johnson the right to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.” The contention of this is that a majority of the Congress supported the Tonkin Gulf Resolution while being under the assumption that it will not invoke a larger war, whereas Johnson used it as such. The investigation on the alleged attacks were not thoroughly investigated before making a decision on a resolution. This leads to bigge...

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...involved in Vietnam.

There have been many claims that the Gulf of Tonkin incident didn’t even occur, going into the idea that it was made up so the United States would have a reason to control Vietnam. An interesting quote that comes from previously classified documents shows that McNamara himself says, “It was just confusion, and events afterwards showed that our judgment that we’d been attacked that day was wrong. It didn’t happen.” This can be interpreted that the Johnson Administration genuinely made a mistake by prejudging the attack, but there is more evidence that is was done on purpose. This is significant evidence because it shows that the Johnson Administration was indeed rushing to push the United States in Vietnam further more. The Johnson Administration was deceiving the American public. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident has now been marked as being a hoax.