Lbj And Its Impact On The Vietnam War

718 Words2 Pages

With the assassination of Kennedy in 1963, LBJ became president after being sworn in the same day. LBJ promised the nation he would continue to pursue the very essence of what Kennedy was striving for. LBJ, who had his own agenda as well, is noted for his triumphs with Medicare and Medicaid programs as well as for signing the Civil Rights act in 1964. However, even with those certain triumphs, LBJ is and was examined closely with his dealings in how he handled the Vietnam War.
LBJ like his predecessors was committed to maintaining an independent South Vietnam and to achieving success in Southeast Asia against the rising tide of Communism. From his years as a Senator, LBJ followed the “containment theory”, in which he felt that if Vietnam fell, other Asian nations would also. LBJ also a purveyor of history, did not want to be remembered as the president who let Southeast Asia fall to Communism.
Following in Kennedy’s footsteps, LBJ pushed through a national security agency memorandum, on November 26, 1963, which directed the U.S. government "to assist the people and Government of So...

Open Document