Lyndon B. Johnson in Office

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The conflict in Vietnam was a situation where no matter which path taken, more negative than positive effects would hit the US and their allies. President Lyndon B Johnson took office after the assassination of JFK and now controlled a grieving nation. During the mid 1960s, Unites States President Lyndon B Johnson was forced to make a decision about the future in Vietnam. Any action he took would significantly affect those in the US who were still recovering from the death of a beloved president. Johnson and his advisors quickly narrowed their options down to three distinct options, all with what seemed to provide minimal benefit to the American people. Those three avenues of approach included pulling out all troops already in Vietnam, inserting thousands of more troops into Vietnam, or seeking neutralization over the countries of North and South Vietnam. President Johnson, while considering his options, was highly concerned with “The Domino Theory,” the threat of communism in Southern Asia; however he was also concerned about his image as president. With that being said, he knew that this was a deteriorating situation in Vietnam and no matter what path was chosen, he would face criticism. President Johnson, along with his advisors, procrastinated as long as they could to “pick their poison,” deciding that inserting combat troops was the best way to obtain economic and strategic value in Southern Asia. President Johnson’s rise to power at home in the US was directly proportional to fall of power in the deteriorating South Vietnam. Just four weeks before the death of JFK, South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem had been assassinated himself. The death of their president had been demoralizing to the South Vietnamese an... ... middle of paper ... ...ound it. After the assassination of John F Kennedy, President Johnson quickly learned that the ongoing problem in Vietnam was worse and worse than he had ever known. Being quickly informed of the situation day by day, along with the fact that it was getting worse, Johnson had realized he had stepped into quicksand and minimal benefits would come with it. His secret phone recordings with key leaders and advisors give listeners the elimination process he went through to best serve his country. Every step he took during the Vietnam conflict was one with precise discussion with his men. President Johnson had to deal with the harmful outcomes that came with each presented course of action. In the end had it not been for fear; fear of The Domino Theory, fear for his personal Image, President Lyndon B Johnson may not have been forced to escalate to war in Vietnam.

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