LBJ Goes to War, 1964–1965
Part 4 of Vietnam: A Television History, WGBH, Boston (1983)
Context of the film
- Who are the producers/writers?
- What does the film reveal about the period in which it was made?
- How was it received?
Synopsis
Lyndon Johnson inherited an unstable situation in South Vietnam. This episode follows the post-Diem governments’ struggles for control as the South Vietnamese army disintegrated, the U.S. bombing raids on the north began, and the first American combat troops arrived.
Main Point:
Why did President Johnson decide to increase American involvement in South Vietnam’s struggle against North Vietnam? Note how the film explores several answers to this question, including:
- Johnson’s beliefs about the world
- The prior history of American involvement
- International political consideration
- Domestic political considerations
- Johnson’s psychological make-up
What other options were possible? List President Johnson’s options in 1964–65. Was it possible to do other than what he did?
Important People/Events
- Ho Chi Minh
- Ngo Dinh Diem
- NVA
- Viet Cong
- ARVN
- Operation Rolling Thunder
- Robert S. McNamara
- Barry Goldwater
- The Domino theory
- Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
- General William Westmoreland