Question

Which event did President Johnson use as a justification for escalating the war in Vietnam?

Answer 1

The claim of an attack on a U.S. warship by North Vietnamese forces

Answer 2

Answer:

The claim of an attack on a US warship by North Vietnamese forces.

History / explanation:

The incident in the Gulf of Tonkin involved an attack and an alleged attack on US destroyers by North Vietnamese forces in August, 1964.  On August 2, the USS Maddox was pursued by North Vietnamese torpedo boats.  The Maddox fired warning shots, and the North Vietnamese then attacked with torpedoes and machine gun fire.  The US suffered only minor and no casualties; the North Vietnamese boats were damaged and they suffered several casualties.  On August 4, there was a report of a second Tonkin Gulf incident was alleged, but this later was revealed as a false report.  Nevertheless, the American public was told of two attacks and the incidents were used to get Congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf resolution, which gave the President open-ended powers to deploy troops in the military effort in Vietnam.

The key wording in the resolution said:

• Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.

The resolution had significant consequences for the Vietnam War and beyond that time.  In regard to the Vietnam War, it provided the justification for the president, Lyndon Johnson, to escalate US involvement in the war and magnify the number of US troops there by hundreds of thousands.  Between 1964 and the end of Johnson's presidency in 1969, US troop levels in Vietnam increased from around 20,000 to over 500,000.

In US foreign policy in general, the Gulf of Tonkin resolution represented an increase of the power of the Commander in Chief (the president) to deploy troops without getting formal approval in advance from Congress.