Reconsidering LBJ and Foreign Policy

The Making of a Stalemate The Vietnam War 1965-1967 LBJ’s search for advice - Eisenhower • WhiteHouseTapes.org Transcript + Audio Clip • WhiteHouseTapes.org Transcript + Audio Clip • WhiteHouseTapes.org Transcript + Audio Clip “Many Flags” campaign - Allied support • 1.) South Korea – largest contingent – 48,000(would lose 4407 men)-US financial support • 2.) Australia – 8000, lost 469 • 3.)New Zealand, 1000, lost 37 • 4.) Thailand – 12,000 troops, 351 lost • 5.) Philippines – medical and small number of forces in pacification • 6.) Nationalist China – covert operations The Stalemated War • 1.) Battles with the North Vietnamese – Americanization <a href="/goto?url=http://tapes.millercenter.virginia.edu/clips/1965_1102_mcnamara/" target="_blank">of the War -</a><a href="/goto?url=http://tapes.millercenter.virginia.edu/clips/1965_1102_mcnamara/" target="_blank"> </a><a href="/goto?url=http://tapes.millercenter.virginia.edu/clips/1965_1102_mcnamara/" target="_blank">Ia Drang, </a>November 1965<a href="/goto?url=http://whitehousetapes.net/clip/lyndon-johnson-dwight-eisenhower-lbj-and-eisenhower-bombing-north-vietnam" target="_blank">WhiteHouseTapes.org Transcript + </a>Audio Clip • 2.) Bombing Halt – December 1965-January 1966 -LBJ and Eisenhower on Bombing North Vietnam • White House Tapes • Miller Center • <a href="/goto?url=http://whitehousetapes.net/clip/lyndon-johnson-dwight-eisenhower-lbj-and-eisenhower-bombing-north-vietnam" target="_blank">3.) Westmoreland’s Strategy of Attrition – </a>the body count – designed for limited war • 4.) Search and Destroy operations • Operation Masher/White Wing – January-March 1966 • Operation Attleboro – September-November 1966 American Force levels/casualties in Vietnam(K=killed W=wounded) • 1964 23,200 • 1965 190,000 • 1966 390,000 • 1967 500,000 • 1968 535,000 • 1969 475,000 • 1970 334,000 • 1971 140,000 • 1972 50,000 K 147 W 522 K 1369 W 3308 5008 16,526 9377 32,370 14,589 46,797 9414 32,940 4221 15,211 1381 4767 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">300 </li><li style="flex:1">587 </li></ul>Soviet and Chinese Support for North Vietnam • 1.) Despite Sino-Soviet dispute and outbreak of Cultural Revolution in China, support continues • 2.) Soviet supply of anti-aircraft technology and supplies to the North – along with medical supplies, arms, tanks, planes, helicopters, artillery, and other military equipment. Soviet ships provided intelligence on B-52 raids – 3000 soldiers in North Vietnam (Soviet govt. concealed extent of support) • 3.) Chinese supply of anti-aircraft units and engineering battalions – 327,000 troops sent – more than 17,000 killed The Thieu-Ky government Problems of the South Vietnamese Government • 1.) Gradual stabilization – constitution, elections - ARVN responsibility for “pacification” • 2.) Creation of a Revolutionary Development program • 3.) Problems of corruption, poor training • 4.) Key problem of security – thousands kidnapped and killed by the Viet Cong • 5.) Refugee problem – 4 million • 6.) Social and Economic Impact of the American presence - Dependency Signs of Discontent – the Fulbright Hearings – Feb. 1966 George Kennan – the Realist Critique 1.) Vietnam not a vital national interest 2.) Domino theory – events in Indonesia; failed Communist coup of October 1965 – hundreds of thousands slaughtered (reference in Barack Obama’s autobiography) 3.) Victory not possible 4.) Misplaced priority – relations with Soviet Union more important The Debate at Home • 1.) Hawks – escalate the war • 2.) Doves • a.) Pacifists • b.) New Left • c.) Liberals Draft Card Burning <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Antiwar Demonstrations </li><li style="flex:1">The Kennedy Challenge </li><li style="flex:1">Kennedy as Rock Star </li></ul>YouTube - Bobby Kennedy - fearless Johnson – 1966 Political Problems • 1.) Image Problems – the Credibility Gap • 2.) Domestic Problems – Inner City Riots, the “White Backlash” • 3.) Midterm Election Losses in 1966 Public Opinion Polls – Was sending troops a mistake? NO • August 1965 61% • March 1966 59% <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">• May 1966 </li><li style="flex:1">49% </li></ul>• Sept. 1966 48% • Feb. 1967 52% <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">• July 1967 </li><li style="flex:1">48% </li></ul>• October 1967 44% • March 1968 40% • August 1968 35% The Drive for Peace Talks – mediators, Wilson, Kosygin 1967 – Origins of the Progress Offensive „ 1.) Increasing Discontent with the War „ 2.) Long Hot Summer – Riots in Detroit „ 3.) Inflation Fears „ 4.) LBJ calls for a 10 Percent surtax to pay for the war „ 5.) Public approval of Johnson’s handling of the war falls to 28 percent „ 6.) Martin Luther King’s opposition, March on the Pentagon October 1967, McCarthy Campaign, McNamara’s decision to resign „ (Events of Two days in October 1967) Martin Luther King’s Opposition Riverside Church speech, April 1967 „ YouTube - Martin Luther King Jr_Opposing <a href="/goto?url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=patMmYjgNec" target="_blank">The Vietnam War </a>„ King’s opposition – also demonstrating a strong move to the Left, sign of the radicalization of the civil rights movement, <a href="/goto?url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=patMmYjgNec" target="_blank">the rise of black power </a>Eugene McCarthy McCarthy’s Background „ 1.) Senator from Minnesota „ <a href="/goto?url=http://web1.millercenter.org/dci/1966_0201_critics.htm" target="_blank">2.) Johnson considered him as a possible </a>running mate in 1964 „ 3.) Digital Classroom Initiative : Template „ 4.) McCarthy announces candidacy -November 1967 – only 5 percent in the polls -"I am concerned that the Administration seems to have set no limit to the price it is willing to pay for a military victory." San Antonio formula „ 1.) Background – debate within the Administration – military urging a major escalation – McNamara arguing against it „ 2.) Speech - September 29, 1967, in San Antonio, Texas, Johnson offered to cease the bombing of North Vietnam if Ho Chi Minh would agree to begin serious negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, and if he would promise not to use the bombing halt as an opportunity to “increase” their infiltration of troops and supplies into South Vietnam. „ 3.) Transmitted through Henry Kissinger and contacts in France – (Willingness to include NLF in negotiations) Hanoi rejects it North Vietnamese Planning for Tet „ 1.) Maximum and Minimum objectives – maximum, another August Revolution – minimum – psychological advantage for negotiations, destabilize Saigon, wear down the Americans, force coalition government „ 2.) Strategy – main force units divert the Americans – Khe Sanh, Viet Cong hit the cities „ 3.) Oct. and Nov. 1967 – battles in the north and central highlands, Con Thien and Dak To „ 4.) Beginning of build-up around Khe Sanh Johnson’s Progress Offensive „ 1.) Johnson’s November press Conference „ 2.) Bringing Westmoreland home to report to Congress - “the end begins to come into view” „ “the light at the end of the tunnel” „ 3.) LBJ orders surveillance of the peace movement activities at home and abroad– Operation Chaos – dossiers on 7000 Americans – violation of CIA charter „ 4.) Objective signs of progress – enemy suffering high casualties, problems with recruiting, ARVN desertion rate dropping, even McNamara believed progress was being made „ 5.) PR campaign – “Committee for Peace and Freedom in Vietnam” – coordinated with the White House

Reconsidering LBJ and Foreign Policy

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