USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Johnson’s presidency took place during the Cold War and his foreign policy prioritised containment of communism. Prior to his presidency, the U.S. was already involved in the Vietnam War, supporting South Vietnam against the communist North.

Detailed explanation-2: -The major initiative in the Lyndon Johnson presidency was the Vietnam War. By 1968, the United States had 548, 000 troops in Vietnam and had already lost 30, 000 Americans there.

Detailed explanation-3: -November 1, 1955-President Eisenhower deploys the Military Assistance Advisory Group to train the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. This marks the official beginning of American involvement in the war as recognized by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. April 1956-The last French troops finally withdraw from Vietnam.

Detailed explanation-4: -The U.S. had stationed advisory military personnel in South Vietnam since the 1950s, but Johnson presided over a major escalation of the U.S. role in the Vietnam War. After the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, he obtained congressional approval to use military force to repel future attacks by North Vietnam.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Tonkin Gulf Resolution gave the President a “blank check” to wage the war in Vietnam as he saw fit. After Lyndon Johnson was elected President in his own right that November, he chose escalate the conflict.