What were the Reasons for the Escalation of the US War effort in Vietnam in 1965?

Abstract

The Vietnam War is seen as one of the most brutal wars in which the US was involved in, and responsible for mass anti-war movements. This study investigates the factors responsible for the escalation of the US war effort in Vietnam. A prominent explanation for the increase of US involvement in Vietnam is the change in presidency to Lyndon Johnson. However, previous research generally fail to consider the impact of the North and South Vietnamese - a potentially significant factor in America’s decision to increase involvement. This study uses historical documents provided by the Foreign Relations of the United States to determine the impact that the changing situation in Vietnam had on policymakers in the US. Additionally, these primary sources will be used to interpret how significant other factors were in causing the escalation of the US war effort in Vietnam. These include the change in presidency to Johnson, the Gulf of Tonkin incident, and the importance of preserving credibility for the US. In addition to the primary sources, this study will incorporate the use of secondary sources such as scholarly articles and books to support the analysis. This investigation found that it was a combination of the changing situation in South Vietnam, and America’s determination to protect its credibility in the wider context of the Cold War that was responsible for increased US involvement in Vietnam. Although the change in presidency to Johnson and the Gulf of Tonkin had an impact, this investigation found that it was largely limited.