Assessing Johnson and Vietnam

Aside from the content in the previous five sections on LBJ and Vietnam, it will be valuable to formulate an opinion on Johnson's reign and draw from the opinions/assessments of others. Here is an assessment of Johnson's presidency and some contemporary views on how he handled his time in office.

President Lyndon B. Johnson's tenure is heavily marked by his administration's involvement in the Vietnam War. His policies and actions regarding Vietnam had profound impacts on both U.S. foreign and domestic policies, influencing the broader strategy of containment and undermining his ambitious Great Society programs.

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Impact on Containment Policy

The Vietnam War was a central element of the U.S. policy of containment, which aimed to prevent the spread of communism worldwide.

• Johnson escalated U.S. involvement in Vietnam based on the domino theory, which suggested that the fall of South Vietnam to communism would lead to the spread of communism throughout Southeast Asia. Johnson believed that a strong stand in Vietnam was necessary to demonstrate U.S. commitment to containing communism globally.
• Under Johnson, U.S. troop levels in Vietnam surged from 16,000 advisors in 1963 to over 500,000 combat troops by 1968. This massive escalation was intended to support the South Vietnamese government and military against the communist North.
• Despite significant military resources, the war exposed the limits of U.S. power and the challenges of fighting a guerrilla war in unfamiliar terrain. The inability to secure a decisive victory raised questions about the efficacy of the containment strategy.

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Impact on the Great Society - This is Good to Know

Johnson's domestic agenda, known as the Great Society, aimed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice through extensive social reforms.

• Key initiatives included Medicare and Medicaid, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, federal funding for education, and the War on Poverty programs.
• The cost of the Vietnam War, estimated at over $140 billion, diverted funds and attention away from these domestic programs. The war's financial burden contributed to inflation and strained the federal budget, making it difficult to sustain Johnson's ambitious social policies.
• The war's increasing unpopularity eroded Johnson's political capital. As public support for the war waned, so did support for his domestic agenda. The anti-war movement, which included many civil rights activists and liberals who initially supported Johnson, became a significant source of opposition.

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Contemporary Views on Johnson's Handling of Vietnam

Contemporary opinions on Johnson's handling of Vietnam are varied and often critical.

Criticisms of Johnson

Many contemporaries and historians argue that Johnson's escalation of the war was a costly mistake. Critics highlight his failure to recognise the limits of military power and the complexities of the Vietnamese political landscape.

David Halberstam, journalist and historian, noted: "Johnson was a prisoner of his advisers' collective blindness to the realities of Vietnam."

Martin Luther King Jr., a vocal critic of the war, said: "The greatest purveyor of violence in the world today [is] my own government."

Defenders of Johnson

Some defend Johnson's actions, arguing that he was responding to the perceived threat of global communism and the advice of his military and political advisers.

Henry Kissinger, reflecting on Johnson's predicament, stated: "Johnson faced an extraordinarily difficult situation, where there were no easy choices."

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Johnson's Legacy

Johnson's legacy is often seen as a tragic paradox. Despite significant achievements in civil rights and social reform, his presidency is overshadowed by the Vietnam War. The war's divisive impact on American society and politics, along with the human and financial costs, dominate assessments of his administration.

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