The Gulf of Tonkin Incident

1964

• Maddox (US destroyer) was fired at by North Vietnamese patrol boats on the Gulf of Tonkin
• Maddox was gathering intelligence information
• 2 days later there was another (alleged) attack
• Johnson was able to use the second attack to persuade Congress to support greater US involvement in Vietnam
• Congress believed that, due to the second attack, action needed to be taken
• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution - gave Johnson power to take any military measures

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• Johnson ordered airstrikes on North Vietnam, despite doubts
• The Resolution had the same effect as a declaration of war - but it wasn’t that
• Fighting begun at Binh Gia and the VC won
• By February 1965, US involvement was costing $2 million per day

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