What advice would you have given President Johnson about how to proceed with the war in 1968? Why?
1 Answer
It depends upon whose version of the war you would have believed.
Explanation:
If we take Tet as a pivotal moment in 1968, and how it was interpreted we can perhaps answer the question. The Tet offensive saw the Vietcong launch offensives against key American and South Vietnamese Army targets in Southern cities such as Saigon and Hue.
Militarily it was a major defeat for the communists but psychologically the images seen on American televisions each night brought home the horror of war; and also gave the distinct impression that the USA was losing.
Therefore what advice would I give Johnson? If I believed the views of General William Westmorland the American commander I would have continued America's military commitment. Westmorland argued that the communists had been soundly defeated and Tet was mounted out of desperation. In other words, the US and her South Vietnamese allies were winning.
However the alternative view was that Tet was an important signal that the US could not win the war and it was time to try and get out. This was the view held by Clark Clifford who had been appointed Defence Secretary shortly before Tet. On taking office Clifford was told that America was winning the war.
However after Tet he held a meeting with the American commanders in the Pentagon. He asked questions such what was the chances of victory, if they sent more troops would that be the end and finally what was the actual plan for winning the war. He could get no definitive answers. From being a supporter of the war, he went to Johnson and told home the one certain course of action was to get out of Vietnam, "it was a real loser."
So take your pick.
