The relevance of crises : the Tonkin gulf incidents /

Abstract

The United States went to war in Vietnam on 7 August 1964. Although involved in Vietnam much earlier, it was not until the Tonkin Gulf Resolution passed both the Congress and Senate that the United States could legally wage war in Southeast Asia. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution resulted from the Tonkin Gulf incidents, in which American ships were attacked by North Vietnam. While these attacks are the basis for the Resolution, they have never been fully and clearly explained. Many questions remain as to what actually transpired in the Tonkin Gulf on 2 and 4 August 1964. Due to the nagging questions surrounding these incidents, a thorough chronology is necessary. The following history of the Tonkin Gulf incidents incorporates new information that will better detail the questionable incidents. Furthermore, this study exposes some of the more blatant misrepresentations made by government officials as they tried to pursued Congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution.