Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardThe Vietnam War and Foreign Policy

President Lyndon B. Johnson, Address at Johns Hopkins University: "Peace Without Conquest," April 7, 1965:

"We are there because we have a promise to keep. Since 1954 every American President has offered support to the people of South Vietnam. We have helped to build, and we have defended. Thus, over many years, we have made a national pledge to help South Vietnam defend its independence. And I intend to keep our promise. To dishonor that pledge, to abandon this small and brave nation to its enemies, and to the terror that must follow, would be an unforgivable wrong. We are also there to strengthen world order. Around the globe, from Berlin to Thailand, are people whose well-being rests, in part, on the belief that they can count on us if they are attacked. To leave Vietnam to its fate would shake the confidence of all these people in the value of an American commitment."

Which of the following historical developments during the late 1960s or 1970s represented the most direct departure from the foreign policy assumptions expressed in the excerpt?

  1. The formulation of the Nixon Doctrine, which declared that United States allies would be responsible for their own ground defenseAnswer
  2. B
    The passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which sought to limit presidential authority to deploy combat troops without a declaration of war
  3. C
    The decision to limit the application of the containment doctrine to European nations to prevent direct conflict with the Soviet Union
  4. D
    The launch of the Tet Offensive, which served as the primary legal authorization for the escalation of U.S. forces in South Vietnam

Answer

The formulation of the Nixon Doctrine, which declared that United States allies would be responsible for their own ground defense
The formulation of the Nixon Doctrine, which declared that United States allies would be responsible for their own ground defense, is correct because it marked a shift away from the expansive U.S. commitments of containment exemplified by Johnson's speech. Under the Nixon Doctrine (and the policy of Vietnamization), the U.S. began withdrawing ground troops and expected allied nations to handle their own combat operations.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the prompt and the provided excerpt from President Lyndon B. Johnson's 1965 speech.
The excerpt outlines the commitment of the United States to defend South Vietnam, claiming that failing to do so would undermine global confidence in the U.S. commitment to contain communism (the domino theory and the credibility of American alliances).
Understanding the source's main argument is necessary to identify departures from it.
2
Evaluate the choices to identify which represents a direct departure from this policy of direct U.S. intervention and absolute commitment.
The Nixon Doctrine, introduced in 1969, stated that the United States would assist in the defense and development of allies but would not undertake all the defense of the free nations of the world. This meant allies had to provide the manpower for their own defense, a significant scale-back from Johnson's pledge to keep U.S. forces directly involved in defending South Vietnam.
This step directly connects the change in foreign policy (Nixon Doctrine/Vietnamization) to the departure from Johnson's policy of direct U.S. escalation.

Key Concept

The Shift in U.S. Foreign Policy and Containment during the Vietnam War
Rate this question

Topics

The Vietnam War and Foreign Policy

More questions from this topic