Gulf of Tonkin Incident (2 Aug 1964)
- NV petrol boats → attacked USS Maddox (a US destroyer) → in Gulf of Tonkin.
- By this point, NV and SV → already in a de facto since state of conflict.
US Response
- Gulf of Tonkin incident → led to US congress to take decisive action.
- passed Gulf of Tonkin resolution → giving Johnson power to take all necessary measures → prevent further aggression and achieve peace and security.
- marked beginning of direct US military intervention
Escalation to Full Scale War
- instead of only deploying advisors, US sent troops to fight in Vietnam.
- US allies such as Australia, Br. New Zealand, SK → also sent soldiers
- phase of direct American Involvement in war → called Vietnam war, or 2nd Indochina war