LBJ's War

LBJ's War

A president bound for greatness. A ruinous Vietnam war. How did Lyndon Johnson lose his way?

Vietnam on TV

The Tet Offensive shocked the nation and permanently changed US attitudes toward the Vietnam War

The North Vietnamese surprise attack on dozens of military sites in South Vietnam, including the US embassy in Saigon, had a seismic impact on the US public. While a military failure for the North, it was a huge propaganda success. Attitudes in the US towards the war and toward President Lyndon Johnson were never the same.

The Tet Offensive shocked the nation and permanently changed US attitudes toward the Vietnam War
MLK LBJ White House 1963

Martin Luther King's 1967 speech opposing the Vietnam War ended a historic partnership with Lyndon Johnson

Martin Luther King's 1967 speech opposing the Vietnam War ended a historic partnership with Lyndon Johnson
Sens. Morse and Fulbright

The 1966 Fulbright hearings on Vietnam parted the curtains on President Johnson's conduct of the war

The 1966 Fulbright hearings on Vietnam parted the curtains on President Johnson's conduct of the war
LBJ 1965

The carrot and the stick: LBJ addresses the nation on the conflict in Vietnam

The carrot and the stick: LBJ addresses the nation on the conflict in Vietnam
USS Maddox

What really happened in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964?

What really happened in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964?
LBJ with Bundy

LBJ knew the Vietnam War was a disaster in the making. Here's why he couldn't walk away.

The Vietnam War was a searing event in the history of the US. According to rarely heard audio recordings, President Lyndon Johnson expressed great misgivings about getting deeply involved in the conflict, but at every crucial juncture made the decision to do so. This series examines how and why that happened.

LBJ knew the Vietnam War was a disaster in the making. Here's why he couldn't walk away.