ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the thinking of the Lyndon Johnson administration in relation to the ‘problem of Vietnam’ and, in particular, the way in which one powerful idea – that of the domino theory – limited the range of options held to be available in dealing with the problem. In fact his administration’s commitment emerged from the currents of the broader American political culture and drew upon the consensus concerning the necessity of containing international communism. International communism was held to be the common denominator in each of these cases, leading to State Department efforts to assess just ‘how Communist’ Ho Chi Minh was. Communism and nationalism were separate causes; all that was required was the identification of appropriate non-communist nationalists who could direct the genuine nationalist aspirations of the country. As president, Johnson’s leadership style was very different to that of Kennedy and called for uniformity in advice emanating from Vietnam.
