The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed in 1964, giving President Johnson authorization to use military force in Southeast Asia. The resolution was prompted by a naval battle in the Gulf of Tonkin, but evidence suggests the second attack was on an imaginary enemy. The resolution was not a formal declaration of war and was repealed in 1971 by President Nixon. The conflict in Vietnam continued for 11 years before the US withdrew in 1975. The War Powers Resolution, limiting presidential war powers, was instituted in 1973.
Passed into law on August 7, 1964, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was the measure that prompted the expansion of American involvement in the Vietnam War. Also known as the Southeast Asia Resolution, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was legislation passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the United States Congress. The joint resolution was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson.
Shortly before her introduction, a naval battle took place on 2 August 1964 in the Gulf of Tonkin between the destroyer USS Maddox and the North Vietnamese Navy’s Torpedo Squadron 135. Although there were no American casualties, one US aircraft was damaged and four North Vietnamese sailors were killed. This was followed two days later by an attack by USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy on suspected North Vietnamese vessels. Although the event is collectively known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, evidence shows that the second attack most likely involved firing on an imaginary enemy as no wreckage or bodies were ever found. Despite this fact, the incident was reported at the time as genuine and became a reason for escalating the conflict.
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was not a formal declaration of war. Instead, he gave the commander-in-chief authorization to use conventional military force in Southeast Asia as he saw fit. President Johnson had already ordered the use of retaliatory air strikes and called for the resolution in a televised address. Passing the joint resolution itself was simply a formality to give the president full control of the situation without legal problems by conducting a military operation without congressional approval. Specifically, a previous agreement called the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty could now be enforced by any means the president saw fit.
Very little opposition to the Gulf of Tonkin resolution occurred in the short time between its introduction and the final vote. Congressman Eugene Siler of Kentucky opposed the measure in the House of Representatives; however, he was not present at the vote. Senators Wayne Morse of Oregon and Ernest Gruening of Arkansas both opposed the Senate escalation. Though these officials fought against its passage, the Gulf of Tonkin resolution passed dramatically, giving the president a chance to begin a major buildup of forces.
Due to the legislation, the conflict in Vietnam continued for another 11 years before the United States finally withdrew during the fall of Saigon in 1975. The resolution itself was repealed in 1971 by President Richard Nixon. Further limits on presidential war powers were instituted in 1973. Nixon first vetoed the War Powers Resolution in 1973, but it was overridden by Congress, making it a law that remains in effect today.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
