Operation Rolling Thunder: Bombing North Vietnam

The political context that gave birth to Rolling Thunder was shaped by the deteriorating situation in South Vietnam during 1964 and early 1965, as the government of South Vietnam teetered on the brink of collapse while Viet Cong forces gained strength and territory throughout the countryside. President Lyndon Johnson faced mounting pressure from military advisors and congressional hawks who argued that only decisive military action could prevent communist victory in Southeast Asia, while also confronting domestic political considerations that made massive ground force deployment politically risky. The air campaign represented an attractive middle course that could demonstrate American resolve and commitment while avoiding the domestic political costs associated with large-scale ground combat operations that might produce heavy American casualties.