Gulf of Tonkin Scandal
Did the Gulf of Tonkin incident open the door to war on false pretenses?
4.4 (12)
62 mins
Explore the controversy surrounding the Gulf of Tonkin incident, a clash that escalated U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Discover how reports of attacks on American ships lead to sweeping war powers for the president.
Ep 1:
The Night That Never Happened
An introduction to the phantom battle that launched America into Vietnam, and the secret covert war and political pressures that set the stage for catastrophe.
Ep 2:
Provoking the Storm at Sea
Two destroyers, a covert commando raid, and a real firefight collide, as the US quietly provokes the very attack it will later deny provoking.
Ep 3:
Ghosts, Static, and False Proof
Confused sailors, malfunctioning radar, and mistranslated intercepts combine into a phantom battle—while one captain's doubts are buried by a Washington eager for proof.
Ep 4:
Rushing a Nation Into War
Within hours of a battle that never happened, bombs fall and Congress is misled, handing a president near-unlimited power to wage undeclared war.
Ep 5:
The Confession Decades in the Making
Decades later, NSA files and a wartime confession expose the manipulated intelligence behind Tonkin—and reveal the staggering human toll of the deception.
Ep 6:
The First Casualty Is Truth
Looking back at Tonkin's manufactured crisis, this finale asks what democratic failures let it happen—and whether history's warning has ever truly been heeded.
Discussions (2)
Clifford
Level 3 · 6 mo agoI get what you’re saying about the lie, but why would Johnson purposely start a war just for an election? Doesn't that mean he just trusted bad intel? This stuff seems crazy to me lol
Barry
Level 7 · 5 mo agoguys getting paid millions to run the country and they start a 10 year war over some flying fish 😂 at this point it is just absolute malpractice
