In 1947, President Harry Truman made a vow to the nation, later known as the Truman Doctrine, to contain communism in Europe and elsewhere. President Truman's successors continued to vow that they would do everything in their power to stop the spread of communism and prevent the "domino effect." President John F. Kennedy increased the number of military advisors and special forces in South Vietnam, but President Johnson made the decision to engage in all-out war in the region. Because Johnson decided to engage in total war, it is fair and true to refer to the Vietnam conflict as "Johnson's War." After President Johnson finished JFK's term, he was in a bit of a pickle. Johnson wanted to stay the course in Vietnam but feared that a military setback in the region would tarnish his image for the next election. Johnson campaigned against Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, and Goldwater advocated a systematic bombing of North Vietnam before the invasion. However, President Johnson campaigned for restraint in Vietnam. Shortly after Johnson was inaugurated for a full term as president, he began significantly increasing American resources for the war effort in Vietnam. It is fair to say that the Vietnam War was Johnson's war and his handling of the conflict caused unrest and frustration among the American people. Although the Vietnam conflict was Johnson's war, previous administrations had laid the groundwork for the invasion of Vietnam. President JFK had sent military advisors and special forces to the region and President Harry Truman had initiated the US policy that its armed forces would do whatever was necessary to contain communism and prevent the domino effect. The first step LBJ took to escalate the Vietnam War was when he urged...... middle of paper ...... rations laid the foundation for the conflict in Vietnam, but Johnson was the main person responsible for America's entry into the conflict. conflict. Operation Rolling Thunder intensified American involvement in the war by significantly increasing bombing campaigns and the number of troops in the region. Thanks to the media covering the war, they were able to present the horrific scenes of the burning of civilian homes by the Marines and the air raids causing many civilian casualties. The presentation of these scenes ran counter to the U.S. government's argument that the United States had a moral justification for entering the war in order to spread democracy and freedom. The growing death toll among American soldiers and the lack of justification for American involvement in Vietnam sparked protests across the country. Overall, Vietnam was Johnson's war and this conflict was not considered a victory for the American armed forces..