Battle of Gulf of Tonkin

The Battle of the Gulf of Tonkin refers to two alleged confrontations in August 1964 between North Vietnamese patrol boats and U.S. Navy ships near Vietnam. The incident led the U.S. to increase military involvement in Vietnam, as it was used to justify the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson broad authority to escalate the war. Later reports revealed that the second attack may not have occurred as initially described, raising questions about government transparency and influencing Gulf War policies.