Question

Why didn't Congress officially declare war against Vietnam?

Answer 1

I would venture to guess they did not want a show down with the Soviet Union or China at the time. The Gulf of Tonkin incident was enough to justify escalating the war without a declaration. You would think that sending 50,000 amercian boys and soldier girls to their deaths would've justified a declaration of war, but who am i to raise that argument.

Answer 2

Because then their constituents would have blamed them for going to war and sending their children, husbands and family to a war we had no business in.

Answer 3

You cant declare war on a allies or a half of a countery.. And it was a action to keep the NVA from coming south and killing all the people that did not want to be a communist slave.

Answer 4

Because Vietnam was not a "whole" country. there were supposed to be elections to re-unite the country. Ones were held, and there was so much fraud, on BOTH sides, that is was not certified and implemented. The Northern Communists ending up winning the other way, but killing their way South.