44. Pretend Wars

The Vietnam conflict, while one of the most significant military engagements of the 20th century for the United States, never technically saw a formal declaration of war by Congress. Instead, the U.S. military’s involvement was authorized under the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, a legislative maneuver that granted President Lyndon B. Johnson broad powers to conduct military operations without an official war declaration.

This distinction was crucial, as the conflict was primarily viewed as a civil war within Vietnam. Labeling it an “actual war” risked drawing the Soviet Union into direct confrontation with the United States, escalating a regional conflict into a potential global showdown.