History Film / PathToWar

* SadisticChoice: The refusal of the Vietnamese to surrender and the ineffectiveness of the US military's surgical strikes leaves LBJ with the unenviable choice of either escalating to the point where the Americans will be genociding most of the country to terrorize the Vietnamese into submission (which would make his administration completely illegitimate in the eyes of the American public to the point where a mob might lynch him, lose them the support of their strategic allies and likely provoke China and Russia into WorldWarIII) or to retreat and let the North Vietnamese take over.

* {{Determinator}}: The Vietnamese. The Joint Chiefs keep advising LBJ to deploy more troops and to escalate the war further. However, the Generals underestimate the will of the Vietnamese resistance, who aren't swayed by large casualties. When the Viet Cong supply lines are destroyed, they're having anybody with a pulse trek across the mountains to provide weapons to their guerillas.

* SadisticChoice: The refusal of the Vietnamese to surrender and the ineffectiveness of the US military's surgical strikes leaves LBJ with the unenviable choice of either escalating to the point where the Americans will be genociding most of the country to terrorize the Vietnamese into submission (which would make his administration completely illegitimate in the eyes of the American public to the point where they might overthrow him, lose them the support of their strategic allies and likely provoke China and Russia into WorldWarIII) or to retreat and let the North Vietnamese take over.

* SadisticChoice: The refusal of the Vietnamese to surrender and the ineffectiveness of the US military's surgical strikes leaves LBJ with the unenviable choice of either escalating to the point where the Americans will be genociding most of the country to terrorize the Vietnamese into submission (which would make his administration completely illegitimate in the eyes of the American public, lose them the support of their strategic allies and likely provoke China and Russia into WorldWarIII) or to retreat and let the North Vietnamese take over.

* SadisticChoice: The refusal of the Vietnamese to surrender and the ineffectiveness of the military's surgical strikes leaves LBJ with the unenviable choice of either escalating to the point where the Americans will be genociding most of the country to terrorize the Vietnamese into submission (which would make his administration completely illegitimate in the eyes of the American public, lose them the support of their strategic allies and likely provoke China and Russia into WorldWarIII) or to retreat and let the North Vietnamese take over.

* {{Determinator}}: The Vietnamese. The Joint Chiefs keep advising LBJ to deploy more troops and to escalate the war further. However, the Generals underestimate the will of the Vietnamese resistance, who aren't swayed by large casualties. When the Viet Cong supply lines are destroyed, they're having anybody with a pulse trek across the mountains to provide weapons to their guerillas. This leaves LBJ with the SadisticChoice of either escalating to the point where the Americans will be genociding most of the country to terrorize the Vietnamese into submission (which would make his administration completely illegitimate in the eyes of the American public, lose them the support of their allies and likely provoke China and Russia into WorldWarIII) or to retreat and let the North Vietnamese take over.

* {{Determinator}}: The Vietnamese. The Joint Chiefs keep advising LBJ to deploy more troops and to escalate the war further. However, the Generals underestimate the will of the Vietnamese resistance, who aren't swayed by large casualties. When the Viet Cong supply lines are destroyed, they're having anybody with a pulse trek across the mountains to provide weapons to their guerillas. This leaves LBJ with the SadisticChoice of either escalating to the point where the Americans will be genociding most of the country to terrorize the Vietnamese into submission (which would lose them the support of their allies and likely provoke China and Russia into WorldWarIII) or to retreat and let the North Vietnamese take over.

* {{Determinator}}: The Vietnamese. The Joint Chiefs keep advising LBJ to deploy more troops and to escalate the war further. However, the Generals underestimate the will of the Vietnamese resistance, who aren't swayed by large casualties. When the Viet Cong supply lines are destroyed, they're having anybody with a pulse trek across the mountains to provide weapons to their guerillas. This leaves LBJ with the SadisticChoice of either escalating to the point where the Americans will be genociding most of the country to terrorize the Vietnamese into submission or to retreat and let the North Vietnamese take over.

As UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar escalates far beyond the proposed estimates of his cabinet and Generals. LBJ finds himself leading a country that is torn apart by the escalation of the war and the requirements needed to win.

A tragedy of a President who went along with the plan and the best experts he had, for a war he really did not want. But was ultimately destroyed by it.

->'''Lyndon Johnson:''' I shoulda cleaned house November '63, got rid of all of 'em, Mc Namara, Bundy, Connally, I knew those fuckin' Kennedy-lovers would be disloyal to me! All of 'em!

''Path to War'' is a 2002 Creator/{{HBO}} television film and the last work of its director, Creator/JohnFrankenheimer. It stars Creator/MichaelGambon as President UsefulNotes/LyndonJohnson, Creator/AlecBaldwin as Secretary of Defense UsefulNotes/RobertMcNamara, and Creator/DonaldSutherland as presidential advisor Clark Clifford, who succeeds [=McNamara=] as Secretary of Defense.

''Path to War'' is a 2002 Creator/{{HBO}} television film and the last work of its director, Creator/JohnFrankenheimer. It stars Creator/MichaelGambon as President UsefulNotes/LyndonJohnson, Creator/AlecBaldwin as Secretary of Defense UsefulNotes/RobertMcNamara, and Creator/DonaldSutherland as presidential advisor Clark M. Clifford, who succeeds [=McNamara=] as Secretary of Defense.

-->'''Lyndon Johnson:''' I shoulda' cleaned house November 63, got rid of all of em, Mc Namara, Bundy, Connally,I knew those fuckin Kennedy lovers would be disloyal to me! All of em!\\
'''Clark Clifford:''' ''[On Vietnam]'' They only advised you, Mr. President. You decided. Against all your natural instincts, against the whole of your life experience... you decided.\\


''Path To War'' is a 2002 Creator/{{HBO}} television film and the last work of Creator/JohnFrankenheimer. The film stars Creator/MichaelGambon as President Lyndon Johnson, Creator/AlecBaldwin as Secretary of Defense Robert [=McNamara=] and Creator/DonaldSutherland as presidential advisor Clark M. Clifford, who succeeds [=McNamara=] as Secretary of Defense.

1964. Following the largest landslide in U.S history. UsefulNotes/LyndonJohnson, is confirmed as the President of the United States, and he has big plans for the country. 'The Great Society'. A chance to make the land that all Americans dream of. Healthcare, Education, welfare and civil rights reforms. He and his cabinet intend to eliminate poverty and racial injustice. But the drums of war are beating in South-East Asia...

''Path To War'' is a 2002 Creator/{{HBO}} television film and the last work of Creator/JohnFrankenheimer. The film stars Creator/MichaelGambon as President Johnson, Creator/AlecBaldwin as Secretary of Defense Robert [=McNamara=] and Creator/DonaldSutherland as presidential advisor Clark M. Clifford, who succeeds [=McNamara=] as Secretary of Defense.

''Path To War'' is a 2002 Creator/{{HBO}} television film and the last work of Creator/JohnFrankenheimer. The film stars Creator/MichaelGambon as President Johnson, Creator/AlecBaldwin as Secretary of Defense Robert [=McNamara=] and Creator/DonaldSutherland as presidential advisor Clark M. Clifford, who succeeds Mc Namara as Secretary of Defense.

As the UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar escalates far beyond the proposed estimates of his cabinet and Generals. LBJ finds himself leading a country that is torn apart by the escalation of the war and the requirements needed to win.

''Path To War'' is a 2002 Creator/{{HBO}} television film and the last work of Creator/JohnFrankenheimer. The film stars Michael Gambon as President Johnson, Alec Baldwin as Secretary of Defense Robert Mc Namara and Donald Sutherland as presidential advisor Clark M. Clifford, who succeeds Mc Namara as Secretary of Defense.

* TheChessMaster: LBJ successfully plays his hands that he used to play when he was master of the senate. Unfortunately power slips away when he finds opposition to the Vietnam War increase.
* HonestAdvisor: Clark Gifford is an old friend of Lyndon's and he brings him on board to help disseminate all the information that he is enveloped with regarding Vietnam.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: LBJ genuinely wants to help improve the United States.
* LonelyAtTheTop: LBJ. By 1967 most of His reforms will never see the light the day. He sits alone in the Oval office in the dark. Only the sound of thousands of angry protestors outside.

* WhatTheHellHero: Ball feels ultimately betrayed when Gifford switches to supporting the war.

-->'''Lyndon Johnson:''' I shoulda' cleaned house November 63, got rid of all of em, Mc Namara, Bundy, Connally,I knew those fuckin Kennedy lovers
-->would be disloyal to me! All of em!\\

Path To War is a 2002 Creator/{{HBO}} television film and the last work of ''Creator/JohnFrankenheimer''. The film stars Michael Gambon as President Johnson, Alec Baldwin as Secretary of Defense Robert Mc Namara and Donald Sutherland as presidential advisor Clark M. Clifford, who succeeds Mc Namara as Secretary of Defense.

Path To War is a 2002 Creator/{{HBO}} television film. The film stars Michael Gambon as President Johnson, Alec Baldwin as Secretary of Defense Robert Mc Namara and Donald Sutherland as presidential advisor Clark M. Clifford, who succeeds Mc Namara as Secretary of Defense.

Path To War is a 2002 Creator/{{HBO}} television film. The film stars Michael Gambon as President Johnson, Alec Baldwin as Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Donald Sutherland as presidential advisor Clark M. Clifford, who succeeds McNamara as Secretary of Defense.

1964. Following the largest landslide in U.S history. Lyndon Johnson is confirmed as the President of the United States, and he has big plans for the country. 'The Great Society'. A chance to make the land that all Americans dream of. Healthcare, Education, welfare and civil rights reforms. He and his cabinet intend to eliminate poverty and racial injustice. But the drums of war are beating in South-East Asia...

As the war escalates far beyond the proposed estimates of his cabinet and Generals. LBJ finds himself leading a country that is torn apart by the escalation of the Vietnam war and the requirements needed to win.

* TheVietnamWar: The political decisions that Johnson made lead to the war's escalation.