On July 26th, Gabrielle Westcott successfully defended her dissertation, “Struggling for the Soul and Mind of a President: How Emotions and Personality Shaped Lyndon Johnson’s Vietnam Policy in 1968”.
From the abstract:
“In the summer of 1968, an irate President Lyndon B. Johnson lashed out at his senior foreign policy advisors, calling them “dupes” of a Soviet conspiracy to get him to stop bombing North Vietnam. His staffers reported that he grew “very pissed & emotional” in response to proposals for a bombing cessation because he believed stopping the bombing would endanger his sons-in-law, both of whom were serving in Vietnam. Johnson belittled and berated Vice President Hubert Humphrey for deviating from the administration’s position and sidelined Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford when he continued to advocate a cessation. LBJ’s personality and emotional outbursts set the parameters of foreign policy debates and his emotions surrounding events in his personal life shaped U.S. policy toward Vietnam. Behind the scenes, Johnson’s senior advisors waged a fierce battle for the “soul and mind” of the president. Conscious of the role emotions played in LBJ’s thinking, they crafted their policy proposals to appeal to his emotional state. The decision-making process quickly deteriorated. Filled with angry outbursts, private lamentations, and personal conflict, the final year of Johnson’s presidency illustrates how emotions and personality influence foreign policy.”
Congratulations Dr. Gabrielle Westcott on her successful dissertation defense!