What policy aim did Operation Rolling Thunder pursue?

• A. To pressure North Vietnam through sustained bombing and disrupt its war-making capacity
• B. To deploy ground troops into the DMZ
• C. To negotiate a settlement with Hanoi
• D. To conduct a naval blockade of Haiphong

Answer: (A)

Rolling Thunder was aimed at coercing North Vietnam by using sustained air bombardment to degrade its ability to wage war. The idea was that continuous strikes against industrial targets, logistics routes, air defenses, and military installations would impose enough costs and damage that Hanoi would be pressured to slow or halt its support for the Viet Cong and return to negotiations on terms favorable to the United States. This emphasis on weakening North Vietnam’s war-making capacity through long‑term bombing distinguishes it from ground invasion plans or a simple naval blockade, and while diplomacy was the eventual goal, the immediate policy objective was to apply pressure via sustained bombing.