▁number ▁of ▁U . S . ▁soldiers ▁increased ▁from ▁ 1 6 , 7 0 0 ▁soldiers ▁when ▁Johnson ▁took ▁office ▁to ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁but ▁North ▁Vietnam ese ▁and ▁V iet ▁Cong ▁forces ▁continued ▁fighting ▁despite ▁losses . ▁Dom estic ▁resistance ▁to ▁the ▁war ▁grew ▁throughout ▁Johnson ' s ▁presiden cy , ▁and ▁especially ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁T et ▁Off ensive . ▁Johnson ▁was ▁un success ful ▁in ▁his ▁efforts ▁to ▁reach ▁a ▁peace ▁agreement ▁during ▁his ▁final ▁days ▁in ▁office , ▁and ▁the ▁war ▁continued ▁during ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁of ▁Richard ▁N ixon . ▁ ▁Johnson ▁purs ued ▁conc ili atory ▁policies ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁setting ▁the ▁stage ▁for ▁the ▁dét ente ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁He ▁was ▁non eth eless ▁committed ▁to ▁a ▁policy ▁of ▁contain ment , ▁seeking ▁to ▁stop ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁Commun ism ▁in ▁S out heast ▁Asia ▁and ▁elsewhere . ▁He ▁continued ▁Kennedy ' s ▁Alliance ▁for ▁Progress ▁policies ▁in ▁Latin ▁America ▁and ▁successfully ▁press ured ▁Israel ▁to ▁accept ▁a ▁ce ase ▁fire ▁in ▁the ▁Six - Day ▁War . ▁ ▁Cold ▁War ▁ ▁Johnson ▁took ▁office ▁during ▁the ▁Cold ▁War , ▁a ▁prolong ed ▁state ▁of ▁very ▁heavily ▁armed ▁t ension ▁between ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁its ▁al lies ▁on ▁the ▁one ▁side ▁and ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁its ▁al lies ▁on ▁the ▁other . ▁Johnson ▁was ▁committed ▁to ▁contain ment