Should President Johnson increase the US troop commitment to South Vietnam in 1965 Answer the focus question in a three to five paragraph essay Use the information you gathered with the?

Answer 1

The term escalation and increasing US involvement in Vietnam in 1965 were terms invented to NOT ALARM THE PUBLIC!

In 1965, the Tonkin Gulf incident (itself a politically invented term to down play an actual sea battle between 3 North Vietnamese NAVY torpedo boats and the US destroyer USS Maddox in 1964), transitioned the GUERRILLA war in the Republic of South Vietnam into a direct conventional war (minus nukes & an invasion) with a nation called North Vietnam.

Prior to this "Tonkin Gulf Incident", the war in RVN (Republic of South Vietnam) was strictly a guerrilla war fought with US Military advisors/special warfare men.

AFTER the Tonkin Gulf Incident (read naval battle), US regular (conventional) combat troops were deployed into battle. The US Air Force and US Navy commenced the bombing of NORTH VIETNAM.

AFTER the Tonkin Gulf Incident (beginning in 1965), the Vietnam War was no longer a guerrilla war. It was a conventional war (guerrilla actions still occurred, as they do and did in most past wars) including and up to B52 bombers and aerial dog fights between super sonic jets.

Simple answer: After the Tonkin Gulf naval battle(s), LBJ transformed the guerrilla war in Vietnam into a conventional war in Vietnam.