US involvement escalates

I. Johnson Increases Involvement Most Americans supported the war in the beginning General William Westmoreland continued to request more troops because he did not think the South Vietnamese troops were up to the job.

II. Fighting in the Jungle US troops thought they would easily win this war because of their superior technology However, the jungle terrain and the enemy’s guerilla tactics soon turned the war into a stalemate. The US strategy was to gradually wear down the Vietcong until they surrender.

III. Winning Over hearts and minds The US needed to win the support of the Southern Vietnamese because the Vietcong were hiding among them. This was difficult to do, because the US was dropping napalm and spraying Agent Orange to expose Vietcong tunnels and hideouts. 1. These often wounded civilians and left villages in ruins.

IV. Sinking Morale Many soldiers were required by law to fight in a war they did not support 1) Many of them turned to alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. B) Other soldiers felt they were fulfilling a duty to their country to stop the spread of communism and served courageously.

V. The Great Society Suffers A) In order to pay for the war Congress cut spending in Great Society programs.

VI. The Credibility Gap The reports of General Westmoreland seemed to contradict what people saw on television causing critics to believe their was a credibility gap between what the Johnson administration reported and what was really happening.