3 - Why were the US actions to end the Vietnam war unsuccessful?

Question 1

The Tet Offensive

Answer 1

• 1968
• VC launched a surprise attack on the Tet (New year) festival
• this made the attack a surprise. it was also a surpise beause the VC had lost 100,000 men the previous year
• attacked 36 cities - they even reached the capital, Saigon when 19 members (Suicide Squad) took over the US embassy for 6 hours
• they also attacked Khesanh which was a large American marine base
• VC suffered very heavy losses - North Vietnamese Army (NVA) did most of the fighting after this
• 7% of the US was affected

Question 2

The effects of the Tet Offensive

Answer 2

• in total, 100,000+ people were killed
• very bad effect on US attitudes
• the media made it seem like a defeat
• Walter Cronkite, an American presenter was caught saying on TV ‘What the hell? I thought we were winning this war!’
• US people saw the embassy under attack and thousands of civilian casualties
• also a lack of support from politicians - General Westmoreland asked for 200,000 more troops and was denied them

Question 3

Vietnamisation

Answer 3

• this is the process where America handed responsibility and the running of the war to South Vietnam (the gradual withdrawal of American troops)
• 1st step - expanding he ARVN to 1 million so the US army could leave in stages
• 2nd step - April 1970 Nixon announced plans to withdraw 150,000 troops. US brought conscription for ARVN. US commanders didn’t like Vietnemisation but Nixon was responding to public pressure.
• 3rd step - by the end of 1971, US had withdrawn 400,000 troops. Only 140,000 left - they were supposed to leave the following year

Question 4

US bombing of the North, Laos and Cambodia

Answer 4

• Paris Peace talks had been going on for five years, so the US continued to put pressure on the North by bombing them
• as the North was still supplying the VC with weapons along the Ho Chi Minh trail via Laos and Cambodia, Nixon ordered the bombing of these countries also
• in 1971 and 1972 there were renewed bombings on North Vietnam to ports, roads, railways and cities
• the bombing of North Vietnam made both sides realise a military solution was not imminent, so agreed to resume peace talks in January 1973

Question 5

The Paris Peace Talks

Answer 5

-these lasted five years
-both sides raised objections
-in the end, the following was decided:
~all US forces to leave Vietnam
~US prisoners of war released by North Vietnam
~North Vietnam forces could stay in the ares of South Vietnam which they already controlled
~future elections would decided if Vietnam would unite
-by 1973, all US troops had left

Question 6

Why did Saigon fall?

Answer 6

• North attacked South via Cambodia and Laos
• major cities fell to the North
• South troops retreated to Saigon
• April 1975 Saigon fell to communists
• remaining US officials airlifted out

Question 7

Losses throughout the war

Answer 7

In total:

• nearly 4 million Vietnamese were killed
• 57000 US troops killed and 300,000 injured

Question 8

Why did the USA fail in Vietnam? (according to me)

Answer 8

• the body count - the war involved such a staggering number of casualties that it became another ‘computerised war of numbers’. This turned many soldiers and bystanders against the war
• public opinion - the American media turned against the war after the My Lai and Kent State massacres and the Tet offensive. Photos (eg burning monk) films, reports and comments changed public opinion
• inadequate leadership - US military leaders never found a way of combating guerrilla tactics and terrorist methods used by the VC. Many ARVN leaders were corrupt
• soldiers - most of the US soldiers were unwilling and inexperienced conscripts who didn’t have the same incentive as the ARVN or the VC as they were far from home, fighting in a war they didn’t care about

Question 9

Why did the USA fail in Vietnam? (according to (annas) textbook)

Answer 9

Vietcong strengths
-guerrilla warfare/underground tunnel system
-gaining support of South Vietnamese
-Ho Chi Minh trail/assistance from China and USSR
-good propaganda eg showing US as foreigners
US weaknesses
-shit tactics
-unenthusiastic soldiers
-could deal with guerrilla tictacs
-alienated the South Vietnamese
-couldn’t cope with conditions of Vietnam