The weaknesses of US armed forces Flashcards
What are some examples of the US’s lack of knowledge and awareness when it came to their enemy?
- Vietnam was very ‘alien’ to most Americans (they didn’t understand anything about the country they were at war with)
- Many Americans underestimated their enemy and held very ignorant and racist views against their opponent
- US military leaders and strategists did not try to understand the conflict from the view of the Vietnamese people
How did the veterans react to the war?
They wanted the war to stop, and even handed their medals in, in protest
How did the media react to the war?
There was a lot of media criticism about the war aims and methods used
How did the US government react to the public opposition to the war?
They ignored it, but ultimately had to listen to the anti war movements, as presidents and members of congress relied on public support to be elected
What happened when congress restricted the funding of the war after 1971?
There were shortages of equipement and troops
Despite the US having superior military technology, how did its tactics fail?
- The US mistakenly believed that victory could be won by deploying more troops and ordering more bombings of North Vietnam
- They over estimated their successes (basing calculations on how many villages they destroyed or how many Vietcong they killed, rather than how much territory they controlled)
What were the US troops like?
Young and inexperienced
What did low morale among US troops lead to?
Fragging (intentional killing of officers by troops) and drug abuse
How did the US fail to win the Vietnamese hearts and minds?
Th South Vietnamese viewed the USA as a foreign power interfering in their country. This made the US backed South Vietnamese government very unpopular. The US was also hated for its ties to French colonial interests of the past
