US Failure In Vietnam Flashcards
What was the Strategic hamlet program?
A US strategy that involved removing South Vietnamese villagers from their homes and family land and placing them into defended compounds that they couldn’t leave. It was an attempt to stop Vietcong from recruiting and using sympathetic villagers in the countryside. It created greater opposition.
What was operation rolling thunder?
The US Air Force’s organised bombing of North Vietnam from 1965-68, however, most Vietnamese military infrastructure was underground or in caves, plus it created stronger opposition. Ended to allow opportunities for peace.
When did US troops first officially join the Vietnam war on the ground?
1965
What did the US do to crops in Vietnam?
They dropped harmful chemicals (Agent Orange and Agent Blue) onto jungles, villages and farms
What was the effect of Operations Trail Dust and Ranch Hand (the crop destruction operations)?
- Hundreds of thousands of babies born with birth defects
- Created huge US public opposition as it was seen as a severe violation of human rights
- Only fueled locals to be even more anti-USA
- 1962-71
What was the consequence of using Napalm?
- Often missed the Vietcong so it killed thousands of civillians and left more with burns or lung damage
- Increased US public opposition and fueled Anti-US sentiment
What were Search and destroy missions?
US troops searched villages for possible VC collaborators or VC troops in hiding, they usually ended in high innocent civillian casualties
What was an example of a search and destroy mission?
The 1968 My Lai Massacre. One US army company was sent to My Lai village where they were told to treat all as “VC sympathisers”. The US troops arrived early in the morning and they executed 150 old men, women and children at point blanc range. Later they cleared through the whole village herding unarmed civillians into irrigation ditches. 500 unarmed civillians were brutally murdered by lunchtime and the company sat in the empty village to have lunch. They then attempted a cover up. More massacres like this happened throughout the Vietnam war.
What was the US strategy of recruitment that meant the army was inexperienced?
Conscription. The average age of a soldier was 19, 43% of the dead died within three months of their first tour.
What did US soldiers often turn to?
Fragging, this was the killing of US officers by US soldiers. Large numbers of the army turned to drugs. 503,000 soldiers desserted between ‘66 and ‘73.
What type of warfare tactics did the vietcong employ?
Guerilla tactics which relied on ambush, traps and small skirmishes with american troops. The vietnam was not the tank warfare of ww2, it was all done in dense jungle.
What key driving factor did the vietcong have that america lacked?
Dedication. Vietcong soldiers were highly trained guerilla fighters due to the war with France and the Vietcong were loyal to their communist leaders who had already passed successful land reforms in the North. Americans often didn’t want to be there.
How did the land benefit the Vietcong (other than cover)?
It was familiar ground that the Vietcong had intricate knowledge of and they had a detailed tunnel and trapping system. They also spoke the language of the South Vietnamese and shared a culture so they easily won the hearts and minds of the Southeners who were under US control.
Where did the vietcong get their foreign support from?
China and the Soviet Union
How much did the Vietcong receive in aid?
A total of $2 billion between ‘65 and ‘68 which included 8000 anti-aircraft guns and 200 anti-aircraft missile sites.
