Vietnam War Flashcards
Introduction Vietnam
- The US increased the numbers of special advisers in South Vietnam under Kennedy’s presidency with over 11 thousand by the end of 1962. The aim was to protect South Vietnam from the spread of communism from the north.
- In January 1973 US secretary of State Henry Kissinger negotiated a withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam in the Paris peace talks with his North Vietnamese counterpart Le duc tho. This signalled America’s defeat.
Factors
Difficulties faced by the US military Strengths of the North Vietnamese Weaknesses of the South Vietnamese Changing public opinion in the USA International isolation of the USA
Line of argument
This essay will argue that .. The most important reason the US lost the war was not (Isolated factor) but the Difficulties faced by the US military
Difficulties faced by US military Vietnam
KU:
Jungle warfare was difficult for the Americans as there was a lot of cover for the Vietnamese to hide and do hit and run attacks. It Was difficult for the US to find the enemy leading to over reliance on helicopters, they also used Agent Orange to clear forests. The US Struggled to win the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese population as they did not speak their language and many soldiers disliked the Vietnamese. They described them using racial slurs like gooks. US attempts to bomb industrial targets didn’t work because there were no industrial targets. US troops suffered equipment failure as M16s were not well built for use in the hot humid climates and often jammed. Vietnamese had AK47s which were simple and reliable.
Analysis:
The US was unable to build trust with the locals and win hearts and minds. This leads to low morale amongst US troops who do not like the people they are supposed to be fighting for.
Developed analysis: However, some would disagree that this was the cause of the US losing the Vietnam War because The US military difficulties and associated images of US destruction changed public opinion. This shows how the two factors are inextricably linked.
Strengths of the Vietcong Vietnam
KU:
The Vietcong engaged in guerrilla warfare by using hit and run tactics and not wearing uniforms. They used booby traps such as punji sticks to inflict casualties on US soldiers. 11% of combat deaths between 1965 and 1970. The Vietcong would get their supplies from the Ho Chi Minh trail which brought supplies from north Vietnam through Cambodia and Laos to South Vietnam allowing the Vietcong to stay well equipped. The Vietcong were also supplied with anti air weapons from China and the Soviet Union, they Used these to down 700 US planes. The Vietcong were told to respect Mao’s army code which made it easier for them to build relations with The south Vietnamese civilians.
Analysis: This potentially could have led to the US losing the Vietnam War because The Vietcong were difficult to find and defeat and could inflict high casualties on the US troops. This led to low US morale and allowed them to win hearts and minds which helped them recruit more members.
Developed analysis: However, some would disagree that this was the cause of the US losing the Vietnam War because The Vietcong did not always treat the locals well and would usually kill anyone they suspected of collaborating with the South Vietnamese or US military.
Weaknesses of the South Vietnamese Vietnam
KU:
South Vietnam was a corrupt and nepotistic dictatorship which had little support from the Vietnamese people, The catholic leader suppressed the religious freedom of other religions particularly buddhists who made up most of the country. The South Vietnamese army gave little help to the Americans in fighting the war. South Vietnam would not allow land reform and kept a catholilc minority owning most of the land, this alienated the population who now hated their government.
2000 of 3000 hamlets destroyed, hamlets hated by public and ineffective at protecting citizens.
Analysis: This potentially could have led to the US losing the Vietnam War because Americans became demoralised because they thought they were helping a corrupt military dictatorship which made them question what they were fighting for. It also made it a lot more difficult to win hearts and minds as so many Vietnamese hated their own government and therefore didn’t like the Americans who were helping them.
Developed analysis: However, some would disagree that this was the cause of the US losing the Vietnam War because Many in the ARVN fought willingly to try and stem the tide of communism and backed their government willingly, The ARVN was over 1 million strong by the end of the war.
Conclusion Vietnam
The most important reason why the USA lost the Vietnam war was not (Isolated factor) but the difficulties faced by US soldiers
One reason The US lost the Vietnam war was The strengths of the north vietnamese This is because the Vietcong were good at guerrilla tactics and well equipped through the ho chi minh trail Making it difficult for the US soldiers to defeat them however this is not as important a reason why the US lost the vietnam war as the difficulties faced by US soldiers as the US could have defeated them if they were more cable of fighting in jungle warfare and winning hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people.
Another reason The US lost the Vietnam war was The weaknesses of the south vietnamese This is because the south Vietnmese goverment was corrupt and incompetent and lacked the support of its people. However This is not as important a reason why the US lost the vietnam war as the difficulties faced by US soldiers because the US was powerful enough to win without the help of the south Vietnamese if they had been better equipped for jungle warfare
Overall the most important reason why the US lost the vietnam war was the difficulties faced by the US military this is because The US was unable to make progress in the war as the were not equipped or trained to fight in jungle warfare making it difficult for them to find and destroy Vietcong targets and win the Heart and minds of the populace.
