Vietnam War

Question 1

What is the Tet offensive and how did USA lose support?

Answer 1

• During the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) holiday, Viet Cong fighters attacked over 100 cities and other military targets. Leading up to the attack, the Viet Cong used the Ho Chi Minh Trail to move war material and fighters from North Vietnam to the south.
• The Tet Offensive proved to be a turning point in the war as it raised hard questions in the United States. First, the United States had nearly 500,000 troops in Vietnam and was spending $20 billion a year on the war. So why had the communists been able to launch a major offensive that took US forces completelyby surprise? They required large amounts of artillery and air power. Many civilians were killed and the ancient city of Hue was destroyed.
• One of the worst atrocities was the My Lai Massacre which took place in March 1968, shortly after the Tet Offensive. It was believed that as many as over 500 unarmed South Vietnamese civilianswere murdered by US soldiers.The anti-war sentiments were fuelled by graphic images that were publicised in the mainstream media.

Question 2

How did North Vietnam win with their guerilla tactics?

Answer 2

• Due to an inferiority in military equipment, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese turned to guerrilla warfare in order to avoid large-scale battles that were not in their favour.
• They did not wear uniforms and were hard to tell apart from the peasants.
• They operated in small, mobile units that could quickly disappear into the dense jungles and underground tunnel networks, making it difficult for conventional forces to engage them
• Following the introduction of conscription, many US troops sent to Vietnam over the course of the war were young and inexperienced.
• Conventional strategies like large-scale bombing campaigns and ground troop deployments ineffective against elusive and decentralised troops

Question 3

How did the Vietnam War affect USA foreign policy?

Answer 3

Bankrupted Ideology:

• The campaign against communism was portrayed by the United States as a moral crusade. However, the Vietnam War had demonstrated that the ideology of the West was not morally superior. Furthermore, the atrocities committed by US soldiers and the use of chemical weapons had damaged its reputation.

Detente

• the United States tried to improve its relations with the communist world (USSR and China).
• In 1972, the United States and the USSR signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty to reduce nuclear weapons. This was the result of a series of successful bilateral negotiations known as the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. In 1975, the two parties met again in Helsinki, Finland to discuss borders and human rights.

Question 4

How did Vietnam War impact Vietnam

Answer 4

• Post-war Vietnam aligned closely with the Soviet Union and other communist countries, which influenced its foreign policy and international relations.
• Massive displacement, societal disruption, devastated infrastructure
• Vietnam was not widely recognized diplomatically beyond the communist bloc, limiting its ability to participate in global political and economic forums. Hence heavily reliant on USSR to rebuild Vietnam.
• Formation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967 amid the Vietnam War. ASEAN also declared Southeast Asia as a Zone of Peace, Friendship, and Neutrality in 1971, with the goal of keeping ASEAN free from the interference of any outside powers. in 1995, This helped integrate Vietnam into the regional economy and improved diplomatic relations with neighboring countries.

Question 5

How did Vietnam War affect USSR?

Answer 5

The Soviet Union saw the Vietnam War as an opportunity to expand its influence in Asia by supporting North Vietnam. Soviet leaders wanted to weaken U.S. influence globally and saw aiding North Vietnam as a way to challenge American power indirectly. By backing the North Vietnamese government, the USSR established closer ties with other communist movements in Asia and increased its geopolitical presence in the region. Laos and Cambodia turned communists

Question 6

How did USSR support North Vietnam?

Answer 6

The USSR began to provide more substantial support to North Vietnam including arms, aircraft, and air defenses like surface-to-air missiles, to counter US air superiority. Soviet support included providing information, technical advisers, and diplomatic backing to North Vietnam, enhancing its position against American forces and supporting the broader communist cause. This support was a strategic move to bolster Soviet influence and maintain authority in the global communist movement.

Question 7

Why did Diem’s Regime in South Vietnam lose support?

Answer 7

• The United States tried to pressure Diem into land reforms. From the US perspective, this would increase support for the regime and help counter the effects of communist propaganda. However, Diem was not interested, mainly because most of his supporters in the country were from the landlord class. Land Reforms were not far-reaching enough to benefit most peasants, and many landlords clung on to their wealth..
• Many Buddhist Monks and Viet Cong Members started to wage a low-level campaign of disruption. Diem responded to the insurgency with harsh and repressive measures. In May 1959, the North Vietnam Communist Party approved the setting up of Group 559, a specialised unit of the North Vietnam Army. Its job was to transport weapons, ammunition and other equipment to the Viet Cong