Why Did The USA Fail In Vietnam? Flashcards
Why did the US fail in Vietnam?
Political Military Geography Culture Economic
How did politics make the US fail?
South Vietnamese governemnt was unpopular who the US backed
Vietnames wanted Vietnam to be united (with the North)
VC wall well organised and won a lot of support
US said they were fighting for democracy but it didn’t look like that
How did the military make the US fail?
VC guerrilla tactics
VC commitment
Poor ARVN training
Failure of VC tactics
Draftees were young and inexperienced - Low morral
They belived it would be won through more soldiers and money
They didn’t win the hearts and minds of the people
How did geography make the US fail?
The US had a lack of understanding of the:
Land
Climate
Plants and animals (eg some were poisenus)
How did culture make the US fail?
Didn’t understand that the people needed land to farm on (not destprying it with operation rolling thunder)
Vietnam was mainly Buddhist whilst the US was mainly Catholic
Language barrier
Didn’t understand why the peopel didn’t want to leave the land where their ancesters were burried
Didn’t realise that many villagers couldn’t read
How did economics make the US fail?
Aid from China and the USSR to North Vietnam
Huge cost of war was unpopular and Congress cut funds and set a limit to funding in 1971
What strengths did North Vietnam and the VC have?
Geographical and cultual knowlege
Political and economic
Military
How had past events gave the VC an advantage?
They has beaten opressers before (France)
Tunnel system was already in place from 1940’s
Large amounts of people were from North Vietnam who had moved south after the Geneva Accords of 1954
How did politics and economics help North Vietnam to win the war?
Everyone was for the war
They were well organised
Over $3 billion in aid from the USSR and China
Cambodia and Laos alloud the Ho Chi Minh trail to be active
How did North Vietnam have military advantages?
Allies with the VC Used to fighting in Jungle conditions Used to gurriler tactics Anyone could be VC Theu could do large invasions or gurrila tactics
How did the situation in the US make the US fail?
A lot of people thought that the US shoudl focus on Civil Rights
Anti-War Riots
The living room war
Returning soldiers sharing their bad experiences
Returning soldiers giving in their medals
Why were a lot of US troops inexperienced?
Drafted soldiers would serve for a year and then they would be replaced by newly drafted soldiers
