Why did USA fail in Vietnam Flashcards
Why was the north at an advantage in terms of Geographical and cultural strengths?
understood the landscape the climate and the language of the south
those who fought as Vietminh knew the tunnel systems that could be used and enlarged
many people had contacts from north
Why was the north at an advantage in terms of politically and economically
VC were already established in SV.NV could supply the VC and work with them.VC were very organised politically and socially
NV had financial help from china and the USSR
Both Cambodia and Laos allowed Ho chi Minh to operate in their countries
Why did the USA fail in terms of geographical and cultural?
Americans were foreigner fighting in a strange country
had very little grasp on what the country was like
used interpreters making it much harder to gain the trust and support of the south Vietnamese people
did not understand that villagers would go back to their lands
didn’t realise many villagers couldn’t read
How were the USA effected politically and economically?
usa may have said they were in Vietnam to fight for democracy but to many south they were like the french(a foreign nation occupying the country and imposing their own ideas)
Why did USA become unpopular?
US backed SV gov was unpopular and corrupt
many member in gov and officials in the cities had worked for the french so they were unpopular with locals
How did the cost of war cause oppostion?
Signif opposition to the cost of war congress supplied the funding that white house needed to run the country
military ran short of equipment and congress limited funding to the war
How did USA measure they Success?
They measured success in the war by counting how many vc were dead and the bases destroyed but didn’t think about the fact that the south didn’t occupy large areas and that bases could be rebuilt and burning villagers just opposed villagers therefore they had no support
How did soldiers cause them to fail?
draft meant that troops were unusually young and inexperienced. Soldiers were drafted and there was a constant turn over so this means the soldiers were returning home after a year for inexperienced ones
-lack of training in gorilla warfare means morale dropped once troop withdrawal started and fragging and drug abuse was common
How did USA face opposition from their own country?
USA was a democracy president and members of congress needed public support to be elected
they had to face criticisms in the media and the public
USA felt ashamed for their actions
How did USA population show opposition?
Impossible for gov to continue the war
it was the first war which USA were involved in where a large section of USA population did not accept the need for the war
also the first war in which soldiers opposed it and openly campaigned and some even returned their medals
