1. Why did the US fail to win the Vietnam War?

2. What background knowledge should I use?
Why America are involved?
The Domino Theory
Containment
French withdrawal from indo-china
Gulf of Tonkin
Ho Chi Minh and the Communist North

3. Essay style questions
Most essays on the Vietnam War will have a factor to discuss and judge on its importance
Military Failings
Anti-War Movement
You must discuss each of these factors and make a conclusion to how important these factors are individually.

4. What are the factors? US & ARVN military failings
Vietcong & NVA success
Anti-War Movement
Influence of the Media
Economic Impact on US
US Moral

5. ARVN Strategy Keep control of South Vietnam
Remove the Viet Cong from Villages
Defend South from Invasion
Rely on Massive amounts of money from US.

6. ARVN weaknesses
Even though they outnumbered the Vietcong they failed to counter the threat of the Vietcong
Diem’s Regime was deeply unpopular in Vietnam
Poorly Trained & Equipped
US sent Special Forces to teach basic training and tactics to ARVN
Represented the Middle Class and not the people
Sympathy for Vietcong in the countryside
Poor chain of command
Corruption amongst the Army and Government
Political interference
All crippled the ARVN from being an effective fighting force against Communism
High casualty rate during the Vietnam War

7. Importance of this Factor
The Vietnam War would have been over far quicker without the introduction and escalation of US military forces however it is not a major factor in the US failing to win the Vietnam War.
The corruption and chain of command was a key issue in the failings of the ARVN

8. US military Failings Operation ‘Rolling Thunder’ ‘Search and Destroy’
Chemical Warfare
Strategic Hamlets

9. Operation Rolling Thunder
Aim to was two fold:
To make the North Vietnamese give up the War
Halt the flow of equipment down the Ho Chi Minh trail.

10. 8 million tons of bombs dropped between ’65 and ’73
300 tons for every man, woman and child in Vietnam
the cost to the US of these raids was estimated at $900 million.
Life Magazine calculated it cost the USA $400,000 to kill on Vietcong fighter
North Vietnam had few factories to bomb
It failed to stop the supply

11. The USA did not anticipate the determination and resilience of the North Vietnamese people.
Despite killing between 50,000 and 200,000 civilians, morale remained high
The people volunteered to repair the damage showing they would not give up.

12. Operation Rolling Thunder was a costly operation
Operation Rolling Thunder was a costly operation. It cost the USA vast sums of money and had little impact on both the economy of North Vietnam and the morale of the people.

13. ‘Search & Destroy’ Aim: To Locate the enemy and engage
Missions using US and ARVN troops transported via helicopters
High Body Count approach (grind the enemy into submission)

14. Failure of Search and Destroy
Killing more NVA and VC soldiers did not have the desired effect. More and more people from the North would join to fight the foreign invaders.
As soon as US troops arrived at an area the Vietcong would often disappear only to return later.
Innocent villages were often destroyed
Made US & ARVN troops unpopular
Failed to win the support of the Vietnamese peasants.
Inexperienced troops often walked into traps
Rapes and Killings occurred

15. Search and Destroy did not have the desired effect either as they failed to grind the North into submission through body counts.
US public used to their soldiers being hero’s, not beating up children and women
Did not reduce the enemies ability to attack or reduce level of support among the south Vietnamese.

16. Agent Orange and Blue Aim:
To destroy the jungle and crops supporting the NVA & VC
Make it easier to fight the war for US

17. It was estimated that approximately 77 million litres was sprayed over Vietnam.
Drifted for miles and destroyed crops of local people.
Up to 4 million people were exposed to these acids
Settled on animals and got into water supplies

18. Strategic Hamlets Very unpopular with locals
Relocated peasant farmers from their land and placing them in fortified camps
Supposed to protect them from VC attacks however drove the peasants closer to the VC.
Like living in prison

19. Overall
US military failings were crucial in the Vietnam War’s outcome. The US failed to win the Hearts and Minds of the people and used tactics that were ineffective and largely unpopular amongst the locals.
Support for the War at home was wavering as a result of the dead bodies coming home and the tactics used by the US.

20. NVA & VC strengths Aim: To win the hearts and minds of the people
Wear down the US forces
Use Guerrilla tactics

21. Vietcong treated the South Vietnamese with respect and helped them out in their fields
In return they gained food, hiding places and support
Supporters of the US/ARVN would be treated with ruthless and brutal behaviour
30,000 teachers, police and tax collectors were killed as they worked for the South’s government

22. Tactics used
Booby Traps and mines (60% of US casualties result of these)
Used the Jungle and countryside to their advantage
Tunnel system for cover
Vietcong did not use uniforms so hard to identify
Very skilled due to previous wars against the Japanese and French
Prepared to accept a heavy body count

23. Vietnamese were fighting for a cause so much more determined than the USA
Affected US morale both in Vietnam and at home
Guerrilla tactics ideal for jungle warfare
American High Tech warfare nullified

24. Importance
The success of the Vietcong and NVA in winning the Hearts and Minds of the local peasants in Vietnam was important in the outcome of the War. They fought a determined effort to reunify Vietnam and drive out foreign invaders. The Guerrilla tactics were able to wear down the US/ARVN superior numbers and prevent them from using their superior technological power.

25. Anti-War Movement
Huge demonstrations carried out during the war calling for the withdrawal of US forces from Vietnam
VVAW
Civil Rights Movement
Students
Hippies

26. Undermined the war effort as the US failed to achieve a quick victory
58,000 total deaths
Televised pictures showing the horrors of the war

27. Student opposition
October million people took part in the Vietnam Moratorium protests
November million people demonstrated in Washington DC and San Francisco
Kent State 1970 massacre

28. VVAW Powerful voice against the war
Stories of brutality and pointless suffering
Hard to dismiss their opposition
VVAW took over the Statue of Liberty in Dec 26th 1971 for 2 days

29. Civil Rights Protesting against the draft
Martin Luther king against the War as most recruits were young blacks
Seen as ‘poor and black mans’ war
Ali refused to go
‘They never called me nigger’

30. Anti-war demonstrators labelled as ‘Communists, traitors or cowards’
Impact?
LBJ did not seek re-election due to the unpopularity of the War and his policies
Cant win a war when you lose the support of the people
Some would argue that the movement had little impact and not as powerful as first imagined
However it split US public opinion and heavily contributed to the eventual withdrawal from Vietnam.

31. Media Heavily reported First Televised War
US civilians saw war in a way they had never seen before
Saw wounded and killed
US soldiers committing acts of brutality against prisoners and civilians
My Lai Massacre
Napalm Bombings

32. Gave the Anti-War movement the momentum
People were turned off by the images
Challenged the idea that ‘We were the good guys in this war’
However critics believe that people became desensitised by the imagery and immune. Still eat their dinner watching the news.

33. Economic Impact of the War
Economic cost of the war: US deficit of $1.6 billion in 1965 increased to $25.3 billion in Tax increases unpopular.
Sacrificed the Great Society which would have improved the lives of many in the USA especially the poor and blacks.
Seen as a waste of resources, $2000 million a month in 1968

34. The US economy could not sustain the Vietnam War spending
Caused high inflation
Large budget deficit
Important Factor but not a crucial factor as the war should not have dragged on as long as it did. Expected to be a quick victory for the US, did not materialise

35. US moral Inexperience of US soldiers (not prepared to fight the war)
No experience of jungle warfare
19 was the average age of the soldier in Vietnam
43% of those killed in Vietnam were killed in their first three months of service
Drug Use (20,000 treated in 1971)
Most soldiers main aim was reaching DEROS (Date Eligible for Return Overseas)
Conflict between officers and men, ‘Fragging’ was common. (killing of officers by their own men)

36. Troops more interested in surviving their tour of duty than winning the war as 2 million serving in the War were drafted.
Important factor but not as important as other factors