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Why did the USA lose the Vietnam war? (Vietcong tactics and Gorilla…
Why did the USA lose the Vietnam war?
Vietcong tactics and Gorilla warfare
Ho Chi Minh had
knowledge of guerrilla warfare
he had fought in the Chinese Civil war and had successfully used it against the french
The US soldiers were in a constant
state of fear
as guerrilla fighters would
ambush
troops and place
booby traps
in the forest
Hard to combat as
they didn't wear uniforms, had no base camps and avoided battles
Malsani code
: they kept the Vietnamese peasants happy by being
courteous, respectful and by helping them in the fields
(however, they did threaten and kill those who opposed them)
The guerrilla fighters were
experienced
in the area and were
dedicated
to their cause (unlike US troops)
They had created a series of
tunnels and networks
which provided them with
shelter and a means of disappearing
US military tactics
The US soldiers were
inexperienced against guerrilla warfare
and were
unfamiliar with the terrain
"Search and Destroy"
was ineffective because ;
the raids were based on
inadequate info
the US troops walked into
traps
as they were inexperienced
caused
innocent civilian casualties
which made the US unpopular amongst the Vietnamese
Due to
chemical warfare
(napalm and agent orange), many civilians and soldiers were harmed and killed
This angered the Vietnamese and made US unpopular
Many soldiers had been drafted so they
weren't motivated
Duty lasted for a year which meant that many
lacked esprit de corps
Opposition to war in USA
Effect of Media
The reports and pictures from
My Lai appalled the US public
and caused great shock and disapproval
After the TET offensive, the war was growingly criticised and depicted as
unwinnable
Protestors gathered and promoted peace and love instead of war, leading to event such as the
Woodstock Festival
The
draft was protested against
and many cards were burned
African Americans and ethnic minorities were being
discriminated
against as most couldn't afford to go to university which made being drafted was often unavoidable
30% of AA were drafted
The war was costing a lot of money (
$20B a year
) that could have been
better spent on social services
The war caused a huge number of
casualties
Chinese and Soviet support of the Viet Cong
The
USSR and China
(both communist) sent supplies and weapons via the
Ho Chi Minh trail
in the forest
Attitude of the South Vietnamese people
The SV govt was corrupt and mistreated the population
US tactics disregarded the Vietnamese
(peasants were harmed and killed) which meant that they were more prone to supporting the Viet Cong
Malsani code