Reasons for the Failure of the USA in Vietnam (Edexcel GCSE History): Revision Note

Summary

America’s failure to win the Vietnam War was due to a combination of North Vietnamese strengths and advantages, and the weaknesses and disadvantages of the US Armed Forces. As the war continued to drag on, the prospect of victory seemed no nearer for America and this made its leaders seem dishonest. As a result, protests against the war grew larger and pressure on US leaders grew more intense.

The strengths of North Vietnam

• Home advantage - the North Vietnamese knew and understood the land where the war was fought

• Fierce commitment - unlike most US soldiers, those fighting for North Vietnam fully believed in what they were fighting for

• Cultural links - Sharing the same, language, diet and history meant it was easier to establish trust with South Vietnamese than it was for the Americans

• Funding and support - from China and the USSR meant they were well-equipped with weapons such as anti-aircraft missiles

• Strong leadership - both in terms of generals on the battlefield and in stopping any kind of protests against them

• Vietcong allies - these skilled and committed guerrilla fighters were valuable allies to the North Vietnamese

• Broad appeal - many South Vietnamese peasants were extremely poor and the communist message of taking from the rich and sharing things equally greatly appealed to them

• Public opinion - did not affect the North Vietnamese in the same way as it did American leaders and the North Vietnamese were ready and willing to accept high numbers of casualties

The weaknesses of the US Armed Forces

• The territory - of dense jungles meant that America could not use its tanks and advanced weaponry

• Fighting a guerrilla war - meant US troops struggled to find the enemy but were often killed or injured by booby traps and ambushes

• Drafted and uncommitted troops - were mostly focused on surviving their tour of duty and returning home safely rather than winning the war

• Racist and ignorant views - led to US troops underestimating the enemy

• Drugs - were widely available in Vietnam and official reports stated that over half of US troops had used marijuana and over a quarter had used drugs such as heroin

• Aerial bombing - was not as effective as the US hoped thanks to tunnels and dirt tracks being almost impossible to destroy

• Young and inexperienced - soldiers made up the US Army with the average age of the troops being just 19

• Failure to win the hearts and minds - of the Vietnamese who saw the Americans as imperialists who were there to steal their country’s resources

Opposition to the Vietnam War in the USA

• The intention of those fighting a guerrilla war is to drag the conflict out for as long as possible

  • This then puts pressure on the government of the opposing side who seem to be stuck in an unwinnable and endless war that keeps costing the lives of its soldiers

• North Vietnam and the Vietcong fought an expert guerilla war and, years after the first US soldiers were killed, many Americans could see no end in sight

  • This led to ever-increasing numbers of protests against America’s involvement in the war

  • The American government was especially vulnerable to this because its leaders were elected and had to stay popular

  • Coverage of the war was shown on millions of TVs in homes all across America which increased the criticism and anti-war feeling