For what reason did the US fail in the Vietnam war?

Answer 1

Well firstly, the tactics used by the NVA were not enough to win the war by themselves, and problems within the United States itself caused the US to withdraw.

Some of the tactics used by the "Vietcong" were mostly guerrilla tactics which was similar to hit and run.

Another tactic used is the Ho Chi Minh Trail. This was used by the Vietcong to deliever supplies to the vietcong army in South Vietnam.

One notable tatic is the way the North Vietnam army would kill US troops. Booby traps were often used made with Punji stakes, that would stick into its victim.

How this contributed to withdrawal is by that it lowered the United States troops morale by not being able to see their enemy "a pointless war". Another reason of how it contributed is by killing many troops from the US. This made American commanders think twice as they sent out forces to fight. Along with the Tet offensive, that also contributed.

< For one I will add that the Tet offensive was not used to deliver supplies. It was a major operation conducted by the NVA and Vietcong simultaneously. It was an offensive attack on all US and South Vietnamese Forces in South Vietnam. Another thing is that the Vietcong were basically wiped off the map during this failed attempt. They were still around, but they sustained so many loses they became combat ineffective. Also during this offensive the attacking NVA forces were dealt with and completely destroyed with in two weeks. But Walter Cronkite and his buddies covered this as a success for the NVA and VC, mainly because of there lack of knowledge about combat operations and there lack of being able to see the actual tactical picture due to OPSEC. The reason the US withdrew its troops was due to political pressure on the home front. Not because the moral was low. Moral is never really good when you see your buddies die, I should know I have been to war three times.

To summarize what I am trying to say. The tactics of the North Vietnam Army did not contribute to the USA's failure to win the war. When infact the US won the military war and it took the North two years to build up anough military power to defeat the South which was finally fighting on its own.

The anti war movement in the US and the political pressure put on the politicians by the draft dodging peace loveing crowd and the liberal media and there non support for the war is what ultimately brought down the US efforts to be successfull in South Vietnam

Answer 2

If there has to be just ONE reason; then it would have to be the cold war itself. The cold war was created by the atomic weapon (nuclear weapons). Another words, fighting a nuclear war meant MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction).

Therefore, there was a "cold war"...a military stand-off.

Fighting a war such as Vietnam during a "cold war' meant NOT USING nuclear weapons; called a "Limited War."

"Limited Wars" such as Vietnam could not be won, unless the enemy supplies of men/equipment could be cut off. Vietnam's geography didn't allow for such isolation.

It worked Korea; Korea was a peninsula. Vietnam was not a peninsula.

In addition, public opinion was hostile towards the war which brought on the reduction in US groundforces. The fact is that after the Tet offensive, the US could have won the war as the North Vietnamese were in total disarray. However politicians decided to withdraw from Vietnam, and therefore the US lost.

Answer 3

Politicians (Presidents, Vice Presidents, Congressmen, Senators, Kings, Emperors, Princes, Queens, Prime Ministers, Tsars, etc. etc. etc.) START and RUN Wars. Military men (Vietnam and beyond) had to fight them. "Ours was not to question why, ours was just to do and die." (Charge of the Light Brigade).

The Viet war was lost because:

1. North Vietnam could not be invaded.

2. Enemy men/material couldn't be stopped from entering RVN.

3. Nukes couldn't be used.

If anyone says different, they didn't fight in Vietnam or any other war. (Real war, not just a military campaign).

Answer 4

Because search and destroy was often based on false information, the US often abandoned the areas they had taken and the VC were very good at ambushing