Guerilla Warfare in the Vietnam War - 620 Words

A small country such as North Vietnam was able to win a war against a superpower like the United States of America, through, namely, tactics – such as Guerrilla Warfare -, the ignorance of their enemy, the attitude of the South Vietnamese, as well as a strong leader such as Ho Chi Minh. The Vietnam War was a major conflict (of the Cold War) which lasted from 1959 to 1975 , with US involvement from 1964 to 1973 . US reasons for their involvement in the war was their fear of â€Å"The Domino Effect† - or – the US fear that communism would spread to Vietnam and Southeast Asia, making them a major threat to national security. The Fall of Saigon marked the end of the war in 1975. â€Å"If the tiger ever stands still, the elephant will crush him with his mighty tusks. But the tiger does not stand still. He lurks in the jungle by day and emerges by night. He will leap upon the back of the elephant, tearing huge chunks from his hide, and then he will leap back into the dark jungle. And slowly the elephant will bleed to death.† This quote by Ho Chi Minh emphasises his belief that Guerrilla tactics would be what would result in a win for the Vietcong. The Vietcong made use of tunnels, known as the Cu Chi Tunnels , which was a network of underground tunnels that the Vietcong resided in, and used to store supplies and care for the sick and injured. The use of underground hiding places meant that the US was unaware of the Vietcong’s whereabouts from ground level, allowed them to beShow MoreRelatedThe Failure Of Guerilla Warfare Methods During The Vietnam War1369 Words   |  6 Pages(1350)The Failure of Guerilla Warfare Methods in the Vietnam War: An Analysis of the Causality of the â€Å"Counter Insurgency† Governmental Policies and the Presidential Campaign of 1968 This colloquium will define the connection between various sources related to the â€Å"counter insurgency† policies of the American government throughout the 1960s that caused a slow escalation of the Vietnam War in the fight against communist expansion in Southeast Asia. The Campaign of 1968 defines the legacy of presidentRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1693 Words   |  7 Pagesthe War of Independence, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Indian Wars, the Civil War, and are back-to-back winners of the World Wars. With the amount of victories made, Americans might try to process the question of who won the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War never had a declared victor. America got involved in the Vietnam War during the year of 1965. The United States first became involved in the war by financially supporting France in the first Indochina War. After that, Vietnam wasRead MoreGuerrilla Warfare: The Vietnam War1171 Words   |  5 PagesNo 7. The guerrilla wins if he d oes not lose, and the conventional army loses if it does not win. We Fought a military war; Opponents our Fought a political one. We sought physical attrition, Opponents Aimed for our psychological exhaustion. In the process, we lost sight of one of the cardinal maxims of guerilla war. The guerilla wins if he does not lose, the conventional army loses if it does not win. The North Vietnamese used their forces the way a bullfighter uses its cape - to keep us lungingRead MoreWhy did the United States Withdraw From the Vietnam War?1503 Words   |  7 PagesWhy did the United States Withdraw From the Vietnam War? The United States withdrew from the Vietnam War for several reasons. The Army had to fight in unfamiliar territory, was lacking in moral, were not prepared for the conditions, could not shut down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and were untrained to respond to guerilla warfare. This combination of disadvantages and the loss of public support led to the United States withdrawing from Vietnam. The United States Army was forced to fight in a new land tha tRead MoreGeography : History And Geography1325 Words   |  6 PagesWar is a timeless phenomenon that has shaped societies and cultures; war is greatly influenced by geography. History and geography are both important when considering wars; history tells what events took place, but geography tells us the why, where, and how. One can study geography’s effects on war through geography’s subtopics: physical, human, economic, and political geographies. For example, war strategies and methods are geography based. Physical geography studies the terrain and landformsRead MoreTaking a Look at the Vietnam War1343 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"North Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States. Only Americans can do that.† I bet you can guess that whoever said this quote was very anti-war. That person is Richard Nixon, thirty-seventh president of the United States. Nixon was the president who ended the war, but which president had beliefs that war was necessary ? Thirty-sixth president of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson was the accused main blame for starting the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was probably the most controversialRead MoreThe War in Vietnam Essay1130 Words   |  5 Pages The United States would enter the Vietnam War, in which the tactics of the enemy would not be familiar to them. Guerilla warfare became a problem for the allied forces and then the US would introduce aircraft into the war. The role of airpower changed operations for the US and showed their air supremacy. Even with all the success in the air that the US and South Vietnam had, this would not be enough to win the war. The war in Vietnam was fought from 1954 through 1975, between the communist NorthRead MorePolitical And Social Upheavals Caused By War1533 Words   |  7 Pagescaused by war. Some may have even experienced it first-hand. Throughout history war has had negative psychological implications on those effected. However, there is no greater negative impact of war than the psychological and emotional turmoil that it causes individual soldiers. To narrow down the scope of these psychological effects, I have chosen to focus on the U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War during the period 1962 to 1973. The Vietnam War was, in my opinion, the first war that reallyRead MoreVietnam War Terms1357 Words   |  5 Pageshills. Sig: The people of Vietnam have wanted to be independent for 2,000 years. Consequently, there is no way a small hill would stop them from being independent from the French. This allowed the Vietnamese to prevail over the French Imperials. Dien Bien Phu was the first time a third world country defeated a first world country. This defeat gave huge confidence in not only Vietnam, but all other third world countries. With the win at Dien Bien Phu, it gave Vietnam the confidence that they couldRead MoreVietnam War Position Paper2011 Words   |  9 PagesVietnam War â€Å"You never knew who was the enemy and who was the friends,† said a marine officer who took part in a conflict deemed the longest war in Unites States history (My). The Vietnam War was not only the longest war in US history, as it took place from 1959 to 1975, but it is also considered one of the most controversial conflicts to date. This war, also known as the second Indochina War, occurred in the countries of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. It was fought between communist North Vietnam