There were a number of problems facing US forces when fighting the war in Vietnam. Perhaps one of the biggest problems that they faced was the fact that the Vietcong were fighting using guerrilla tactics: fighting on a small scale, taking independent, irregular actions. The Vietcong depended on stealth, concealment, and surprise attacks and ambushes. Guerrilla warfare spread as Vietminh soldiers who were trained and armed in the North - the Vietcong, returned to their homes in the south to assassinate, ambush and sabotage. Unlike conventional wars in which the Americans may have fought, the war in Vietnam had no defined front lines. Much of the fighting consisted have hit and run attacks, with the guerrillas striking at government outposts and then retreating into the jungles. Most of the US soldiers were also caught out by booby traps set up by the Vietcong. These ranged from simple holes in the ground to metal spikes covered in poison or human excrement. Booby traps were thought to have accounted for 11 per cent of US deaths in Vietnam and 17 per cent of wounds. Another thing that made fighting the war difficult for the Americans was the uniform that the Vietcong wore. Their uniforms consisted of black pyjamas and shirts, with straw hats. This led to a great lack of trust among the Vietnamese and the Americans, as they were unable to distinguish between real Vietnamese civilians and Vietcong soldiers in disguise. The Vietcong were also able to remain well hidden with their extensive underground tunnel system, which reached 250 kilometres in length. There were underground kitchens, weapon stores, dormitories, hospitals and rest areas. These tunnels made it increasingly difficult for the US forces to find the Vietcong. The unfamiliar terrain and conditions in Vietnam also made life more difficult for the US forces. The intense heat made it difficult for them to see where they were going, carry weapons and move swiftly. As much of Vietnam was covered in jungle, swamp and paddy fields, it soon became clear that the terrain was unsuitable for tanks. This led to an increase in the use of helicopters as troop carriers and heavy goods vehicles for moving guns, vehicles, ammunition, supplies and even boats across jungles and hills. The helicopters played a great part in the Search and Destroy Missions carried out by the US forces. Although this was good, helicopters added to the already tremendous cost of the war. Their control of the air also accounted for little, as it was difficult for them to see through the dense jungle, meaning that they were unable to see exactly whom they were killing.
By 1966, the Americans began a series of 'Search and Destroy Missions' in order to hunt down the Vietcong. The problem was that, by doing this, they began to loose the trust of, and 'alienated' the Vietnamese civilians. Chemical attacks were used such as petrol-bombs (napalm) and Agent Orange to burn down trees so the soldiers could see where they were going and whom they were attacking. It would have killed some of their opponents too. As a way of compensating for this, the Americans used the 'Pacification' policy, which was designed to 'win the hearts and minds' of the people of South Vietnam. This policy involved the US giving free dishwashers, washing machines, fridges, etc. to the Vietnamese, but these items were completely useless to them, as they had no electricity. The Pacification policy was a complete failure.
The mid-sixties were also the period of Black Rights in America. Inspirational leaders such as Martin Luther King encouraged black people and in fact, many other white people across the world, to stand up for individual rights and justice. Many felt that the US was going against these beliefs by their actions in Vietnam. Proportionally, more black people were sent into Vietnam than white, despite the fact that they only made up 15% of the population. This was partly due to the wealth factor, as more white people could afford to defer the draft, and so the army ended up consisting of the poorer sectors of society. This led to resentment and racism was a strong feature of the war, which increased its unpopularity. People began to see the war as dirty and corrupt.
The late 60s showed a real shift in public opinion. The Tet Offensive of 1968 humiliated the government. The army and the public lost respect for their leaders and it lost all credibility. It became apparent to everyone that the USA couldn’t win the war. The previous year, the Defence Secretary, Robert McNamara resigned saying that America couldn’t win, so morale was already low by this stage. It sent an extremely negative message to the army and the public, and they couldn’t see why soldiers were still being sent in.
This war became known as the T.V war. Unlike the Korean War and World War Two, the American government decided not to censor it and let the press have free access. The result of this was to bring home live uncensored pictures of scenes like small children being burned alive by American napalm. This shocked the Americans back home, and as practically every home owned a TV set, these shocking images bombarded the public, and sympathy for the war fell. The free press brought home the reality of the war and soon people were sick of it. One example of this was le Mai Lai massacre. This was the only war crime that was brought to trial by the courts, and this only happened because of pressure from some newspapers. Lieutenant William Calley was put on trail for the slaughter of 109 innocent civilians. He got life but served only three months. Critics said that it was hypocritical standing one man on trial for war crimes when the government had ordered the use of such weapons as Napalm and Agent Orange.
Another example of government losing confidence was that Johnson, previously one of the main supporters of the war, refused to stand for re-election, which showed everyone that he realised America had made a mistake. One of the reasons Johnson refused to stand for re-election was that Vietnam was so expensive that it was sending the U.S economy into recession, and people had to pay higher taxes in order to fund it. Prosperity was in danger, which caused resentment for the war. This paved the way for Nixon to become President and implement his ‘Vietnamisation’ policy; this was America’s policy to get American troops out of Vietnam. America continued to supply the non-communist South Vietnam with weapons, money etc.
In the late 60’s the peace movement had grown greatly. By the late 60s, the ‘Hippies’ were becoming more widespread. With their pacifist attitudes, (for example ‘Make Love, Not War’), they held more and more protests against Vietnam, for example outside of the American Embassy.
The factors that help the peace movement grow were the rising death count of American troops. The war was meant to be a "quick Kill" ˆ a quick victory, in and out with minimal American casualties. The reality was that it all lasted for far too long. As the body bags mounted up the Americans started to question their involvement. Wounded soldiers and veterans came home with stories of how they were encouraged to kill anything that moved.
Another factor was the Kent State University protest, hundreds of students gathered to protest against the war, and against sending more people into war. 2 students were killed in this protest and was a sign that America was losing the war in the fact that now the government had killed people in their own country.
Also the war was also a great hindrance on America’s economic stature. 13 percent of all government spending by 1968 was on Vietnam. This denied funds to America other needs such as hospitals, education and health. Black leaders such as Martin Luther King challenged the American spending, saying that they were neglecting the more pressing social issues, such as racism, social security and many other internal affairs that were bothering America at the time. This did not help win support for the war
In conclusion there were military and political reasons for America’s defeat in Vietnam. The military reasons for America’s defeat in Vietnam were that the troops America were sending were inexperienced 18 and 19 year olds, but they were fighting experienced Vietnamese fighters. The Americans were used to open fighting with a set front line, but they were fighting in Jungles, in a different climate, and thousands of miles away from home. Another reason was that the American troops moral was very low, they didn’t have anything to fight for, but the Vietnam troops were fighting for their country so they were more motivated to fight. The political reasons for Americas defeat were, amounting pressure from the public in form of the peace movement. Also the huge cost of the war was sending America into recession. Another reason was that the rising death count showed Americas lack of progress in Vietnam and this put pressure on the U.S to pull troops out of Vietnam.
