What different tactics were used by both sides in an attempt to win the conflict in Vietnam between 1956-68?

Authors Avatar

What different tactics were used by both sides in an attempt to win the conflict in Vietnam between 1956-68?

 

The main tactics used by the US were bombing raids, Strategic Hamlet and Search and Destroy. The main tactics used by the Vietcong were Guerrilla Warfare and Pacification.

        In 1954 the Korean War had just ended and the American people did not want another war so soon. But the government wanted to stop communism spreading so they involved America in Vietnam’s affairs slowly.

        In 1956 the election promised by the Geneva Peace agreement was not held as America feared Diem would lose. This was America’s first tactic. Ho Chi Minh would then invade the south so America backed Diem immediately. This was America’s second tactic and later they would send advisors to train the ARVN and Mercenaries to fight directly.

        Diem would soon become unpopular as Buddhist protests took place and America loses their faith in Diem. So their next tactic is to allow Diem to be killed and take over the war. Soon after this America realises that the NLF are having an effect on the South Vietnamese peasants. Some of them were joining the communists. So Kennedy sets up a scheme called Strategic Hamlet. This involved the moving of peasants away from their villages and their land and positioning them in new villages away from NLF influence.

Join now!

        In 1964 the Gulf of Tompkin incident took place which led to Johnson giving the order to launch Operation Flaming Dart, a strategic bombing run against specific targets in retaliation. This soon turned into Operation Rolling Thunder, a massive round the clock bombing campaign to weaken the Vietminh into surrender. However this didn’t happen as the communists built tunnels to shield themselves from the US bombs. This was the first of the Vietcong tactics.

        The Vietcong soon attacked the US airbases, which maintained the constant bombardment of Rolling Thunder, and so to defend the bases US ground troops were ...

This is a preview of the whole essay