History GCSE Coursework
Candidate Name: Anthony Skeete
Candidate Number: 7104
Vietnam Post 1939
Assignment 2
What different tactics were used by both sides in an attempt to win the conflict in Vietnam between 1956 and 1968?
communications for the Viet Cong. This tactic can be seen as part of Guerrilla tactics due to the espionage factor, and it was a response to U.S
Agent Orange and Napalm attacks. The tunnels also supported the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which was a network of 15,000 kilometres of roads and jungles used to transport supplies and artillery through neighbouring countries Cambodia and Laos, to Vietnam.
Anti-aircraft guns were used by the Vietnamese to shoot down enemy planes. They were used against the U.S attack ‘operation rolling thunder’, which was a huge bombing attack on North Vietnam. The guns were provided by both China and U.S.S.R. This tactic was the demise of 14,000 American planes between 1965 and 1968. Although this seems impressive, they were still getting bombed, and more bombs had been dropped on Vietnam, than in the whole of World War Two. Using anti-aircraft guns was a part of Vietnam’s Guerrilla tactics and was a counter against surgical and saturation bombing.
An identical approach to the war used by both sides was propaganda. On the Vietnamese front America concentrated their propaganda at winning over the ‘hearts and minds’ of the Vietnamese population, which would ease their bid to take control of Vietnam. Back home, America used propaganda to convince people to sign up for the war in Vietnam. Vietnam also used propaganda to get the nation to become anti-American. American propaganda didn’t work back home, as there were protests back in America by students against the war effort. It also never worked in Vietnam, as American soldiers did not receive much help or resources from the villages. The ‘hearts and minds’ plan failed to work when innocent villagers were
History GCSE Coursework
Candidate Name: Anthony Skeete
Candidate Number: 7104
Vietnam Post 1939
Assignment 2
What different tactics were used by both sides in an attempt to win the conflict in Vietnam between 1956 and 1968?
tortured or killed. America simply did not know how to win the ‘hearts and minds’, and this was a major factor in their inability to control the war.
Torture and interrogation was used by both America and the Viet Cong to gather intelligence of the enemy’s whereabouts and to discover traitors. America set up ‘Operation Phoenix’, aiming to capture and interrogate 3,000 Viet Cong per month. This tactic could be used to find out where villages allegiances were, and to find out whether a village had been taken over by propaganda or force. America’s target of 3,000 Viet Cong a month was unrealistic. This tactic links in as a reason why ‘hearts and minds’ did not work. Torture and interrogation worked better for the Viet Cong, as they would be more likely to know who’s ‘sleeping with the enemy’. Torture and interrogation did not provide reliable intelligence to America and often, innocent Vietnamese were killed in revenge for lost comrades.
Surgical bombing was first used in ‘Operation Rolling Thunder’, in which it was used to destroy selected targets, usually roads, bridges and barracks. America thought this tactic would demoralise the Vietnamese. ‘Operation Rolling Thunder’ was not very effective, as it did not achieve what it set out to achieve, which was to be over with in eight weeks, and did not make a profound impact upon the war. This tactic can be linked to saturation bombing, which was often preferred, due to its ability to destroy everything in its path. Saturation bombing was used to cut off the Viet Cong’s supply routes, mainly the Ho Chi Minh Trail. This tactic boosted American morale, and did hit certain bases. The tactic was not a success, as the trail remained at the end of the war, and was expensive, while ineffective.
History GCSE Coursework
Candidate Name: Anthony Skeete
Candidate Number: 7104
Vietnam Post 1939
Assignment 2
What different tactics were used by both sides in an attempt to win the conflict in Vietnam between 1956 and 1968?
Chemical warfare was used by the Americans during the war. They used 2 chemicals. Agent Orange; short term effects were defoliation so that the Viet Cong could not hide in the jungles, and to destroy crops so they could not get food. Long-term effects were defected offspring of those in contact with the chemical. Napalm; was a petroleum jelly, which stuck to the skin and burnt at 800 Celsius. It could not be scraped off, burnt underwater and caused phosphorus poisoning. Agent Orange was very effective as the Viet Cong lost their cover of the jungles due to defoliation. Agent Orange also poisoned some soldiers, giving them cancer. Misdirected napalm bombs killed children, which is morally indefensible, and turned the public against the war. The use of chemical weapons did not change the way the war was fought, and lost the some of the much-needed American support. This tactic links in with the Guerrilla tactics, as it was aimed at hindering the Guerrilla tactics.
The tactic, ‘search and destroy’ was a ‘Westmoreland’ strategy. Westmoreland was a ruthless American General during the Vietnam War. The point of ‘search and destroy’ was that American troops would search out and destroy the large enemy forces and the regular or professional troops of the NVA operating in the South. This would leave the South Vietnamese troops to deal with the less well-trained Guerrilla forces (Viet Cong). Westmoreland assumed that the superior equipment and artillery would ensure victory for America against the despised ‘Commies’. The NVA knew they could not survive this kind of war, leading to them increasing Guerrilla tactics and ‘Zippo’ raids on the American soldiers. ‘Search and destroy’ can be seen as a successful tactic as 1 American died to the ratio of 8
History GCSE Coursework
Candidate Name: Anthony Skeete
Candidate Number: 7104
Vietnam Post 1939
Assignment 2
What different tactics were used by both sides in an attempt to win the conflict in Vietnam between 1956 and 1968?
Vietnamese (enemy), and heavy casualties were inflicted on the NVA and Viet Cong. It can also be seen as unsuccessful as America still could not get a stronghold on the war, and massacres on innocent people like at ‘My Lai’ were transmitted to the West through the media, which resulted in more anti-war protests. ‘Search and destroy’ links in with another tactic, ‘high body count’. American Generals thought that the war would be won by killing everything in site, because eventually everything would be wiped out, therefore insisted on putting the tactic ‘high body count’ into action. Unfortunately for America, the Viet Cong were willing to suffer great losses.
‘High body count’ was not effective as soldiers and Generals would exaggerate kills, so the exact number of kills could not be pinpointed. From the pro-war American view, it was effective as many Vietnamese were killed.
The native’s of both countries had a lot to say against the war. In protest, Vietnamese Buddhists burnt themselves alive while praying. In America, the students were causing a rebellion, with marches and demonstrations of their own, in protest against the war.
Although many tactic’s were used by both sides in the Vietnam War, the most effective tactics used by Vietnam were the guerrilla tactics, and for America it was the ‘search and destroy’ tactics, due to its ability to wipe out enemy bases in a matter of hours.
