Why did America Fail to Defeat its Vietnamese Enemies Between 1965 and 1969?

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Why did America Fail to Defeat its Vietnamese Enemies

Between

1965 and 1969?

There were a number of problems facing US forces when fighting the war in Vietnam. Possibly, I think one of the major problems that they faced was the fact that the Vietcong were fighting using guerrilla tactics.

Other reasons include; The Vietcong were able to remain well hidden with their extensive underground tunnel system.  These tunnels made it increasingly difficult for the US forces to find the Vietcong. The war was made difficult due to the uniform of the Vietcong. 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.

Then the Americans started carrying out “Search and Destroy Missions” The Us lost the heart and minds of the Vietnamese people through these missions.

The terrain also made life more difficult for the US forces, as a great deal of Vietnam was covered in jungle, swamp and paddy fields.

The Vietcong used Guerrilla Tactics against the Americans. Guerrilla warfare was on a small scale, taking independent, irregular actions.  This proved very effective against the Americans because it was very demoralizing for them because they couldn’t see who were attacking them.  This was called having an “invisible enemy” because the Vietcong used Booby Traps such as; simple holes in the ground covered with leaves and branches and Punji Traps (metal spikes covered in poison).  Often the Vietcong were extremely close to American Outposts, bases, patrols.  This was known as clinging to the enemies’ belt. Therefore the VC had an advantage over the Americans because they knew exactly where they were.  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. These tunnels made it difficult for the US forces to find the Vietcong
. These methods of fighting were driven forward by the fact that the VC were fighting for Communism and their homeland, and they were not in it for a battle just to wear the Americans down so they would give up.  Also the VC had more spirit, they were at home, working as a family, whereas the American soldiers often got Homesick and depressed.  I think this very significant in the Vietnam War because not did it only wear the Americans morale down, it also made them very worried and unsure.

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Another problem during the war was that the reasons for fighting the war were different on either side. The Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army were fighting for Nationalism (a united Vietnam), whereas the US were fighting against Communism, for freedom.
As the Vietcong were Communists, the two largest, Communist countries in the world - the USSR and China consistently supported them. There was a constant flow of weapons, money and other necessary supplies.  This support also made the Americans, limited to how much bombing they could do, because if they totally destroyed the Vietnamese, then China or the USSR may ...

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