How was the Vietnam War a failure?

Why the Vietnam War was a failure

Failure in Vietnam was rooted in a misunderstanding of the type of conflict and a failure to adapt. US commanders continually attempted to make the war fit their understanding of operations, not a true understanding of the conflict itself.

Was Vietnam a failed war

Despite the decades of resolve, billions and billions of dollars, nearly 60,000 American lives and many more injuries, the United States failed to achieve its objectives. One factor that influenced the failure of the United States in Vietnam was lack of public support.

What were the worst things about the Vietnam War

An estimated 500 Vietnamese, mostly women, children, and the elderly, died in the massacre. The brutality has been well documented: American soldiers raped, mutilated, and tortured the villagers before killing them; families were dragged from their homes, thrown into ditches and executed.

Why did no one like the Vietnam War

Many Americans opposed the war on moral grounds, appalled by the devastation and violence of the war. Others claimed the conflict was a war against Vietnamese independence, or an intervention in a foreign civil war; others opposed it because they felt it lacked clear objectives and appeared to be unwinnable.

Why was it difficult to win the war in Vietnam

Difficult climate and terrain

The effectiveness of American soldiers was undermined not by a lack of skill or courage but by other factors, such as local conditions, unclear military objectives, the highly politicised nature of the war and the stealth and inventiveness of their enemy.

Was Vietnam one of the worst wars

The Vietnam War was the deadliest war of the 1960s, extending into the '70s, according to the PRIO Battledeaths Dataset, produced by the Peace Research Institute Oslo, an independent conflict research and policy institute. An estimated 1,461,050 people were killed in the conflict, which lasted from 1965 to 1975.

Was Vietnam War good or bad

The Vietnam War was a disaster from its bad beginning until its tragic end. It killed four million Vietnamese and over 58,000 Americans. Millions more, Vietnamese and Americans, were wounded by shell or shock and the war came close to ripping our country asunder.

Why was Vietnam so hard to fight

Vietnam War soldiers endured many hardships and faced many problems. Combatants on both sides faced physical challenges posed by the climate, terrain and wildlife of the country. They also struggled with logistical problems and the complex political situation in Vietnam.

Who avoided the Vietnam War

American draft evaders who left for Canada and became prominent there include politician Jim Green, gay rights advocate Michael Hendricks, attorney Jeffry House, author Keith Maillard, playwright John Murrell, television personality Eric Nagler, film critic Jay Scott, and musician Jesse Winchester.

Could Vietnam have been won

America did not experience a “lost victory” in Vietnam; in fact, victory was likely out of reach from the beginning. There is a broad consensus among professional historians that the Vietnam War was effectively unwinnable.

Was Korean War worse than Vietnam

Korean War Casualties

The Korean War was relatively short but exceptionally bloody. Nearly 5 million people died. More than half of these–about 10 percent of Korea's prewar population–were civilians. (This rate of civilian casualties was higher than World War II's and the Vietnam War's.)

Was Vietnam a bloody war

While the Vietnam War raged — roughly two decades' worth of bloody and world-changing years — compelling images made their way out of the combat zones. On television screens and magazine pages around the world, photographs told a story of a fight that only got more confusing, more devastating, as it went on.

Were we successful in the Vietnam War

Twenty-five years after the ignominious American withdrawal from what was then South Vietnam, this much is clear: the United States lost the war, but won the peace. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine how things could have turned out much better if we had won the war.

Were Viet Cong well trained

The Communist Vietnamese in the North used young individuals who were not prepared to fight against experienced American soldiers and were only given basic, minimal training. They became known as the Vietcong.

Why didn’t people like the Vietnam War

Many Americans opposed the war on moral grounds, appalled by the devastation and violence of the war. Others claimed the conflict was a war against Vietnamese independence, or an intervention in a foreign civil war; others opposed it because they felt it lacked clear objectives and appeared to be unwinnable.

What happened to people who refused to go to Vietnam

Many young men went to federal prison as part of this movement. According to Cortright, the draft resistance movement was the leading edge of the anti-war movement in 1967 and 1968. After the war, some of the draft resisters who stayed in the U.S. wrote memoirs.

Is Vietnam still powerful

Vietnam is ranked 19 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual Global Firepower review. The nation holds a Power Index score of 0.2855 with a score of 0.0000 being considered exceptional in the GFP assessment.

Why was Vietnam so hard to win

Difficult climate and terrain

The effectiveness of American soldiers was undermined not by a lack of skill or courage but by other factors, such as local conditions, unclear military objectives, the highly politicised nature of the war and the stealth and inventiveness of their enemy.

Was Vietnam the biggest war

Vietnam was the longest war in American history and the most unpopular American war of the 20th century. It resulted in nearly 60,000 American deaths and in an estimated 2 million Vietnamese deaths.

Have the Vietnamese ever lost a war

More importantly, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam fought a border war with the People's Republic of China in early 1979 and while both sides claimed victory, it was Vietnam that lost territory—more than the U.S. lost in 1973.

Could the US have won Vietnam

America did not experience a “lost victory” in Vietnam; in fact, victory was likely out of reach from the beginning. There is a broad consensus among professional historians that the Vietnam War was effectively unwinnable.

Who ended Vietnam War

Nixon's plan worked and in early January 1973, the Americans and North Vietnamese ironed out the last details of the settlement. All parties to the conflict, including South Vietnam, signed the final agreement in Paris on January 27. As it turned out, only America honored the cease-fire.

Who is Vietnam’s closest ally

Vietnam has forged comprehensive strategic partnerships — the highest diplomatic designation — with China, India, Russia, and, most recently, South Korea. Many of Vietnam's strategic partners are U.S. allies, such as Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Who did the Vietcong fear the most

South Korean troops

Tough, battle-hardened South Korean troops were justly feared by Vietcong and North Vietnamese regulars alike during the Vietnam War.

Why was Vietnam so bad for American soldiers

The later years of the war saw increased physical and psychological deterioration among American soldiers—both volunteers and draftees—including drug use, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mutinies and attacks by soldiers against officers and noncommissioned officers.