Preview

Communism During The Vietnam War

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1346 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Communism During The Vietnam War
At the advent of the conclusion of the Second World War came an advancement in arms, mortality rates in the millions, and a collective will of a long lasting peace. In virtue of this, it was a time of treaties and unions; with wounded nations ensuring support in case of future conflicts. Subsequently the seed of a new European union was planted in the Treaty of Brussels, a pledge of mutual defense of Britain, France and Benelux lest the Nazis ever return. As the dust settled it was clear that Germany was no longer a threat, but the massive manpower and nuclear weapons of the soviets were another story. Nobody was more concerned with the rise of Communism than the United States and thus the North Atlantic Treaty was drafted; extending the zone …show more content…
The U.S. sought to both dominate the air and ground of Vietnam with the latter contradicting the former as the American military valued policies of attrition and kill count rather than conventional means of securing territory like in previous major conflicts. Because of the America’s unfamiliarity with the foreign country, the Vietnam War grew more and more complex as there were no front lines due to both the unfamiliar terrain and temporary enemy presence, differing enemy forces, and military operations. As mentioned before the U.S. government adopted new policies of attrition rather than securing enemy territory, because of this there were no official front line to fight from as enemy units would prolong a area before liquefying elsewhere. Another contributing factor was the different unit sizes of the two warring factions; the U.S. readily had soldiers move in larger formations performing patrols and search and destroy type missions, whilst the North Vietnamese had units that were ill-equipped but were smaller and therefore more nimble and mobile than their American counterparts causing a discrepancy between the two. One last factor was differing military operations; as the Americans made their establishment known in Vietnam they were challenged by the harsh jungle conditions and the mere geography of the terrain. Because of this they were easily prone to enemy engagement from various angles, most engagements however were intended to harass the American G.I.s as they would not last in a full skirmish. Likewise the Americans sought to destroy any enemy resistance they would encounter in hopes of winning the war by kill count, however as the North Vietnamese often avoided any full confrontation with American forces this ideal was

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The war in Vietnam was a conflict that started in the 1950s and ended in the early 1970s. During this time period, the United States became increasingly involved in Vietnamese political, economic and military affairs. There were a combination of reasons as to why the United States became more involved, the most important of which in my opinion were the Domino Theory and the growing influence of the National Liberation Front (NFL).…

    • 1547 Words
    • 45 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The United States of course has the superior army and weaponry and military know how so the Vietnamese had to find a way to fight the United States on a even the playing field. A conventional warfare was out the question instead of traditional battle they fought in open fields with tanks and such. They utilize and implemented a more of a hit and run attacks and ambushes. Furthermore, they even constructed elaborate tunnel systems under many villages allowing Vietnamese soldiers to move freely underground without being seen, but also allowing for the solider to stay underground for long periods of times to evade capture, plan and execute ambushes to perfection. This form of warfare, called guerrilla warfare which has been used for years, especially…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Rules of engagement that the United States followed were formulated to limit the force of operations in North Vietnam. The focus was to destroy North Vietnam’s abilities to fight, but in a way that would not upset China and Russia. The last thing the United States wanted was a full blown war with the Communists (Moss,2010). The ROE with limited war ideology and its assumptions are seen through the perspectives and experiences of six levels.…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bui Tin Summary

    • 1627 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The initial strategy with the Americans had been the same in dealing with the French previously. By fighting a long war which would break the Americans will, to help South Vietnam (Pg.57). Ho Chi Minh said, “We don’t need to win military victories, we only need to hit them until they…

    • 1627 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The government had underestimated the enemy, leading them to believe they could easily defeat the communists. Vietnam experienced a strong will to rid their country of foreign rulers and The U.S presidents were not ready to lose. However, simply because of the increasing pressure from the military industrial complex arms industry, the U.S got stuck in what was referred to as a ‘Guerrilla Warfare’. Strategies which the Vietcong used included attacking as soon as the enemy tires, retreat whenever the enemy attacks, pursue the moment the enemy retreats and raid when the enemy tires. The guerrilla tactics they used caused it to be impossible to defeat Vietnam.…

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To start, the most obvious reason the Americans lost the Vietnam war is that the North Vietnamese wanted to win exponentially more than…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The 1950’s dealt with threats from the USSR and Communism which scared many people in the United States and soon became a full-fledged paranoia. There was fear of falling behind the advances of the Communist countries, especially among the Soviet Union, creating the Red Scare. As the Cold War with the USSR escalated, Americans increased their suspicions of Communist influences. Due to this, a special committee was formed in order to investigate Communists in America known as HUAC (The House Un-American Activities Committee). In 1947, HUAC accused ten people in Hollywood of supporting communist propaganda becoming blacklisted. As time went on, more individuals were being suspected of being Communists which eventually led to the act of McCarthyism…

    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    US troops used helicopter gunships as well as aircrafts, allowing them to have total control of the air, this being helpful for destroying Vietnam's jungle with chemicals like Agent Orange, killing large areas of their jungle and forcing Viet Cong troops to move further inland. America entered the war with an idea of using traditional methods to conquer land in order to win the war.…

    • 611 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Vietnamese Weapons

    • 977 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Vietnam War was one of the first and biggest losses by the American military. The VC or Vietcong defeated many American soldiers by using their extreme methods and war tactics. Booby traps, underground rat tunnels, and guerrilla warfare were a few ways the VC and the North Vietnamese Army defeated the United States. The weapons used by the NVA and VC were also more powerful and effective than the American weapons. Camouflage used by the Vietnamese was more concealing and outsmarted the United States soldiers as well. The North Vietnamese community helped and supported their country by doing anything they were asked like leaving villages so the NVA could stay there. The perfect environment and war tactics used by the NVA ultimately won the war for Vietnam and sent the Americans back home abruptly.…

    • 977 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    During the time of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union fought together being allies against the Axis powers. However they had a tense bond, Americans were aware of Joseph Stalin’s communism and were concerned about his possible motives to completely rule as he does his own country. As for the Soviets, they resented that the Americans did not treat the USSR as a legitimate part of the international community. The Cold War was the name given to the relationship of the USSR and the United States that built after World War II. The Cold War existed in order to dominate international affairs for decades, however many crises occurred such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Berlin Wall being created. For many of the people,…

    • 149 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The North Vietnamese were miles ahead of the United States in terms of readiness and knowledge of the terrain. When fighting in the jungles of Vietnam, the heavy leafage and overhead coverage made it difficult for American…

    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The period of the Cold war began in 1945 following World War II after the defeat of Hitler, Germany and Japan. The Cold War wasn’t a one time event, rather it was a long period of fighting between the leadership of the Western World and Eastern Europe. The two countries known as superpowers led the charge with the Western side led by the USA and Eastern Europe led by the Soviet Union. Although once allies during World War II, mistrust with the leadership of Joseph Stalin and his leadership caused the USA to take a stand against the communist country. Although a war was never formally declared, the two super powers fought indirectly through proxy wars, space race, and arms race.…

    • 275 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Vietnam war is one of the most talked about events in history. The war made the American people resent their government. At first people supported the government in their plan to stop communism, but as time went on people wanted it to end. There were several reasons that people felt opposition towards the war, such as: the government was shady and was feeding people lies about the Vietnam, thousands of lives were lost and the people saw soldiers watched them do it all, and lastly how much we spent and how much we are in debt. These were the last straw for the American people.…

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    A long time ago, I was once 18. A mere young man just out of highschool. I thought my life was going great: good grades, friends, freedom. That was until the draft hit all of a sudden. All my dreams and goals - everything was gone. I got a letter in the mail telling me I was being selected to be drafted and sent on active duty in Vietnam. My heart sank when I read the letter. What will my family do without me? I walked into my kitchen, sat down, and turned on the TV.…

    • 1588 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    cold war and communism

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Watching the duck and cover makes one think, would hiding under a desk or jacket against a wall really save someone. Seeing this makes one think if living during the time of a nuclear war would be desirable, not that one has the choice but it would have to be a thought. According to this duck and cover video, a nuclear bomb warning can happen at any time and one would find somewhere that was considered safe and a good distance from windows to duck and cover. If one saw a bright flash then they were to duck underneath any clothing available and against any type of structure as soon as they possibly could to protect themselves. This era had to be extremely stressful, especially for the young children this video was being shown too. This video had to wreak havoc on a child’s subconscious.…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays