WHY DID THE US LOSE THE WAR IN VIETNAM?

Why Did The US Lose The War In Vietnam?

Why Did The US Lose The War In Vietnam?

Introduction

The main purpose of this paper is to write a review that why U.S. lose the war in Vietnam. Americans have spent many years wondering how they could lose the war in Vietnam. General Westmoreland, who commanded U.S. troops in Vietnam between 1965 and 1968 identified as causes of loss as follows: 1) have escalated the war too slowly, 2) not be allowed to make cross-border incursions against North Vietnamese bases in Laos and Cambodia and 3) failing to provide adequate weapons or the South Vietnamese, 4) have not lived up to the expectations of American public opinion, so that in the end not the country did not support the war; 5) The manner in that the media reported the war, which was one reason why public opinion opposing the war ended (Andrew, 2007). Westmoreland's opinion is representative of a broad section of the analysts.

Discussion

U.S. lost the war for two reasons: 1) a failure of public relations by not knowing how to "sell" the war on their own media and its population and 2) have tried to carry out, for political reasons, a war limited.

Other more reasons for the defeat, which have adduced, are lack of coordination between the different arms, which have embarked on a guerrilla war in tropical forests an Army. For that, he got prepared to fight against mountainous formations in the open spaces of Europe, the system of rotation of troops, which meant that when the troops were veteran had reached out of the country has focused too much on fighting the Viet Cong guerrillas, and not paying enough attention to combat the North Vietnamese Army troops, having rested too much on the firepower and not quality and professionalism of the troops, lack of understanding of Vietnam, both from their northern enemies and its allies in the south (Stuart, 2002).

Nguyen Cao Ky was Chief of the Air Force in South Vietnam, Prime Minister of the country between 1965 and 1967 and Vice President from 1967 to 1971. In 1976, he wrote, "How we lost the Vietnam War" ("How we lost the Vietnam war"). It is interesting to contrast the views of U.S. officials with a South Vietnamese who, by reason of his office, was one of the protagonists of the period and had access to much information (Robert, 2002). Nguyen, in the book, describes himself as a patriot, worker, dedicated and honest. The former U.S. Secretary of tate E, Robert McN amara, give it describes as a womanizer, drinker and gambler, and says it was like an "unguided missile" more danger we had to drop a gorilla with a box of grenades in a grocery store. At least McNamara does not deny that it was intelligent and honest. The first test I wrote the book and the second modest life, and they forced him to wear during his American ...