To what extent did the geography of Vietnam favored the Viet Cong in its victory over the United States in the Vietnam War?
Geography and terrain (jungles and mountains) favored the communist forces a great deal in negating US and South Vietnamese superiority in mobility and firepower. However, it should be noted that the Viet Cong (or National Liberation Front separate from the North Vietnamese) had been defeated by the Tet Offensive. After the Tet Offensive, most combat in South Vietnam was lead by North Vietnamese. Also, in spite of the jungle and mountains, the US and South Vietnamese won almost very battle involving more than battalion size units. So the terrain did not actually provide that much help in a tactical sense.The aspect of geography that helped the communist forces immensely is the fact that North Vietnam had a border with China and that the US could not invade and occupy North Vietnam because of the threat of fighting another war with China. North Vietnam became a sanctuary and secure base for the communist forces and as long as they could find enough men willing to die to unify their homeland and "liberate" the South (I doubt any of the North Vietnamese stopped to ask if the people in the South wanted liberating) and the Soviets and Chinese could provide the weapons and ammunition (which although were substantial were only a fraction of what the US had to spend), they could keep fighting indefinitely. Perhaps more importantly, the North Vietnamese could chose when and where to fight. So they always had the initiative.The Americans tried to bomb North Vietnam to interdict the flow of men and supplies heading South. However, aerial bombing without boots on the ground has never worked (and probably never will). So even after dropping more tonnage of bombs on Vietnam than on Germany during WW2 (and losing thousands of warplanes), and winning all tactical engagements in the South Vietnamese battle fields, the Americans ended up losing the will to fight before the North Vietnamese, and abandoned their South Vietnamese allies.Also note that it was not the North Vietnamese light infantry/guerilla forces that won the final battle of Saigon, but its regulars supported by tanks and artillery.
I need basic facts about the Vietnam War.?
I am in 7th grade and need to write a short essay on the Vietnam War. I have found many websites, but they are all very detailed. Can anyone give me brief facts as to causes, important events and final outcome and/or direct me to a website that has a more simplified discussion of events for kids. Thanks.
Did the US win every battle in the Vietnam War?
We won most of them. Sometimes we would secure an area after much effort and then leave. I don't know what kind of war it is when you can't roll into the enemy territory and fight to win. I'm proud of each soldier who fought there. Some say Americas don't remember on Memorial Day. That's not true. We remember each one of them.