Why the US got
defeated in Vietnam
casualties
foreign killed China: 1,446
civillians killed
N. Vietnam:
~550,000
military
S. Vietnam:
~400,000
killed
N. Vietnam:
~1,000,000
S. Vietnam:
~260,000
US: 58,269
wounded US: 153,303
missing US: 1,672
reasons for war
Vietcong
determined to drive out
America
more motivation to
fight
fight for unification
US
just to stop communism
from spreading
foreign support
N. Vietnam: supported
by China and the SU
US: not alot of support
(negative public
opinion)
S. Vietnamnese regime:
weak, brutal, corrupt
cost
high
Vietnam War: (current
year) $111 billion
more bombs than in
WWII
enviroment
Vietcong advantages
familiar with the
enviroment better military tactics guerilla warfare
fighting on home
ground
are near their
supporters
US disadvantages Vietnam far away difficult to send suplies
negative public opinion
US citizens
distrust in US leaders
protestslowers military morale
people avoiding the
draft
less soldiers
S. Vietnam
now supporting
Vietcong
US not welcome
anymore
events
Tet Offensive
Vietcong continuously
at war with Japan more prepared for war
bad decisions by the
military
killing the wrong
people
demoralised troops
usage of chemical
weapons & aerial
bombing
S. Vietnamnese turned
against the US
short tour of serviceinexperienced soldiers
soldiers on drugsfragging
