vietnam war Flashcards
(33 cards)
Dien bien phu
General Giap decided to take on a French army at Dien Bien Phu
He knew the French would want to defend it to stop the Vietminh getting in to Loas for food supplies
Secretary Giap amassed an army of 60,000 men,200 artillery guns, placing them on high ground surrounding the French garrison of 15,000 men.
Some of his men fired at the French while others dig tunnels to get close.
It took two months.
The French couldn’t keep their men supplied
Only 10,000 survived with half wounded
The French had enough and surrendered
Problems for America in 1964
American trained units of the ARVN are being defeated by the Vietcong
VC are very well organised and are hugely committed to their cause
The Vietcong have captured 200,000 guns that the Americans had sent to the ARVN
VC are extremely well skilled in guerilla tactics
Gulf of Tonkin
August 2nd 1964
USS Maddox is attacked by torpedo boats. Maddox returns fire
America launch air strikes on North Vietnamese air and naval bases
Tonkin resolution
1964
Congressional act which gave president Johnson military authority in Vietnam
Operation rolling thunder
1964-1967
160,000 US troops in Vietnam
Supposed to last 8 weeks and lasted 3 years
Concentrated bombing on strategic targets in North Vietnam such as roads bridges etc.
No major cities were bombed to avoid intervention by the USSR
B-52 bombers battered communist territory and carried out ‘saturation’s’ bombing
This didn’t force the North Vietnam to surrender
Guerilla warfare
A form of irregular warfare
Refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants use military tactics such as ambushes, sabotages, raids etc. And extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and less mobile traditional army.
This requires the ability to strike a vunerable target and withdraw almost immediately
Guerilla tactics : removing dead bodies
The VC would swiftly remove their dead bodies from the scene of an attack so the US troops would think they had failed to take any casualties and moral would drop
Guerrilla tactics: ambushes and firefights
Over 90% of firefights or battles between the VC and US were started by the VC as an ambush
Guerrilla tactics: punji sticks, mines, booby traps
The VC set booby traps for US troops on patrols.
Mines would jump up and explode at waist height
They hid covered pits with sharp bamboo spikes at the bottom which were often coated to ensure infection
Guerilla tactics: hit and run
The VC would plan their attacks then hit the US troops with a swift attack and would withdraw before the US had a chance to respond
Guerrilla tactics: snipers
The VC used the cover of the jungle to pick off or pin down US troops using trained snipers
Guerrilla tactics: spies
The VC were often so good at blending in to the locals that the VC spies even got jobs working on American bases. Even some ARVN soldiers were VC spies . They often new American plans in advance
Guerilla tactics: tunnel complexes
The VC built a series of maze line tunnels . These were so secretive they spread out under US bases. A well constructed tunnel complex not only hid the VC but could protect them from bombing
Guerilla tactics: “fish in the sea”
The VC blended in with the villages. The peasant in the paddy field could be a VC planting a mine . The US soldiers never knew which Vietnamese they could trust. Most didn’t trust any of them
How the Ho Chi Minh trail helped the VC
Raised Vietnamese morale and lowered American
Track is easy to move if US try to distrupt it (50 miles wide, 700 miles long)
US response to Guerilla tactics: a war of hearts and minds
Investments Schools Roads Clinics Local democracy
US response to guerilla tactics:
A ‘safe village’ :
All the Vietnamese were encourage to take shelter in the safe village
However land was sacred to the Vietnamese
US response to guerilla tactics -
Carpet bombing
Bomb the surrounding areas until there is nothing left to draw the enemy out
Search and destroy
Most common response by the US
Search the area to find VC, destroy the area so the VC can’t take any resources if they return
Chemical warfare by US
Napalm- bomb which exploded and showers victims with sticky petroleum jelly which burned at 800•
Agent orange- 20% of Vietnam’s fiesta were destroyed by rotting away of foliage
Side effects were cancer for those hit and those dropping it. (11 million gallons dropped)
Agent blue- crops and supplies sprayed.
Body count
As the war progressed and dragged on tactics changed. The US were not facing their enemy in a traditional battle their aim therefore was to kill as many people as possible. It was the only way to prove their success
Problems with US tactics
Enemy could follow US troops and monitor them and use jungle as cover to run and hide
Enemy would always be close therefore US could not risk dropping bombs without hitting their own men
Turns south Vietnamese against US
Conflicts becomes larger and more drawn out
My Lai : causes
16th March 1968
Search and destroy mission by Charlie company as hundreds of US soldiers had been killed
200 VC soldiers were based in the area
My Lai: events
Any villager who ran was shot or stabbed
No identifiable VC fighters were found - 347 villagers massacred
Thompson and his crew members managed to save some villages
Charlie company reported only 22 civilians were killed by accident
