Section 3

• Robert MacNamara

  Secretary of defence- responsible for the policy of escalation- saw vietnam as crucial to US interests
• General Westmoreland

  in overall command of US military forces- believed war was winnable if enough troops were committed
• Operation rolling thunder

  • originally 8 weeks, was 3.5 years
  • Ariel bombing on industrial & military targets in North Vietnam
  • More bombs dropped than the allies dropped in WW2
• When was operation rolling thunder?

  1965
• Impacts of operation rolling thunder

  • Bombing damaged Ho Chi Minh trail
  • American public turned against war because of cruelty & civilian deaths
  • Bombs are indiscriminate- American &Vietnamese soliders died
  • Vietnam became determined to win
• Agent orange

  • Toxic defoliant used by US army
  • 77 million litres of it used
  • Vietcong didn't go into pitched battle- US was trying to destroy their cover
• Napalm

  • bomb that showered people in burning petroleum jelly
  • burnt through skin and bone
  • Killed many civillians, soldiers & children
• Search and destroy

  • ARVN & US would helicopter villages suspected of helping the Vietcong
  • They would search the village and then destroy it
  • nicknamed Zippo raids - after the lighters used to set fire to thatched village roofs
• Impacts of search and destroy missions

  • many vietcong strategic locations were found and destroyed
  • Inexperienced US troops walked into traps
  • Unreliable information meant innocent villages were destroyed
• US approaches to warfare

  • Air power- destroyed enemy supply lines & equipped their own forces
  • Killing large numbers of the enemy- General Westmoreland believed high enemy body count = victory
  • Superior equipment- in batlle better equipment proved decisive
• Who were the Vietcong?

  South Vietnamese peasants supporting communism
• What was one tactic used by the Vietcong?

  They made intricate networks of tunnels
• How did the Vietcong's lack of uniforms affect their tactics?

  It increased tension by blending in with civilians
• What was one method the Vietcong used to undermine the government?

  They killed unpopular government officials
• What role did propaganda play for the Vietcong?

  They used it to influence villagers
• Why did the Vietcong rarely engage in battles?

  They preferred surprise attacks instead
• What was the Vietcong's ultimate goal regarding the US involvement?

  To hold out until the US got bored
• Which countries provided support to the Vietcong?

  USSR and China
• What type of traps did the Vietcong use?

  Simple traps made of bamboo
• What was a punji stick?

  A sharpened bamboo coated with poison
• What was the outcome of the Battle of Khe Sanh?

  North Vietnamese forces were ultimately defeated
• How did the Tet Offensive change American public perception?

  It shocked Americans who expected victory
• What was the scale of the Tet Offensive in terms of troops involved?

  88,000 communist soldiers participated
• What was the Vietcong's expectation from the Tet Offensive?

  They hoped it would spark a revolution
• How did the Tet Offensive serve as a propaganda victory for the Vietcong?

  It contradicted US claims of imminent victory
• What was the duration of the Tet Offensive?

  It lasted from January to April 1968
• What was the impact of the Tet Offensive on the Vietcong forces?

  They were practically wiped out
• How did the US military respond to the Tet Offensive?

  They launched extensive bombing campaigns
• When was the tet offensive?

  1968
• When was the Battle of Khe Sahn?

  1968
• Events of Khe Sahn

  • Vietcong surrounded a US military base to pull troops away from the Tet offensive
  • General Westmoreland sent 6,000 troops
  • Westmoreland ignored communism growing in urban areas - Believed Khe Sahn was the primary attack
  • Vietcong forces surrendered - 10,000 communists & under 500 US troops killed
• How was the Tet Offensive perceived by the American public in the 1960s?

  They were told victory was near.
• What was the Tet Offensive?

  A large-scale North Vietnamese attack.
• What locations did the Vietcong infiltrate during the Tet Offensive?

  Airports, radio stations, and the US embassy.
• What was the significance of the capture of Hue during the Tet Offensive?

  It shocked Americans about Vietcong strength.
• How did the scale of the Tet Offensive differ from previous attacks?

  It involved 88,000 communist soldiers.
• What was the expected outcome of the Tet Offensive by the Vietcong?

  To spark a South Vietnamese revolution.
• What was the actual outcome for the Vietcong after the Tet Offensive?

  They suffered heavy losses and control.
• How did the Tet Offensive affect US public opinion?

  It convinced them victory was impossible.
• What were the US casualties compared to North Vietnamese casualties?

  1,500 US vs. 58,000 North Vietnamese.