Anyone care to explain the Vietnam War?

nightrider1470

nightrider1470

nightrider1470

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Just watched a first episode on netflix, about the war... Had a good few gins and seemed very complicated how it all came about.

The French and the Japanese? Wanted to take control.... How and why did America get so involved?

Did Vietnam atually win the war?.... Any Information you can give me is really appreciated!

I just can't get my head round how the USA didn't beat them so easily

:)
 
They came to help the South and Guerrilla warfare so hard to tell who was friend or foe same as Britain early 20th century and then alter Russia (80-90's) found out in Afghanistan.
 
America's involvement as much as anything was to counter the spread of communism. Without looking it up I think they got gradually pulled into it.

Some of the reasons the US didn't beat them easily was that the enemy were fighting on home turf, fanatical and had the backing of China, etc. and the US military machine has mostly been big and inefficient.
 
Domino Theory. US believed that if Vietnam fell to Communism, all the other countries in the region would follow one by one, so best to ensure that it doesn't happen.

I can dig up more detailed info if needed since I wrote an essay on it during my undergrad, but that was a good 10 years ago now :p

As for why they lost - mix of guerilla warfare and strong anti-war sentiment back at home. This part I did not write an essay on, but just info I've gleamed over the years.
 
Here's a wild idea --> maybe not drink gin, watch the episode again and finish the series... ? It answers all the questions you can come up with.
 
mattyg said:
Yanks can't win without us Brits. Despite what they and Hollywood say
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An interesting footnote at the tail end of WW2 the Japanese forces in Vietnam surrendered to the British and were re-armed as part of a joint British/Japanese force that was very successful in action in combating the early rise of Viet Minh due to both British and Japanese parties having a high level of jungle warfare experience - something the later US forces broadly lacked.
 
nightrider1470 said:
Just watched a first episode on netflix, about the war... Had a good few gins and seemed very complicated how it all came about.

The French and the Japanese? Wanted to take control.... How and why did America get so involved?
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The Vietnam War started as a result of the mess left over by the First Indochina War, during which the French fought against the Communist-led Viet Minh.

After going full Communist, North Vietnam instigated a civil war in South Vietnam. The Americans got spooked, believing that if the entire country fell to Communism, this could cause a domino effect in the region. So they went over there to sort it out (and failed).

The Americans needed local support, so they asked Australia to join the war, which we did (to our lasting shame). Incredibly, many Americans (if not most) remain ignorant of Australia's role in Vietnam.

Did Vietnam atually win the war?....
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North Vietnam won the war, albeit at a terrible cost. South Vietnam lost, and was subsequently absorbed into what is now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

I just can't get my head round how the USA didn't beat them so easily
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Many reasons; I'll only list the main ones.

Firstly, it was a highly unconventional war. The Americans were faced with guerilla warfare in jungle terrain, so they were unable to take full advantage of numbers and technology. They also suffered from the fact that their soldiers had only received basic training for this type of combat. By contrast, Australian troops had been extensively trained for this scenario, and proved extremely effective.

Secondly, North Vietnam was supported by the USSR, China, North Korea, and foreign militia (e.g. Pathet Lao and Khmer Rouge). In many ways it was a proxy war, typical of the Cold War era.

Thirdly, it was a very distant war with challenging logistics. Nowhere near as simple as WWII, in which the primary theatres were far more accessible.

Fourthly, public opinion turned against the war very quickly, and this resulted in political pressure to end it. The Americans introduced conscription to maintain troop numbers, which didn't go down well either.
 
Evangelion said:
The Vietnam War started as a result of the mess left over by the First Indochina War, during which the French fought against the Communist-led Viet Minh.

After going full Communist, North Vietnam instigated a civil war in South Vietnam. The Americans got spooked, believing that if the entire country fell to Communism, this could cause a domino effect in the region. So they went over there to sort it out (and failed).

The Americans needed local support, so they asked Australia to join the war, which we did (to our lasting shame). Incredibly, many Americans (if not most) remain ignorant of Australia's role in Vietnam.



North Vietnam won the war, albeit at a terrible cost. South Vietnam lost, and was subsequently absorbed into what is now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.



Many reasons; I'll only list the main ones.

Firstly, it was a highly unconventional war. The Americans were faced with guerilla warfare in jungle terrain, so they were unable to take full advantage of numbers and technology. They also suffered from the fact that their soldiers had only received basic training for this type of combat. By contrast, Australian troops had been extensively trained for this scenario, and proved extremely effective.

Secondly, North Vietnam was supported by the USSR, China, North Korea, and foreign militia (e.g. Pathet Lao and Khmer Rouge). In many ways it was a proxy war, typical of the Cold War era.

Thirdly, it was a very distant war with challenging logistics. Nowhere near as simple as WWII, in which the primary theatres were far more accessible.

Fourthly, public opinion turned against the war very quickly, and this resulted in political pressure to end it. The Americans introduced conscription to maintain troop numbers, which didn't go down well either.
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Thank you.... Never even knew Australia was involved.. :)
 
Fun fact: one of the most famous conflicts of the war is the Battle of Long Tan, in which 105 Australians and 3 New Zealanders successfully resisted ~2,500 Việt Cộng and North Vietnamese troops.

~400,000 rounds of ammunition were fired during the battle, which was fought on an area no larger than two Australian football fields.
 
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