What was the American strategy for defeating the Viet Cong?
The Strategy
The U.S. would wage a war of attrition, a military tactic through which a long series of small-scale attacks gradually wears down the enemy. The goal was to inflict heavy damage on North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, so much damage in fact, that it would be impossible for them to recover and keep fighting.
Why did the US use search and destroy in Vietnam?
Search and Destroy, Seek and Destroy, or even simply S&D, refers to a military strategy that became a large component of the Vietnam War. The idea was to insert ground forces into hostile territory, search out the enemy, destroy them, and withdraw immediately afterward.
When did American troops destroy Viet Cong bases in Cambodia?
The bombings are kept under wraps by Nixon and his administration since Cambodia is officially neutral in the war, although The New York Times would reveal the operation on May 9, 1969. April-June 1970: U.S. and South Vietnamese forces attack communist bases across the Cambodian border in the Cambodian Incursion.
How did America win the Vietnam War?
The Paris Peace Accords of January 1973 saw all U.S. forces withdrawn; the Case–Church Amendment, passed by the U.S. Congress on 15 August 1973, officially ended direct U.S. military involvement. The Peace Accords were broken almost immediately, and fighting continued for two more years.
How did search and destroy work in Vietnam?
NARRATOR: In Vietnam, General Westmoreland’s strategy was to fight a war of attrition. He called it “search and destroy.” American forces would search out the enemy, make contact, and then, with superior numbers and firepower, destroy him.
Why did the US strategy of search and destroy fail in Vietnam quizlet?
Terms in this set (11)
The bombing campaign failed because the bombs often fell into empty jungle, missing their targets. The North Vietnamese guerrillas knew the jungle and made use of elaborate underground bases and tunnels to shelter fro m US bombs, and often re-used unexploded American bombs against US soldiers.
Why did the US use napalm and Agent Orange?
Agent Orange, which was used during the Vietnam War to clear dense vegetation, is a deadly herbicide with long-lasting effects. Napalm, a gel-like fuel mixture that burns slowly and more accurately than gasoline, was used in bombs.
Why didnt American troops invade North Vietnam?
Why didn’t the US just roll over North Vietnam and occupy the entire country? The military was afraid of a repeat of Korea. US leadership knew that if a full scale invasion was launched, the Chinese and possibly the Russians would retaliate; Beijing made this very clear.
Why did the United States become involved in the war that was difficult for it to win?
Why did the USA get involved in the war in Vietnam? USA believed that the future of US prosperity and democracy was at risk if the expansion of communism across Europe and Asia. 1954, French were driven from their colony and the US feared that communism would spread.