Why did the US lose the Vietnam War?

Because, after a long resistance by the Vietnamese, the US government yielded to political and popular pressure and withdrew from the conflict. This move allowed communist North Vietnam to invade and conquer South Vietnam, unifying the nation. With a smaller and worse equipped army, the Vietnamese avoided major confrontations by making strategic escapes. In addition, they stimulated the morale of their soldiers with the constant deaths of American soldiers, mainly through jungle traps.

In January 1968, a Vietnamese grand military strategy known as the Tet Offensive, tried to weaken several bases in South Vietnam. It failed, but it caused the US to rethink the war. Protests and a large anti-war current began in the country, causing President Richard Nixon (who was elected promising the end of the confrontation) to carry out a slow withdrawal of troops from that year onwards. The ceasefire agreement was signed by the US in January 1973 and turns 40 in 2013. The war officially ended in 1975.

Obstacle race

11% of US casualties were caused by traps in forests

SPHERE OF DEATH

A ball of deadly spikes, made of wood, bamboo or even concrete, was tied like a pendulum to a tree. The sphere was hidden on one side of the path and secured with a rope that was stretched along the path. When the enemy passed, the Vietnamese released the attack

CROSSED LINES

Various arrow-shooting devices were also used. One of the gambiarras fit a traditional bow, permanently tensioned, in a hole in the ground, and connected it to a rope hidden in the forest. The projectile was released when someone touched the wiring

BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU STEP

Common and improvised mines were scattered throughout the jungle, especially around fallen trees. The traditional ones were activated when one stepped on one of them, when removing the foot. The improvised ones contained a rifle cartridge that, when stepped on, was compressed against a pin that detonated and fired.

LIFE ON A LINE

Grenades were placed inside aluminum cans attached to tree trunks. A wire was attached to the artifact’s safety lock and extended to another trunk. When the enemy passed and pulled the wire, the lock was released, causing the explosion. It was also used in rivers

GOING INTO THE HOLE

One of the most traditional arapucas was the punji stakes, wooden or bamboo spears that were very sharp and dirty with feces and poison. They were placed in holes and covered with a screen of fragile foliage, which fooled U.S. soldiers into distraction.

COMING OUT OF THE BURROW

To move around the territory and surprise the rival army, the Viet Cong, North Vietnamese guerrillas, used a network of underground tunnels about 120 km long. There, there were rooms, hospitals and even armories. In addition to protecting themselves, fighters also used the tunnels to surprise enemies.

In some cases, Americans were trapped in tunnels by the bodies of dead comrades.

Did the US really lose?

Know the arguments of those who discuss the outcome of the confrontation

VICTORY

With a superior and better-trained army, the US was winning all the important battles and would have defeated the Communists had it stayed in the war.

DEFEAT

By withdrawing from the conflict before it ended, the US did not achieve the objective of preventing the unification of Vietnam under communist rule. So they lost.

Consultancy Gianpaolo Dorigo, History supervisor at the Anglo Course, José Salvador Faro, professor of history and contemporary culture at the Umesp journalism course, Eduardo Casagrandi Mansoldo Filho, Brazilian Army Reserve officer

Sources Books The Vietnam War (various authors), the vietnam war (Nelson Basic Olic), The Vietnam War 1956-1975 (Essential Histories)by Andrew Wiest and website Global Security

Read too:

– What was Indochina?

– How were the tunnels that defeated the US in the Vietnam War?

– Who are the American amphibious soldiers?