Why did America lose the Vietnam War?

Question

Why did America lose the Vietnam War?

Answer 1

The US lost their no argument with that, Here the facts -The US fail to complete many of its political objectives -The US didn't get support from the Vietnamese not even the south Vietnamese -The US did have control of some major cities, but overall the whole Nation of Vietnam was under the Communist -And last but not least the whole goal of going to Vietnam was to stop Communism, something the US fail to do as Vietnam is united under a Communist government. That here till this day Vietnam has a Communist Government. No a loss a war is when you don't complete your objectives. Your definition of loss of war is completely wrong, the British weren't conquered nor totally annihilated during the American Revolutionary were they now? Yet they still lost the War. Just like Americans use guerrilla tactic during the Revolutionary war and won against the British, the Vietnamese did the same thing to the Americans and won against the USA.

Answer 2

Dude there are many reason for why Americans lost the war. But the three important reasons are :



1 - Politics

2 - On-Field Events

3 - Vietnamese Sense of Pride and Nationalism



1- Americans knew that if they would use the nuclear weapons they will most likely lose the public support factor that had made them win in the Cold War so far. Also the USSR will now have an open reason to invade the Europe and other countries.



2- Americans were actually over confident about there strength.They were a military that mostly specialized on Broad Scale wars. Most of them had no tactics to counter the Vietnamese soldiers. General Giap used this flaw to the greatest extent and made the Americans loose the war



3- The Vietnamese were inspired by the neighbouring countries that were winning freedom. They were so much convinced to win victory that threw anything to achieve it.

Answer 3

Did America Lose Vietnam

Answer 4

Basically because the Vietnamese wanted to win more than the Americans did. There were a couple of reasons for this. First, the Americans were an invading force, and the Vietnamese were fighting on their own soil. Second, the Americans were not willing to make an all-out commitment to win.



The second item is interesting to me. I was in the U.S. Air Force in Thailand in 1971. I was talking with a forward air controller who was disgusted that the U.S. was not using nuclear weapons on Laos to stop the flow of supplies from North Vietnam to South Vietnam. I was incredulous and asked him why. His very matter-of-fact reply was that war is denying the enemy the use of the land and nothing did that better than nuclear weapons.



The irony is that had that pilot had his way America would have lost so much more that just the Vietnam War.

Answer 5

There's a lot of reasons that can't be summed up in a single answer post. If you need a shortlist I'd say the failure of the U.S. to provide a decent alternative to the communists, the inability to control movement within South Vietnam, and a media at home that was openly rooting for the Vietcong led by the likes of Jane Fonda and Walter Cronkite.



After having read some other answers I feel compelled to add a little more, to everyone who says we "shouldn't have been there" I'd say just look at what happened in South Korea. Today it's an economic powerhouse with a functioning democracy, and Vietnam could have been the same.

Answer 6

They didn't lose, America withdrew at the hands a political situation caused by the American people. In a



brief statement, they won militarily (military force and power) but lost the war POLITICALLY.



In 1973 the Viet-Cong overthrew the South Vietnam Government and were inclined to give in to



communism. Afterwards, the now communist government told that they're was no need for war and stated



the war was over, knowing that all of South Vietnam became a communist government and told



the US to leave. Back in the US, the recent political stance with South Vietnam had became worse with



the constant anti-Vietnam protests, political situations with the rise of communism (Russia, Cuba, China)



and segregation between whites and blacks; all happening for an entire decade.

Answer 7

Failure to appreciate the history and culture of Vietnam



Complaceny from senior military and political figures from the US - President Johnson couldn't believe the US could be defeated by a "...raggedy-***,little fourth rate country"



Kennedy's decision to allow the assassiantion of South Vietnam President Diem removed the one person in South Vietnam with the contacts,influence,and political ability to work effectively with the Americans in effectively prosecuting the war.



Serious intelligence failures by US military intelligence and the CIA,particularly in the period just before the Tet Offensive



Negative press coverage by US media convinced the American people that the war was unwinnable,so the US government lost popular support for the war effort in Vietnam.

Answer 8

The progressivist Lyndon Johnson didn't take the fight to north Vietnam which in effect created a quagmire where the south was under constant attack by the north. Lyndon Johnson also had interests in the contracting company that build the roads, bridges, bases,... So he would have the military take an area, build infrastructure, and then pull back allowing it to be taken or destroyed, and then retake it,....

Nixon took the fight to the north bombing everything and bringing the north to the peace talks table several times. But the damage had already been done by the quagmire of the Johnson administration to the American support for the war.

Answer 9

The differences between the Americans and the Vietcong

Americans Vietcong

The American hi-tech tactics continually killed the wrong people and demoralised their own troops. The Vietcong's guerrilla tactics were appropriate to the nature of the conflict.

The US was trying to supply a war 8,000 miles from America. The Vietcong were supplied with weapons by China and Russia.

The South Vietnamese regime was weak, brutal and corrupt. The South Vietnamese peasants supported and sheltered the Vietcong.

Their short (one-year) tour of service meant that American troops were always inexperienced. The Vietcong had been continuously at war since they resisted the Japanese during the Second World War.

The morale of Americans soldiers was rock bottom - they took drugs, shot their officers ('fragging') and deserted. The Vietcong were fanatically determined to drive out the Americans, whatever the cost.

The war became very unpopular in the US, and lost public support. The North Vietnamese were motivated, fighting at home to unite their country.

Answer 10

The real question is why did America withdraw their troops? America is actually just an army aid for the the south Vietnamese that were fighting the north. The only reason America helped is because they don't like communism and if North Vietnam won Vietnam would be a communist country. But America was offered a peace treaty and of course they took it.Soo America left South Vietnam to die and now Vietnam is a communist country. I dont understand how Americans can take so much pride when they say i fought in the vietnam war. THIS is what they have done to us.. Now Vietnam isn't free.. Who knows maybe all my family will suddenly die one day because of the communist leaders.

Answer 11

With all due respect to the American People, I believe that America lost because they simply underestimated the enemy, a bit like the defeat of the Roman Empire in the Teutoburg Forest, during the Germanic Campaign.

Teutons knew the area better because they kicked *** legionnaire of Quintus Varus:-)



The same was true with America during the the Vietnam War, Vietcong had the advantage of the terrain, and wounded national pride, and that is enough to defeat the enemy, even several times stronger than them.

Answer 12

America lose the Vietnam War for two reasons.

1)Because the Americans were losing the support of public opinion that was much important for that time. And that war has lead many people (in particular Hippie) to protest for the atrocity and horror that cause all kind of war.

2) Because if America continued the war there was risk that the conflict expands in other countries and outbreak other world war.

The America if they wanted could win the Vietnam War, but they have renounced for the peace in the world.

Answer 13

America did not lose the Vietnam War. It was one of several Allied Countries who were their to support the South Vietnamese against the tyranny of Communist North Vietnam. The North Vietnamese ( Viet Cong) knew the land so well they had so many advantages of ambush and the conditions including underground defences and tunnels. Mind you, we the Allies did a lot of damage to all Vietnamese people with things like Agent Orange. Suggest you read some military history to get all the facts.

Answer 14

We did not actually lose in the sense of a fight to the death. We could have prevailed if we (to take an extreme street position of the time) bombed them back to the stone age. The policy must be seen as a sequel to Trumann's policy of limited war. We were not there for go broke and we were not defending hearh & home--except for paranoid psycotics.

However, public sentiment was that we did not belong there in the first place. It was just SNAFU. So we withdrew troops and now Vietnam is a friend.

Answer 15

The Vietnam War was a Civil War between northern Vietnam and Southern Vietnam. We were just there... like we are in Iraq.

Answer 16

Dude there are many reason for why Americans lost the war. But the three important reasons are :



1 - Politics

2 - On-Field Events





1- Americans knew that if they would use the nuclear weapons they will most likely lose the public support factor that had made them win in the Cold War so far. Also the USSR will now have an open reason to invade the Europe and other countries.



2- Americans were actually over confident about there strength.They were a military that mostly specialized on Broad Scale wars. Most of them had no tactics to counter the Vietnamese soldiers. General Giap used this flaw to the greatest extent and made the Americans loose the war

Answer 17

asically because the Vietnamese wanted to win more than the Americans did. There were a couple of reasons for this. First, the Americans were an invading force, and the Vietnamese were fighting on their own soil. Second, the Americans were not willing to make an all-out commitment to win.



The second item is interesting to me. I was in the U.S. Air Force in Thailand in 1971. I was talking with a forward air controller who was disgusted that the U.S. was not using nuclear weapons on Laos to stop the flow of supplies from North Vietnam to South Vietnam. I was incredulous and asked him why. His very matter-of-fact reply was that war is denying the enemy the use of the land and nothing did that better than nuclear weapons.



The irony is that had that pilot had his way America would have lost so much more that just the Vietnam War.

Answer 18

The short answer is because the north vietnamese waged an effective war underground. And the US couldn't bomb people who were in tunnels. The long answer includes the fact that the vietcong was actually used to war since fighting the japanese and france for decades before, low morale of the soldiers, south vietnam being useless, very good guerilla tactics, etc.



US would have had to nuke the sons of beetchest o win.

Answer 19

The purpose of the war was to stop the spread of Communism and the Communists were in the North but we were forbidden by the self-imposed rules of engagement from invading the North. When we had half a million troops in South Vietnam we could have rolled all the way to Hanoi and won the war but the fear was the Chinese would be drawn into the war like they were in Korea and it would escalate to the point the Russians might be drawn in. But if you are going to put restrictions on a war that prevent you from winning the best thing to do is not get into it. Also we were invaders in a foreign land and the Vietcong and North Vietnamese were fighting for their homeland. The only ones who wanted us there was the government in Saigon the corrupt vestiges of the French Colonial rule who had just lost a war to the Vietnamese. So we were fighting the wrong war in the wrong way and were bound to lose. You cannot impose crippling rules of engagement upon your troops and ever expect to win a war. We were also trying to win hearts and minds. The object of a war is to kill the enemy defeat the enemy not win hearts and minds. Bush said the Iraq war would not be another Vietnam. What were the similarities? We put crippling rues of engagement upon our troops. We were trying to win hearts and minds and build Democracy. If you cannot consider your opponents the enemy and try to utterly destroy your enemy then you have no business committing the lives of your fighting men and women

Answer 20

Too many killings of civilians by the American military - the My Lai Massacre comes to mind.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=My+Lai+massacre+



Got to remember too that the Vietnam War was the very first war to be televised - thus the folks back home were seeing events on the front line a mere 24 hours after they had happened and like an everlasting unfolding drama, the people slowly came to the conclusion that both the war and it's cause were lost.



In fact public opinion in the USA became so anti-military that soldiers returning from Vietnam were spat upon by people waiting for them they were jeered at and made responsible for what had happened, the deaths of thousands of civilians in what cause?



As someone once pointed out at the time, the mighty American military were defeated by small men in black pajamas pushing bicycles through the jungle laden with guns, ammo and food.



Then this image of the napalm girl was flashed on to our TV screens. No words were needed. A young girl disfigured for life and for what purpose? To show the might and aggression of the US armed forces against unarmed civilians?



https://www.youtube.com/results?q=girl+burned+by+napalm+in+vietnam



From day one it was a lost cause. The Americans would not listen to either the French or the British, who told them plain and simple that you go into Vietnam and you come out mostly dead.



The British refused point blank to help out in Vietnam - another lost cause.



I pray for those who were killed in the Vietnam war - on both sides. I only hope that time will heal the wounds and that peace can come into the world.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7g8zV0_0GM

Answer 21

We did not lose the war. We just stopped. It was a war that America should not have engaged in. Losing American lives for American businesses in foreign lands is not a war to be won. All American businesses who believe they can do business in foreign countries do not deserve the support of the United States military. Greed is not reason for war. It never will be. Once an American leaves the USA, he/she has committed a mistake. Their very lives are at risk. Americans must take responsibility for their endeavors. If they are sent by the government without means of greed, then it can be a different story. But even then, great intelligence should be used. Freedom is not cherished in all countries. Many dictators are very happy with their circumstances and their greed and do not want freedom loving Americans in their countries. America cannot force the world to change. The heart of man must be changed before they will change their country. God scattered the people at the Tower of Babel because of them trying to accomplish a One World Order. Jesus said, "How can two walk together unless they agree." One of the sons of Noah was cursed by God. The cursed and the righteous cannot walk hand in hand. Nimrod the grandson of Noah rebelled against God and started all the false religions of the world. Peace will not come to this world until Christ returns and sets it up. We can yell, "Peace, Peace" but it will not come. BUT, the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ is returning and He will set it up.

Answer 22

If you'll do some fact checking, The US won the war in Vietnam with "operation linebacker" in 1972. The Vietnamese did not live up to the terms of the armistice which led to the evacuation in 1975

Answer 23

Vietnam was a big giant mistake. Vietnam fought the Chinese for centuries. No different in fighting the United States with AK47s. Vietnam was not going to quit until everyone was dead. So much for the "Patton" speech where we would never lose a war!

Answer 24

The actual war was more like a battle if you look at the multiple things that happened before and after the war and take into consideration the impact on Vietnam. Americans PULLED OUT ON THEIR OWN. The war was controlled by politicans, so the soilders did not fight.

Answer 25

There are many reasons for why the US "lost" the war in Vietnam, and depending on what you want to use the answer for, the answer may vary.



One major factor was that the US military lost the support of the people (hearts & minds in modern terminology), both in the US and in Vietnam, and thereby the support to continue the war effort.



On why the military lost support, there are many discussion on the reasons, and depending on what you what to use the answer for you will get a different answer. Some of the reasons are politics, the flower movement in the US, economics, access to "live" tv (US journalist where embedded into platoons and squads, reported back some inhumane pictures (google napalm girl)) and so on...

Answer 26

It's not so much a loss as it was a draw.



America, in reality, only sent one man over there. The Vietnamese thought (oddly enough) that it was many many men, and historically documented it as such to make themselves look less inept than they were.



In any case, American had learned there was ONE zero that attacked Pearl Harbor in World War 2. And had leveraged similar technology against the Vietnamese in the Vietnam War.



More or less trying to say - hey. We're tired of war. But we'll send one man against your Army until you get tired of fighting.



As is well documented, the Vietnamese finally settled down and asked the hallucinating American to leave in 1973. Or 1975 depending on your timeline.



The rest is.. shall we say.. written...



it's comical to say the least that they still don't understand - to this day - that there was only one man there the entire time.



Same thing is occurring with Afghanistan. The world's documenting there's massive buildups of troops there and Iraq. When in reality, there's only one really bored man who can keep on doing this forever.



I know. i was him at one time ;-)

Answer 27

Nixon was a terrible leader who had inexperienced men on his cabinet. Shortly after his reelection , Nixon authorized the most savage bombing of North Vietnam in the twelve year history of the war. General haig, kissinger's deputy described it as "brutalizing". The bombs hit a hospital in Hanoi and a POW camp holding American POWs. The enemy was better defended and shot down fifteen B-52 planes, which cost $8 million each. Over ninety-eight American airman were captured.



This led to a cease -fire and an agreement-- the Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG)-- was signed to end the war of twelve years. " At that time the dead included 56,000 Americans dead, and five times that number were wounded. This is what it costs Americans to be the world police.

In addition, 5, 200 allied soldiers, 184,000 S. Vietnamese and an estimated 925,000 North Vietnamese. The number of civilian deaths were estimated to be many millions."



Nixon declared that he had brought "peace with honor". However, Nixon had secretly assured Thieu of military support in the event of a communist gains. South Vietnam refused to recognize the PRG and the North Vietnam pressed on . Fighting began once more . In response the US sent bombing raids to Laos and sent billions in military equipment to sustain "Vietnamization." Russia and China aided Hanoi and the Vietcong.



By 1973 Congress forbade the president to undertake any military action in Indochina after August 15th. It also approved over Nixon's veto, the War Powers Act of 1973, stating the president must withdraw the troops within sixty days. It took an act of congress to end the Vietnam war.



In October 1973 the Arab states and Israel were at war again and the future of Israel depended on the continuing US support. The Middle East was using its oil as a weapon. They stopped shipping to the US and once more the US was becoming the World police.

Answer 28

President Nixon SOLD OUT the United States to China . Nothing else was going to happen , in a

war where the both " the Friendlies " , and " the Enemy " are all wearing the same fatigues on the

battlefield ! What drew the Vietnam to its early closure , was the fact the Base Camp in Saigon ,

was infiltrated , attacked , and almost overran by the Vietcong , all wearing the American uniform !

Answer 29

Americans weren't in a war with Vietnam at all.

Vietnam NEVER attacked or threatened America.

The USA attacked, waged war-- and left.



We lost track of why communism DESERVED it - Some of us think Islam does, now.

Answer 30

Fundamentally because the Politicians ran the War, our Soldiers were held back from fighting it as a war. The same thing happened in Korea but none of those wars should have happen if the Generals had been turned loose when Russia started acting up.

Answer 31

If you believe Prager University The Democrats sold Vietnam down the River just like they are doing with Iraq & will do with Afghanistan. http://www.prageruniversity.com/History/The-Truth-about-the-Vietnam-War.html#.VMSEAdLF_fg Our Mainstream Press makes the USA a bad Allie to trust. It will 1st hype up hysteria to get the USA into war. Once in a conflict the same press will search for reasons to vilify the soldiers & praise the enemy. It is unlikely our Left leaning press will ever allow any 1st World country win a war. The press will be the 5th column determine to get soldiers killed to sell advertisement.

Answer 32

This is not complicated. Honest. America could of easily won the war against communism in Vietnam but the liberals/leftists in America would not allow it. Seriously.

Answer 33

South Vietnam was a very corrupt country. At one time, America decided to gradually reduce their army in South Vietnam. Meanwhile, North Vietnam had support from Communist China and Communist Soviet Union. In short, communist armies are not the best, but South Vietnam was corrupt for a capitalist country.

Answer 34

Technically we didn't lose, we quit.

The US never lost a major battle in Vietnam, but it was an unpopular war on the homefront and the politicians never had the political nerve to commit enough resources to win

Answer 35

In two words? American Hubris.



The US tried fighting a war of attrition instead of a conventional war wherein armies take & hold territory, driving enemy forces back where they came from and ultimately invading and conquering the enemy nation.



As such, they won nearly all the battles but ultimately cost themselves the final victory.



They also failed to comprehend and counteract enemy psychological warfare on the homefront, which ultimately succeeded in turning public opinion against the war.

A nation that doesn't support a war is a nation that wants it sons home and alive, not fighting lost causes.

Answer 36

We seriously underestimated the commitment of the Vietnamise. We thought we could win quickly through hugely superior military power. We were trying to win WWII again, and our tactics weren't the right ones for a guerrilla war where nobody wore uniforms, battles weren't restricted to battlefields, and you couldn't tell the good guys from the bad guys.



Presidents Johnson and Nixon were not able to inspire Americans to 'win at any cost'. They both tried to fight the war 'on the cheap'. Americans didn't see Vietnam as a threat to our way of life or our very existence, so we weren't able to get everyone to put his life on hold and restructure society based on winning an all-out war, as we did in WWI and WWII.



The war grew increasingly unpopular, and in order to make it more popular our govt. fed us a constant stream of lies. This soon became pretty obvious and ended up making the war MORE unpopular.



The US has used its military more than 100 times since WWII. Not ONE of these was a legitimately declared war, and not one was to protect our shores from an invasion or attack. Most of them have been fought without the American People even being aware of them, in secret or almost. None required any kind of sacrifice from most Americans (except in our taxes of course). When a war like this turns bad, it's very hard to get Americans behind the idea of 'win at any cost'.

Answer 37

America was limited as the U.S.S.R. was backing the Viet-nim. The Viet-nim were determined to fight off colonialism...as they resist China's influence today. They were determined to win a guerrilla war at any cost. America had no long term future to be bogged down in a forested Afghanistan. It was on a loser from the start. The Viet-nim were nor conquering other nations, they were fighting a civil war. There was weak logic, lack of resolve and little benefit.

Answer 38

1)Allies tried to use conventional weapons against gorilla war fare. 2) Allies tried to convince the population that they were behind the times...as these people were living on land that once served their families hundreds of years ago. The dirt floor, growing rice and showing kindness was all these people wanted, To grow rice and be left alone. 3) Generals, like Westmoreland, ran the war like a business. 3) Officers, from Capt. on up, would serve 3 to 6 months in country and then be shipped out. They didn't have to serve the full 12 months. It helped their futures to have served in war zone. It was called "getting your ticket punched". 4) Troops found out they were being lied to by all, from higher rank to the W.H. Troops refused to follow orders and fraggings (killing untrain officers who lead troops into battle) took place. Mostly 2nd Lts who had no experience in battle, trying to lead troops that were already hard face, causing many troops to be killed. And finally 5) This was a political war. It was not a war to 'free' the south. It was a war fought from the W,H, and Russia with China as a back up. V.N. Combat Vet. '65-'67.

Answer 39

they shouldn't have been there in the first place. there was nothing in vietnam that had strategic value of

anything. the US reason for being there was purely ideological. at that point in time the US would back anyone that was anti communist. the US wasn't there to win a war. the so. vietnamese weren't capable

of winning without the US help. this wasn't a declared war. there were no battle lines. no one knew where anyone was. the enemy blended in with the local population. there were VC and VC sympathizers everywhere even in US camps. it was not possible for the US to win given the tactics they used and once again they underestimated their enemy.

Answer 40

Hugely debated and debatable question. Personally, I think the VC and the North Vietnamese beat us due to (a) shorter supply lines and ""home field advantage," (b) an implacable nationalist drive dating back 1,000 years or more, to when vietnam won a 300-year guerrilla war against its giant neighbor China, (c) superior VC / North Vietnamese knowledge of the culture and terrain, and general US ignorance, (d) greater popularity of the Communist leader Ho Chi Minh, a hero of the war of independence against France, and unpopularity of US allies in the war, (e) superior Communist tactics, as opposed to the technological clumsiness of the US war effort based on napalm and "free fire zones" and the like, (f) the Communist /nationalist side felt it had more at state in Vietnam than the US did, and (g) the Vietnamese leadership was far more united and dedicated in its war aims than the Americans were.



-- democratic socialist who remembers the Vietnam debates in the 1960s

Answer 41

because they could not prove that the viet namese would be happier after the war, they lost.

the viet cong was supported by china, and cambodia. basically, communist belief is based on the marxist idea that revolution is hope?; no, based on the idea that the only way to advance society is through violent confrontation.

although arnold toynbee discredited the karl marx understanding of historical imperative, the idea was sown and the violent confrontation continued.

the reason the americans lost the war, was simply because they subscribed to the marxist ideal, and were playing the game on their court.

americans can not subscribe to 'the might in the right' without getting burnt by the 'marxist'.

Answer 42

The politicians back home.They were not letting the people who should be fighting the war, fight it the way it should be fought.

We withdrew our forces at the very end , per a treaty ironed out in Paris , France.

Jane Fonda and others celebs in North Vietnam as guests of the North Vietnamese . The photo ops with her sitting on an anti-aircraft gun.

She betrayed the POWS there by turning them in after they gave her paper messages.

For a real answer ask a Vietnam Vet which I am not.

Answer 43

The US pulled out so South Vietnam lost

Answer 44

America did not lose the Viet Nam war. There was a Paris peace treaty that called for a cease fire. American combat troops were pulled out and the NVA invaded the south.

Answer 45

Better question is why did the US allow so many men to die. Because political and military careers were at stake. Johnson did not want to be the first president to lose a war. So he kept sending young men to die. Then refused to seek another term and the war was laid at Nixon's feet. Johnson was a cowardly piece of work.

Answer 46

Because America conceived of it as a war in itself, rather than as a big battle within a larger war.



Nobody says that Texas lost the War of the Alamo. Nobody thinks of that battle as having been a war in itself. And people are aware that the Texans did win independence.



You can work out the rest of the analogy for yourself, I submit.

Answer 47

Wars are won or lost because of strategy and operations. The US lost in Viet Nam because there was no over-all strategy and operations were just killing random people.



Note that everyone Johnson consulted before the invasion, even MacArthur, told him "don't do it! You can't win a land war in Asia!" But he thought he could get lucky and he was afraid Republicans would call him "soft on Communism."

Answer 48

Basically because policy makers misread the conflict from the start. Vietnam was not a "communist incursion" despite the nature of the North Vietnam regime. It was a civil war waged against the Saigon government. The other misread was that Vietnamese overwhelmingly saw the Saigon regime as a foreign-controlled puppet set up by the French andpropped up by the US. To them, this was a war to rid their country of colonialism and get it back from invaders. Read a book called "Street without Joy." It's probably in your local library.



Now, please note: I'm NOT saying this is "how it really was" -- but it IS how the Vietnamese people saw it. We lost because we never had the support of the general population -- they saw the North as liberators, not invaders.

Answer 49

You need to read a lot more about the war before you turn on us that were there and the ones that died there and the ones like myself and many others came back with agent orange PTSD talk to people that were part of the brown water navy you may find what real people are that fought there

Answer 50

Maybe you never know,usa build the war in Vietnam,usa know the power of rich sources of nuclear power inside Vietnam.

but is simple,the politicians of that age ,never ask friendly.

We now the rest.

Answer 51

Because we trained the Vietnamese how to fight the Japanese. We and the British taught them and armed them.

The reason the war happened was because the allies at the end of WWII decided that area of the US should be returned to the French. The Vietnamese did not want the French any more then they wanted the Japanese.

Answer 52

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We won the Vietnam war militarily. However, the lack of support back home forced us to withdraw. In fact, several NVA leaders later were quoted as saying that the only reason they lost the war was because of the American "pacifism" movement which ironically was incredibly violent and barbaric. Our Servicemen won that war on the ground. They have NOTHING to be ashamed of, their heroic legacy remains untarnished. It was the politicians who lost it for us. They are the ones who have to carry that burden of defeat.

Answer 53

The US lost because it's traditional warfare tactics were not effective in the jungles of Vietnam.

Answer 54

America did not lose the war, but the Vietnamese people won

Answer 55

The Government of South Vietnam was largely unpopular and of course it will be unwinnable war.

Answer 56

vary.



One major factor was that the US military lost the support of the people (hearts & minds in modern terminology), both in the US and in Vietnam, and thereby the support to continue the war effort.

Answer 57

Hi

Answer 58

America did not lose the war. The American politicians and the peace creeps did!

Answer 59

As a veteran of VN, war, we did not lose. In 95% of the battles fought, we won. Only when our government decide to retreat like cowards did the war turn, and of course, that was lead by a democrat president, Lyndon B Johnson. What a waste and a crook he was.

Answer 60

Because the USA thought it could fight and win a limited war.It could not. To win , the USA needed to invade and conquer North Vietnam. The USA lost the war because it was unwilling to pay the price for victory.

Answer 61

It would likely have been better if the US mainland had been invaded in the WWII (rather than just Hawaii). In that way the US would have known, as Vietnam later did, that to resist an invader (the US) was paramount.

Answer 62

I'd say Hobbit already nailed it.

I think even if we'd defeated the Viet Cong, we'd still have lost after the fighting stopped. We did such a lousy job of "Winning Hearts and Minds" of the people. We killed and maimed lots of innocent people. They wanted us Out of there.



Just my impressions. I spoke to lots of Vietnamese peeps.

I made 8-10 trips to VN as a merchant mariner, hauling sensitive

military cargo, (bombs and beer)

Answer 63

Not enough public support they were sending to much soldiers to Vietnam if they done same as they did in Korea would won plus hippies ruined any chances total victory

Answer 64

1 - Politics

2 - On-Field Events

3 - Vietnamese Sense of Pride and Nationalism

Answer 65

Because it wasn't winnable. The only way to have "won" there would have been either to nuke it into a sea of glass or remove all the Vietnamese, indoctrinate them in the values of democracy, and put them back. The only reason we were there in the first place was to keep Russia spending money they didn't have and bankrupt them so that eventually they fell.

Answer 66

Who would you belive if they came and talked to you in your town? A big ugle of collored person who spoke in jiberish and apeared to be a idiot. Or a person from the next town over who spoke like you, dressed like you and lived the same life as you? The average Vietnamies on there 2 to 6 hector farms did not want war. Just left alone. So who is worse to them. The people who walk across there rice levies at night doing no damage? Or the plane that just dropped bombs out in there rice field? So in truth the people there did not want us out in the country side doing property damage. And the only people who wanted us in the city were making money of us being there. The rest could care less about us there as long as we left them allown.

Answer 67

The media made the war visible to all americans. It destroyed our will to fight a futile war against a people that were not a threat.



The Bushies learned from this and blacked out anything from their wars they did not want us to see. Nice ChristoFascist CONservative tactic.

Answer 68

The was being fore from the arm chairs of WASHINGTON DC.

Should have left to the ones that know how to fight a war.

+x president Truman started that limited warfare in the Korean War.

Answer 69

1.The american high-tech tactics continualy killed the wrong people and demoralised their own troops.

2.The war became very unpopular in the us and lost public support

3.The americans were too over confident about their strenghth of the war..they became blinded of the war that they thought they could win by having air battles.



I DONT KNOW WHY SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY WON..COZ THEY DIDNT THEY LOST AND IF YOU ASK ANY HISTORY TEACHER IN UK (WHERE I AM) THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT THE US LOST!!!!!

Answer 70

War was never declared, it was a conflict, we were fighting communism, the U.S. helped South Vietnam , then we left.

Answer 71

I don't know but it seems as if the American Government wouldn't let the military go all out and fight like it was a war from the beginning.



Too many rules of engagement.

Answer 72

Our Government gave up the war in Viet Nam. Not the US Military.

Big difference when you assess the facts. As opposed to your

fiction

Answer 73

It's The US, not america

Answer 74

Because war is an excuse to take workers money and give it to the wealthy who all benefited greatly. We do the dirty work of the filthy rich. The better question is, why do people put up with such garbage?

Answer 75

The policy the vietnam applies that was the main reason.

Answer 76

Because it was a guerilla war, and the terrain also helped the vietnamish to win. This kind of war is almost impossible to win, that´s why Colombia has been for more than five decades involved in a conflict of this kind.

Answer 77

Most Vietnamese at the time of the war wanted to be Communists

Answer 78

WE did NOT really lose this war, WE JUST INTELLIGENTLY WITHDREW SUPPORT! IT was an UNNECESSARY WAR that cost LIVES and FAMILIES< like all wars do, only there was NO POSSIBILITY of wining it at ANY LEVEL! This area has a GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT of FISH and BAMBOO and RICE and ROCKS and STICKS! They were VULNERABLE to what COMMUNISTS had to offer them! WE SANELY WITHDREW from this as we SHOULD have with IRAQ< a country that has been at WAR before the BIBLE was ever thought of or written! WE used BAD TACTICS as bad as the NAZIS< like AGENT ORANGE and NAPALM to kill CHILDREN WOMEN and more! A VERY VERY SAD THING in my mind! RICE FIELDS are nearly VALUELESS> ! It was all about POLITICS and a fight for the RIGHT TO BE FREE

Answer 79

"Lack of will to win by the politicians" That war should have been over in the first two years if politicians had the balls to bomb North Vietnam but instead the concept of "limited war" was born. There should never be such a thing; wars are fought to win and you do that by quickly decimating the enemy.

Answer 80

Could be something to do with US Military philosophy of attrition warfare as opposed to other methods like counterinsurgency reference : Battle of Long Tan documentary narrated by Sam Worthington'

Answer 81

Why did the British lose the American Revolutionary War?

Answer 82

Politics.

Answer 83

We weren't actually trying to win. The point of that war was to increase arms merchant profits. We kept fighting until the American people got fed up with it.

Answer 84

We withdrew. That is different from losing. I believe our record of "never losing a war" remains clean. Bring up that argument in your history class, young one. It could be censored down, or it could lead to some mind-expanding discussion. Good luck.

Answer 85

The short answer is because the north vietnamese waged an effective war underground.

Answer 86

American pulled out of Vietnam just as the British did as they came into Vietnam after the American victory in the Pacific even rearming defeated Japanese troops to aid them was to much for them they turned it over to the French who lasted longer but they too pulled out and in step Americans of course short time later the British pulled out of Burma Malaysia India so I guess the Americans pulled out for the same reason the British pulled back form every place they invaded

Answer 87

What makes you think we lost it? No war is won or lost. These military actions are done for political purposes and have nothing to do with win or lose. I suppose you think the USA won WWII also. Re-shape your thinking.

Answer 88

Democrats pulled us out of vietnam. When you quit you still lose.

Answer 89

because the Vietnamese had a long fighting history against "invaders". You may view the war as a war against communism, but for the Vietnamese, they viewed American as the next "invader" after France, that's why they were willing to fight to the death.

Answer 90

LBJ did not loose any war. Nixon might have... J. Ford certainly didn't win it. Sounds to me like some people want to go back and try again though... not likely a great idea...

Answer 91

You haven't had a conversation with an actual Vietnam vet have you? Once in a bar I had a conversation with a Vietnam vet who told me" We killed 3 million of them, they killed 50,000 of us. I'd say we won that war".

Answer 92

People like Mommanuke and Hanoi Jane Fonda.

Answer 93

Treated S Vietnam like a colony and the villagers like enemies. We were there to fight communism, the indigenous people however were fighting for nationalism. We just never tried to understand or truly help the country, just thought that by killing as many people as possible like every other war we would somehow win. "ITS FREEDOM TIME". We would've won if we truly tried to make their economy independent and stable, establishing a democracy very very earlier on, as well as showing compassion to the rural populace.

Answer 94

Vietnam lost what chu tlkin bout pusshy

Answer 95

Long and short of it, is lack of will for winning on the part of our politicians. We threw away the lives of 50,000+ brave men and women for no good reason. The real reason ultimately was to enrich the coffers of the military industrial complex.

Answer 96

There's a lot of reasons that can't be summed up in a single answer post

Answer 97

Nhcjcncn

Answer 98

Basically Russia provided so much funds to Viet Cong that the Americans were not expecting it.

Answer 99

because FAUX patriots like Bill Clinton worked hard to undermine the war effort back home and make the sacrifices of our fighting men moot!

Answer 100

I'm not so sure we did. We withdrew under OUR terms. What happened later wasn't us losing, just not supporting our puppet Theiu.

Answer 101

probably because they didn't officially call it a war. Same thing in Iraq, it wasn't "our" war. Same in Afghanistan, it wasn't "our" war.

For there to be a winner and a loser there has to be a war.

Answer 102

Newspapers and television broadcasts don't lose wars, armies do.

Answer 103

We didn't lose , we cut and ran. Those 5' tall 100 pound guys were too tough for us.

Answer 104

Since there was a draft and the Viet Cong actually had real weapons to kill Americans, the public did not support the government's decision to be involved there.

Answer 105

Our government did not follow the art of war, the Vietnamese did.

Answer 106

Didn't lose anything--we accomplished our objective, got the money & tied up the communists.

Answer 107

In the kids game of "Capture the Flag" you win, when the enemy has lost his Flag. Hanoi was the Flag. We were not allowed to capture the Flag.

No field Officer would allow such actions, as capturing the flag means the end of the conflict. You are right Shawn, so very right.

Answer 108

Jane Fonda just recently said her visit was big mistake. You never made a mistake?



They were more determined and smarter than we were. Jungle fighting was new to us.



There were tunnels everywhere, do you think we would do that?

Answer 109

Politics and politicians, a war can not be fought when you tie your Troops hands behind their back.

Answer 110

Cause the politians ran the war, not the military.

Answer 111

I'm guessing that part of it was that 99% of all bombs were dropped on our ally, South Vietnam, the country we were trying to protect.

Answer 112

Because they could not hold places like Quang Li Bhang

Answer 113

Congress would no longer fund the war.

Answer 114

We did not really lose and just stopped because it was too unpopular and was really LBJ's war!

Answer 115

we lost the war because we were not trained for war in the jungle or finding traps or people in holes

Answer 116

Several reasons, but it boils down to no real commitment, political gutlessness, and the tenacity of the enemy was greatly underestimated.

Answer 117

We never actually set out to win. We thought we could "contain" communism's expansion. And sixty-eight thousand of my brothers and sisters died because of that stupidity,

Answer 118

We just got tired of fighting somebody else's war and went home.

Answer 119

We had a President (Lyndon Johnson) that attempted to play general rather than letting the professionals work.

And his ego trip cost the lives of American soldiers.

Answer 120

Because they didn't FIGHT a War, the politicians limited all the real military wanted to do to win and then left without completing the task.

If you don't fight to win you just kill you own soldiers.

Answer 121

When INTEL sources (since then, PROVED right) said the NVA was about to surrender, our Democrats rushed to beat them to it.

That's ALL there is to it.

Answer 122

the Viatnam war was not a war, it was a police action

Answer 123

No one really lost or won, it was a war no one had NO idea what they were even fighting for. it was basically a meaningless, lost cause.

Answer 124

The politicians and military hadn't done their homework.

Answer 125

China was a nuclear power bro

Answer 126

Check the full theory on wikipedia.

Answer 127

Bcoz they don't have barrack Obama

Answer 128

Tactically we won, the only thing we lost was in the political ring.

Answer 129

Because of the whole idea of a "police action..." in which we have to wait to be fired upon before firing.

Answer 130

Because they were in the wrong by overestimating the influence of communism.

Answer 131

the Dims in Congress sold out the South Vietnamese by defunding support for their government.

Answer 132

One word- Overrated.

Answer 133

cause Chuck Norris wasn't there

Answer 134

The US has a very meak and weak military. too soft.

Using force with total destruction with no survivors is the only way to win a war

Answer 135

POLITICS and because apparently the government didn't want a win.

Answer 136

Because of inept politicians who sent our people into that hell hole with arm tied behind their backs!

Answer 137

Virginia Woolf~ I have lost friends some by death... others through sheer inability to cross the street. ow.ly/BP7II

Answer 138

Because they left their aillies behind because theyre weak cowards

Answer 139

Because of Manbearpig. He is real I am totally cereal.

Answer 140

Because at the time, we were divided from within.

Answer 141

strategy and war techniques were badly used

Answer 142

Technically we didn't lose, we quit.

Answer 143

Unprepared for what was coming and over confident and unsure.

Answer 144

Our country wouldn't let us who were there fighting win.

Answer 145

Other than you and your brain-dead compatriots we didn't lose.

Answer 146

Because they were backing a moron (namely Ngo Dinh Diem) who treated his own people like ****.

Answer 147

I also want to ask the same question

Answer 148

Don't know

Answer 149

because they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Answer 150

Because American men were are and will be a bunch of *******.

Answer 151

political issue may be included

Answer 152

politics

Answer 153

We didn't try to win.

Answer 154

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uqjznmTp80

Answer 155

they where out numbered, and out fought by the viet cong

Answer 156

American Media, CONSTANLTY TALKING ABOUT THE BAD THINGS!!!!

Answer 157

What are it was a police action

Answer 158

That was a temporary defeat.

Answer 159

didnt lose, general public was not in favor

Answer 160

Well, USA didn't exactly lose.

Answer 161

Guerrilla warfare is tough to fight.

Answer 162

Because we didn't win.

Answer 163

Add your answermany reasons

Answer 164

Because there was never a reason to be there..

Answer 165

mainly politics

Answer 166

they knew the area better

Answer 167

because of jhon lenon, he refused to be volunteer at the us army...!

Answer 168

we knew little about gorilla warfare

Answer 169

ignorance and arrogance. they did not understand the people, culture or why they were there.

Answer 170

They just did loose!

Answer 171

liberals

Answer 172

that's reason they are very hungry

Answer 173

Because they are not good

Answer 174

maybe you heard . we gave up and went home .

Answer 175

for guns

Answer 176

fascism

Answer 177

Uncle Ho.

Answer 178

they didnt

Answer 179

we apparently suck

Answer 180

You're reading liberal history books.......................................

Answer 181

cuz they suck