Fighting the Vietnam War Cambridge IGCSE History revision
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In plain words
The USA had bombers, helicopters and the richest army in history. Its enemy had sandals, bicycles and tunnels. The war showed that firepower cannot win when you cannot find the enemy, and cannot tell him from the people you came to protect.
9 things to know
- The Viet Cong fought a guerrilla war. They avoided big battles, and attacked by ambush and with booby traps, then disappeared.
- They wore no uniforms, and could not be told apart from ordinary villagers. They hid in a vast network of tunnels.
- They relied on the support of the peasants for food, shelter and information. Supplies and soldiers came from the North along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a web of jungle paths through neighbouring countries.
- They were determined to fight for as long as it took, whatever their losses.
- American tactics. Bombing: from 1965 the USA bombed North Vietnam and the supply routes heavily. It damaged the North, but did not stop the flow of supplies.
- Search and destroy: troops were flown by helicopter to villages to find and kill Viet Cong. Villages were often burned, and civilians were killed.
- Chemical weapons: Agent Orange was sprayed to strip the leaves from the jungle. Napalm, a burning jelly, was dropped on suspected enemy positions, and it burned civilians too.
- These tactics killed many civilians and turned the peasants against the Americans. In 1968 American soldiers killed several hundred unarmed villagers at My Lai.
- In January 1968 the communists launched the Tet Offensive, attacking more than a hundred towns and cities at once. They were beaten back with heavy losses. But Americans had been told that the war was nearly won, and Tet showed that it was not.
Worked example
Explain why American tactics failed to defeat the Viet Cong. This is a 6-mark question.
- The enemy could not be found: guerrillas with no uniforms hid among villagers and in tunnels, so search and destroy killed many civilians and few fighters.
- Bombing did not work: the North had little industry to destroy, and supplies kept coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
- The tactics lost the people: burned villages, napalm and Agent Orange drove the peasants to support the Viet Cong.
Tips and tricks
- Match each side's tactics to its strengths. The USA had technology and firepower. The Viet Cong had local support, patience and knowledge of the land.
- Tet was a military defeat for the communists and a political victory. That contrast is the point to make.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Fighting the Vietnam War: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
What kind of war did the Viet Cong fight?
They used ambushes and avoided big battles.
What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
It ran through neighbouring countries.
What was Agent Orange used for?
It was a chemical that destroyed the enemy's cover.
What was a search and destroy mission?
Civilians were often killed.
Why did American tactics help the Viet Cong to win support?Stretch
A war for the people's loyalty was lost by harming the people.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 14 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Fighting the Vietnam War
Cambridge IGCSE History 0470 · 14 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
Describe the tactics used by the Viet Cong.[4]
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They fought as guerrillas, using ambushes and booby traps and avoiding large battles. They wore no uniforms, and hid among villagers. They used a network of tunnels to hide and to store supplies. They were supplied from the North along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Describe two tactics used by American forces in Vietnam.[4]
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Any two, each described: bombing of North Vietnam and the supply routes; search and destroy missions, in which troops arrived by helicopter to find the Viet Cong in villages; spraying Agent Orange to destroy jungle cover; dropping napalm on suspected enemy positions.
Why was the Tet Offensive a turning point?[6]
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In January 1968 the communists attacked more than a hundred towns and cities, including the capital of the South. They were defeated, with heavy losses. But the American public had been told that victory was close, and television showed that the enemy was still strong. Support for the war fell sharply, and President Johnson decided not to stand for re-election.
Answers: Fighting the Vietnam War
- 1. They fought as guerrillas, using ambushes and booby traps and avoiding large battles. They wore no uniforms, and hid among villagers. They used a network of tunnels to hide and to store supplies. They were supplied from the North along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
- 2. Any two, each described: bombing of North Vietnam and the supply routes; search and destroy missions, in which troops arrived by helicopter to find the Viet Cong in villages; spraying Agent Orange to destroy jungle cover; dropping napalm on suspected enemy positions.
- 3. In January 1968 the communists attacked more than a hundred towns and cities, including the capital of the South. They were defeated, with heavy losses. But the American public had been told that victory was close, and television showed that the enemy was still strong. Support for the war fell sharply, and President Johnson decided not to stand for re-election.