Vietnam War Was Winnable
Introduction
The official military presence in Vietnam lasted from 1965-1975, coupled with severe social, political, and economic disturbances (Murray 32). This war evokes mixed emotions from the world due to its devastating effects on South Vietnam. The war demonstrated America’s poor judgment, failure in its comprehension of root issues, as well as the lack of support for the local people. America faced political and military challenges that resulted in the failure of a winnable war. Analysis of factors that led to failure could, therefore, indicate areas that cost the success of the troops and could have instead led to success.
Disorganized military troops deployed to South Vietnam resulted in numerous deaths in the area including both Americans and Vietnamese people. Total casualties of the war amounted to over five million people some of whom died unnecessarily. Poor training of the soldiers was the cause of these unnecessary deaths since the soldiers lacked expertise in using the sophisticated technology provided by America. This meant that the weapons hit the wrong places and often missed the target hence causing numerous deaths in the process. Killing of soldiers reduced the number of people fighting for the American power. It also reduced the morale of the soldiers since they faced unnecessary deaths and injuries due to recklessness (Murray 102). They therefore lost focus on the course of the fight hence lowering their determination to win the Vietnamese war.
Absence of support from the Vietnamese people was another major cause of failure of America in South Vietnam. America was a foreign power that demonstrated lack of support for the wellbeing of the Vietnamese and their nation. Its lack of involvement in the conflict between the country and the French made America seem like it sympathized with the enemy. The high death toll was another reason for the low local support since it raised resentment among the locals (Murray 74). Disruption of their lives due to numerous attacks increased their repulsion of the Americans.
Possible Changes
Direct interaction with locals could have saved the Americans from the high level of resistance in South Vietnam. Through the interaction, they could have had the chance to understand the locals hence determine the most effective mode of governance for them. The Vietnamese lacked sufficient knowledge on the point of the war and interpreted the presence of Americans as an invasion (Murray 121). Most of them did not understand why the Americans could not leave them in peace to work on the rice farms, which mattered more to them than the politics. Educating the locals on the agenda of the war was the key to winning local support through education on various forms of government. For example, the farmers could receive information on the effects of the political environment on their activities in order to spur their interest in political matters.
Conclusion
The Vietnam War was winnable for the Americans had they paid more attention to the real issues in the country. Lack of local support emerged from their lack of strategies to create positive relationships with the locals and lack of initiative to offer support. Poor training of the military caused more harm than good through the killing of soldiers who dedicated their lives to winning the war (Murray 97). Working with demoralized soldiers and resentful locals created the perfect environment for failure. These reasons led to major failure of American troops in South Vietnam, which could otherwise have registered a win.
Work Cited
Murray, Stuart. Vietnam War. New York: DK Publishing. 2005. Print.
