Vietnam War Turning Points

The assignment is due by 3:10 on Wednesday.

1. Why was the Tet Offensive a turning point? Explain your answer.
The Tet offensive was a considered a turning point in the war because the Viet Cong fighters attacked over 10-0 cities and other military targets. They tried to capture the US embassy in Saigon. They had the US and South Vietnamese force in Saigon for two days. In Many ways the Tet offensive was a disaster for the Communists. They hoped that the people of south Vietnamese would rise up and join them but they didn't. However, the Tet offensive proved to be a turning point in the war because it raised hard questions about the war in the USA. There were questions like why had the communists been able to launch a major offensive that took US forces by complete surprise. Ad there were many civilians killed and the ancient city of Hue was destroyed, was this right?

2. Are Sources 51 and 52 making the same point about the My Lai Massacre?
Source 51 was written Ronald Ridenhour and he is saying that it was a mistake that what happened at My Lai. He is basically sticking up for the soldiers saying that they had never been away from home before and they have never served before. he is saying that they were so excited that they were sticking up0 for there country and thought they were doing good. He is saying that they didn't mean to slaughter the villages, women and children.
Source 52 Is saying that they did the right thing by slaughtering these houses, children and mothers. They say it isn't bad because they were trying to destroy communism. They weren't there to kill men, they were there to kill intangible ideas.
These two sources have entirely different ideas.

3. Why do you think it took 12 months for
anyone to do anything about the massacre?
I think it took 12 months for anyone to do anything about the massacre because the soldiers and the US saw it as a good thing and were praised. But, 12 months later, a letter arrives in the offices of 30 leading politicians and government officials in Washington. It was written by Ronald Ridenhour, an American soldier who had served in Vietnam and personally new alot of the soldiers. He had evidence, he said, of "something rather dark and bloody:" that had occurred in my Lia. He recounted in detail all the storied he had been told about what had taken place and asked congress to investigate.

4. Why was the massacre so shocking to
the American public?
The massare was so shocking to the american public because they were aware of what was actually happening in vietnam. The war was a media war and the US could see everything that was happening. They could see people getting shot, burning themselves, children screaming for their lives. It was very shocking for them to see because they never got to before.

The U.S. struggles against the Communist in Vietnam

1. Now think about the overall picture - how the strengths and weaknesses work together.

a) Were the armies finely balanced or was the balance strongly weighted to one side or the other?
The balance of was shifter waaaaaay to the side of the Veit Minh because they had most of the advantages of terrian experience and the desire, while in pure numbers, american forces were by far the larger.

b) Which quality was most important in determining who won the war? Was one feature so important that being ahead in that area meant that other advantages or disadvantages did not matter?
Qualities such as being able tt learn from the enenmy and the will to win. Yes, those two were very import because being able to learn and wanting to fight will keep you on the winning side as well as demoralize your opponent.

Stage 3: Explaining your conclusions
The failure of the U.S. army to beat the Communist in Vietnam was the result of its own weaknesses and Viet Cong strengths.

a. The U.S. weaknesses were:
there inability to learn as well as unable to adapt to teh new place and fighting style of the enemy. And they had not enough determined soldiers, and no true support from Vietnam.

b. At the same time, the Communist strengths were:
good guerrilla tactics, the understanding of the jungle, determined soldiers, the support of Vietnam, equipment supplied by the Soviet Unions and China.

c. The U.S. forces did have some successes. For example:
they were able bomb North Vietnam, interupted war efforts and stopping supply from the communists, and they demonstrated how strong our army was and inevitably how U.S. opposed comies.

d. However, there were some major failures as well. Examples of these were:
not winning the Vietnam war as a whole, not stoping communism, support of a corrupt government and leader in Vietnam.

e. The Viet Cong had some major successes, such as:
successfully bombing U.S. and Southern Vietnam air bases and supply fields, ultimately winning the war, keeping communism present in Vietnam and supporting Ho Chi Minh which resulted in the communists winning the war.

f. However, they also suffered defeats, for example:
the TET offensive. During the offensive, the Viet Cong lost around 10,000 experienced soldiers and it showed that the people of South Vietnam did not stand up to support the Viet Cong.

g. If I had to identify one major American weakness, it would be sucking at fighting in the jungles with gurrilla tactics/ learning because:
The U.S. was very head strong, ie thick skulled not inteligent, and it kept attacking straight on with no concern for lose of life. And they were every innifective against the Viet Cong's tactics.

h. The key Viet Cong strength was guerrilla tactics because:
they were able to attack as quick as lightnin', get the job done, and retreat while kung-fu fighting, cause them Viet Kongs were a lil' bit frightning.
Actualy those were the real reasons, and that they were able to