Us Involvement In Vietnam War

The development of nuclear weapons led many scholars to believe that a direct confrontation between superpowers could lead to dangerous outcomes. The nuclear standoff between the Soviet Union and the US during the Cold War marked a new beginning for war strategies. In limited wars, superpowers do not pursue decisive total victories. Limited wars contain low levels of violence and high levels of propaganda and politics. Limited wars are fought because one or all the warring parties are unable to achieve the total defeat of their enemies. The Korean War marked a new beginning in American war strategies as the country moved away from the total war strategy. The limited war strategy is founded on the assumption that enemies will, at some point

The entry of China into the conflict prolonged the Korean War by several years leading to huge casualties on both sides. The fear of Chinese intervention in Vietnam dominated the strategy adopted by the US in the conflict. The US did not want to give China an opportunity to replicate its success in the Korean War, they strategically chose to restrict the operations of the ground forces to South Vietnam. The northern part was to remain off limits to the combat forces throughout the course of the conflict. This was extended to respecting the neutrality of the neighboring countries like Cambodia and Laos. The restriction to confine ground troops to the South did not extend to aerial bombing, as the US extensively bombed North Vietnam. However, the bombing campaign did not determine the outcome of the

Restricting the operations of ground troops in South Vietnam meant that the military commanders lacked a mission to win the war. Their mission was limited to preventing South Vietnam from losing the war and this distinction proved to be a significant factor that determined the final outcome of the war. The American forces remained reactionary, and this approach meant they were permanently on the defensive. Although the US forces were not involved in offensive attacks within the South, their reactionary approach meant they gave North Vietnam the strategic advantage. North Vietnam set the pace for the war by sending their troops to the south the way they wanted. Moreover, the defensive approach meant both sides had the ability to prolong the war for as long as they were willing to continue. This happened as North Vietnam prolonged the war until the US made the decision to abandon the conflict. Left on their own, North Vietnam was better armed and had adequate resources to sustain the war until they win. The fear of China joining the conflict pushed the US to make ineffective strategies thereby denying it the chance to determine the course and the end of the Vietnam