What were the different ways that the USA and the Communists fought the Vietnam War?

WHAT STUDENTS HAVE TO DO: Part A: Historical explanation Students must answer a question which assesses their understanding of cause, consequence or change. This will require students to construct a historical explanation. As this part of the task is not an enquiry, it will not require any form of referencing or a bibliography. You can have the question as soon as all the content has been taught. It is recommended that you give yourself 1 lessons to plan your answer and 1 lesson to write it up All work must be completed individually under direct teacher supervision 3 or 4 factors – no evaluation needed but links and sustained argument 10 marks Controlled Assessment in HISTORY

Part A: Historical explanation Level 1 1–2 marks The answer may have limited links to the explanation focus required by the question and will take a descriptive and generalised approach. There may be few factual details given and those that are provided are not shown to be directly relevant to the answer. Writing communicates ideas using everyday language and showing some selection of material, but the response lacks clarity, organisation, succinctness and precision. The student spells, punctuates and uses the rules of grammar with limited accuracy. Level 2 3–5 marks The answer may be linked to the explanation focus required by the question only implicitly and may take a mainly descriptive approach. The detail provided is mainly relevant to the question but it is generally used to provide factual information rather than to support analysis. Writing communicates ideas with limited precision and succinctness, using a limited range of historical terminology. The student shows some skills of selection and organisation of material, but passages lack clarity and organisation. The student spells, punctuates and uses some of the rules of grammar with general accuracy. Level 3 6–8 marks The answer is mainly directed at the explanation focus required by the question, although it may stray from the main focus or include some material which is descriptive. The material used is relevant to the question, and is used to support points made in the answer. Writing communicates ideas with precision and some succinctness, using historical terms accurately and showing some direction and control in the organising of material. The student uses some of the rules of grammar appropriately and spells and punctuates with considerable accuracy, although some spelling errors may still be found. Level marks The answer is directed explicitly and consistently at the explanation focus required by the question. The material used is well selected. It is deployed effectively to support the analysis in the answer. Writing communicates ideas effectively, succinctly and with precision, using a range of precisely-selected historical terms and organising information clearly and coherently. The student spells, punctuates and uses the rules of grammar with considerable accuracy, although some spelling errors may still be found.

Explain why US military tactics were ineffective against guerrilla tactics during the conflict in Vietnam American Tactics What was thisHow did the Communist counteract this/why wasn’t it successful? Operation rolling thunder Napalm Agent Orange Search and Destroy Strategic villages Hearts and Minds Attrition

It was assumed that the USA would win the Vietnam War. They had far superior resources and a multi-billion dollar budget. This was soon proved wrong and it became clear that it would take more than firepower and technology to defeat the Vietcong. But why? What tactics were used by both sides, and why did the VC and VietMinh come out on top?

You need to be able to: Describe (in detail) the tactics used by the different sides Explain the reasons why they used these tactics Evaluate whether or not they were successful You are a US marine in Vietnam in You have been fighting against the Vietcong for over a year which gives you some experience of their fighting methods. The army has asked you to produce a leaflet for newly arrived US troops on what to expect from the Vietcong. You will need to identify, describe and explain the tactics they use against you. This should include details on: Uniforms Bases/headquarters/tunnels Ambushes Booby Traps ‘Hanging on to American belts’ Helping the peasants – winning the ‘hearts and minds’ Motivation, belief and sacrifice Some of the new recruits are not the sharpest tools in the shed, so you will need to include pictures/diagrams to aid your explanations. These can be hand drawn, still photographs or taken from books or the internet.

You need to be able to: Describe (in detail) the tactics used by the different sides Explain the reasons why they used these tactics Evaluate whether or not they were successful Homework: You will have a total of 2 lessons plus a homework to complete your leaflets. Collect/draw/take pictures for your leaflets Complete them ready to be handed in. You have 2 lesson plus homework time for this so I expect excellence.

Rolling Thunder: President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in November His replacement, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson increased American military involvement in Vietnam following the ‘Tonkin incident’ where North Vietnamese boats torpedoed American boats in Operation Rolling Thunder was launched, where the US bombed North Vietnamese factories, supplies and military targets.

Airstrikes – Operation Rolling Thunder : Launched in February 1965, Operation Rolling Thunder consisted of heavy bombing raids which targeted military and industrial targets in North Vietnam (bridges,railway lines, roads, army barracks and supply depots. But… American aircrews were not allowed to bomb Hanoi and Haiphong, and if they did they would face the wrath of the USSR. Rolling thunder lasted until It also targeted sites in Laos and Cambodia, as well as the Ho Chi Minh trail. More bombs were dropped on North Vietnam than were dropped on Germany and Japan in the Second World War.

How the North Vietnamese defended

Defoliation – Agent Orange : As the Viet Cong could hide easily in the jungles of South Vietnam, the Americans carried out a policy of defoliation – the stripping of leaves from the trees under which the Viet Cong hid. They did this by dropping a strong chemical called Agent Orange from the air which destroyed the jungle. They used it to spray thousands of kilometres of the jungle and even today some areas of the country are uninhabitable as a result of its use.

Napalm : A type of petroleum jelly that burns fiercely and sticks to the skin was also dropped by aircraft to burn jungle or destroy villages. Many thousands of innocent villagers received serious burns or were killed by Napalm.

Search and destroy : General Westmoreland was the American military leader in South Vietnam. He established secure and heavily defended US bases in South Vietnam from which they launched search and destroy raids by helicopter. They would land on a village and destroy any Viet Cong forces they could find. Sometimes called ‘Zippo Raids’ after the lighters that were used to burn villages.

Strategic villages : Whole villages were moved to new sites behind barbed wire. Careful control was kept over who entered and left the villages. The idea was to isolate the Communists from the rural peasants that came under their influence.

The USA realized that because of the tactics of the Vietcong, they could not win by military might alone. This was known as the battle for ‘hearts and minds’ The USA had to convince the Vietnamese people to support them. To do this, the US tried to help make the peasants more prosperous and loyal. They trained teams of South Vietnamese who went out into the countryside to increase resistance to the Vietcong. The teams also supervised the building of health centres and schools, and organized the supply of seed, tools and animals to help farmers. Wells were also dug. Hearts and Minds

Attrition. As the war progressed, US forces suffered many causalities, but these were always small compared to those suffered by the Viet Cong and NVA. This is why Westmoreland thought he could win a war of attrition (stalemate). This is where one side wins by killing more of the enemy’s men than he can afford to lose. Although this may have made sense to the US army commanders, it didn’t make sense to the average citizen back home in America. Attrition could only work as a policy if the US public was prepared to accept the losses it would entail. This was very far from being the case Attrition. As the war progressed, US forces suffered many causalities, but these were always small compared to those suffered by the Viet Cong and NVA. This is why Westmoreland thought he could win a war of attrition (stalemate). This is where one side wins by killing more of the enemy’s men than he can afford to lose. Although this may have made sense to the US army commanders, it didn’t make sense to the average citizen back home in America. Attrition could only work as a policy if the US public was prepared to accept the losses it would entail. This was very far from being the case

VietCong tactics - Guerilla Description of methodWhy was it successful? Tunnel complexes Bouncing Betty Firefights “Hanging onto American belts” Spike Trap Pit The local population Ho Chi Minh Trail

Guerrilla Warfare Unconventional warfare - They know they can’t win pitched battles, so they use alternative tactics Ho Chi Minh had seen this used successfully in China where Communists had taken power. He had used it against the French and Japanese. It had also been successful for Castro in Cuba. Based on 4 principles: 1.Retreat when the enemy attacks 2.Raid when the enemy camps 3.Attack when the enemy tires 4.Pursue when the enemy retreats It is very difficult to fight against, especially in unfamiliar territory with inexperienced troops who are trained for conventional wars.

Guerrilla warfare : When the Viet Cong would come out of the jungle suddenly to carry out sudden ambushes and acts of sabotage, before quickly returning to the jungle, tunnel complexes or friendly villages, where they then blended in with the local population. This form of warfare derives its modern name from Spanish. Guerrilla (little war) described the campaign of persistent, small-scale encounters waged by the people of Spain against Napoleon's ill-fated attempt at conquest during the early years of the nineteenth century.

Tunnel complexes : Hundreds of kilometres of tunnels were built by the Viet Cong to avoid the effects of American air power and hide from American soldiers. They would include workshops to make and store weapons, hospitals to treat the injured, kitchens to prepare food, sleeping quarters and booby traps in case they were discovered.

Why were the Vietcong’s tunnel networks so successful? How did it make the war harder for the USA?

Bouncing Betty : A land mine which would be thrown into the air when triggered and would then explode causing terrible injuries to the stomach and groin.

Fire fights : Small arms fire in ambushes. Because the Viet Cong and NVA (North Vietnamese Army) had learnt to fear American air power, they made sure that when they did attack, they did so at close-quarters – this way the Americans couldn’t use their planes to bomb them as they would bomb their own men. This caused 51% of American casualties, and was known ‘hanging onto American belts’.

Spike trap pit : A camouflaged large trap box with a bamboo top. Sharp bamboo stakes or barbed spikes line the box.

Local population : Ho Chi Minh knew he had to keep the local South Vietnamese population on his side so Viet Cong fighters were expected to be kind and courteous to Vietnamese peasants, often helping them farm during busy periods. They were however prepared to be ruthless too and killed peasants who opposed them or co-operated with their enemies. Between 1966 and 1971 they killed an estimated 27,000 civilians.