To what extent was the U.S. failure in Vietnam predictable

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A. Plan of Investigation
The investigation evaluates to what extent the failure of the United States in the Vietnam War was predictable. It assesses how this failure was predictable in the long and short-term and what factors were involved. The two sources used for a deeper study are from America in Vietnam, by Guenter Lewy and The army and Vietnam by Andrew F. Krepinevich Jr. Their origins, purpose, values and limitations will be discussed to assess their usefullness for the investigation.
The investigation will partially focus on the course of the Vietnam War and how North Vietnam and the Viet Cong were an example of the U.S. army`s weakness in a foreign territory. Furthermore, the American policy of attrition will be analysed. The topic was chosen because of its impact on American foreign affairs in the 20th century.

B. Summary of Evidence

• Vietnam War occurred between December 1956 and April 1975
• It can be categorised as a civil war
• Resulted from the desperate attempts of the United States to prevent Vietnam falling to Communism
• North Vietnam was communist and led by the popular leader Ho Chi Minh
• The USSR supported the North Vietnamese troops, whereas the United States supported the South Vietnamese with equipment and leadership
• In 1945 the United States promised the French to re-colonise their former conquest, Vietnam
• Dwight E. Howard introduced the “falling dominoes” theory, which predicted that one Southeast Asian country after another would become communist if the U.S. did not intervene
• The U.S. installed the puppet leader Ngo Dinh Diem, as it was believed that the Vietnamese lacked the ability to conduct a war or govern themselves
• The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was massively supported ...

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...matic issues of the army. A suitable quotation relating to this matter can be taken from Walter LaFeber`s essay in the book America in Vietnam: “The United States never lost a major battle against North Vietnamese troops, but it lost the war because the struggle was a revolution, not just a war.” It appeared that the determination of North Vietnam to win this war was much greater than that of the United States. This determination was strongly influenced by their leader, Ho Chi Minh.
On the other hand, fluctuations within the American government weakened the desperate attempt for the “Americanization” of Indochina. Four U.S. presidents were involved during the Vietnam War and each one had different aims and ideologies. Even though the aim was to prevent Communism from spreading, the United States wanted to prove their power and influence and re-colonize Vietnam.

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