William Westmoreland commanded U.S. forces in the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He treated the conflict as a war of attrition, which diminished domestic support. In December 1956 he was promoted to major general; at 42 years old, he was then the youngest person holding that rank in the U.S. Army.
What was General Westmoreland’s strategy for the war?
Westmoreland adopted a strategy of attrition against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, attempting to drain them of manpower and supplies. He also made use of the United States’ edge in artillery and air power, both in tactical confrontations and in relentless strategic bombing of North Vietnam.
What was Westmoreland’s strategy for protecting South Vietnam?
Westmoreland’s strategy in Vietnam depended on the superiority of U.S. firepower, including intensive aerial bombardments of regular enemy units. The goal was not to seize and hold territory, but to inflict more losses than the Communist forces could sustain.
Why did Westmoreland fail in Vietnam?
General Westmoreland’s strategy of attrition, in 1967, failed because it reduced security across the countryside, ostracized the people within South Vietnam, and did not affect the South Vietnamese communists.
Who was in charge of the Vietnam War?
President Lyndon Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973) oversaw the escalation of the American presence in Vietnam, making the key decisions that would put over 500,000 troops on the ground by 1968.
What is General Westmoreland known for?
William Westmoreland commanded U.S. forces in the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He treated the conflict as a war of attrition, which diminished domestic support. In December 1956 he was promoted to major general; at 42 years old, he was then the youngest person holding that rank in the U.S. Army.
How did Westmoreland lose Vietnam?
The result of his manic commitment to the war of attrition was that Westmoreland squandered four years of his troops’ bravery and support by the public, the Congress, and even much of the news media for American involvement in the war. Yes, Westmoreland was the general who lost Vietnam.
Why did Westmoreland request more troops?
March 10, 1968
The New York Times reports that General Westmoreland has requested an additional 206,000 U.S. troops for Vietnam to reinforce the over 500,000 service people already there, and that administration officials are divided over the request.
Why did the US defend South Vietnam?
The USA was afraid that communism would spread to South Vietnam and then the rest of Asia. It decided to send money, supplies and military advisers to help the South Vietnamese Government.
What was the Vietnamese strategy to win the war?
Tunnel systems and traps. The Vietcong had a hidden system of tunnels stretching over 200 miles. There were hospitals, armouries, sleeping quarters, kitchens and wells underground. These tunnel systems could hide thousands of Vietcong which helped them fight their guerrilla war.
WHO removed the French from Vietnam?
nationalist Ho Chi Minh
On May 7, 1954, the French-held garrison at Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam fell after a four month siege led by Vietnamese nationalist Ho Chi Minh.
What was the bloodiest battle in Vietnam?
Hue
Hue was the single bloodiest battle of the Vietnam War.
For an entire month, U.S. Marines and soldiers, along with ARVN troops, waged battles throughout the city, often going house to house to remove Hue from North Vietnamese control. It was the first time Marines had engaged in urban combat since the Korean War.
What was the most deadliest year in Vietnam?
According to the Vietnamese government’s official history, one of the deadliest years was 1972, where they lost over 100,000 dead. Estimates for PAVN deaths in the Easter Offensive alone vary from 40,000 to 130,000 in western sources.
What tactics were used by the generals in ww1?
During World War I, trench warfare was a defensive military tactic used extensively by both sides, allowing soldiers some protection from enemy fire but also hindering troops from readily advancing and thus prolonging the war. Trench warfare was the major combat tactic in France and Belgium.
What was General Westmoreland’s main strategy for defeating the Viet Cong quizlet?
what was general Westmoreland’s main strategy for defeating the Vietcong? to gradually wear down the enemy by continuous harassment.
What were general Lee’s tactics?
His tactical defects were that he was too aggressive on the field, he frequently failed to take charge of the battlefield, his battle plans were too complex or simply ineffective, and his orders were too vague or discretionary.
What was general Lee’s strategy for defeating the North?
Meade faced Lee’s army in Virginia. Lee’s strategy was to use terrain and fortified positions to his advantage, thus decreasing the importance of the Union’s superiority in numbers. He hoped to make the cost of trying to force the South back into the Union so high that the Northern public would not stand for it.
What if Lee won at Antietam?
If Lee had won at Antietam, Lincoln’s party might have lost its Congressional majorities to a Democratic party willing to compromise with the South. Lee’s defeat not only lost these opportunities, it allowed Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
Could Lee have won at Gettysburg?
Early extolled Lee’s genius. In fact, Early claimed, Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia would have won the Battle of Gettysburg, the turning point in the Civil War, if his orders had been obeyed.