Discussion Questions
The Vietnam War Discussion, Study, and Examination Questions:
1. Why did the United States lose the Vietnam War? Delineate the four major types of explanations for America's defeat. Which explanation do you believe is most accurate? Why?
2. Why was the Vietnam War so incomprehensible to most Americans? How did the Johnson Administration approach the Vietnam War in regards to the American people? Why did he use this approach? What were the results of this approach? Was Johnson's approach in keeping with the American way of war?
3. Why was the United States in Vietnam? Delineate three arguments that explain how the United States became involved in the Vietnam War. Which explanation do you believe is most accurate? Why?
4. Who is Robert S. McNamara? How did he plan to win the war in Vietnam?
5. Clausewitz noted that there are three ways to lose a war. What are they? Explain the concept of center of gravity. What do you believe was the center of gravity in the North Vietnamese war against the United States? Explain your answer. What do you believe was the center of gravity in the American war against the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong (NLF) in South Vietnam? Explain your answer.
6. Who is Harry Summer? What is his argument on the causes of American defeat and North Vietnamese victory in the Vietnam War? Do you agree or disagree with his argument? Explain.
7. Who is U.S.G. Sharp? What is his argument on the causes of American defeat and North Vietnamese victory in the Vietnam War? Do you agree or disagree with his argument? Explain.
8. Who is General Westmoreland? What is his argument on the causes of American defeat and North Vietnamese victory in the Vietnam War?
9. Who is George Herring? What is his argument on the causes of American defeat and Vietnamese victory in the Vietnam War? Do you agree or disagree with his argument? Explain.
10. Who is Richard Gabriel? What is his argument on the causes of American defeat and Vietnamese victory in the Vietnam War? Do you agree or disagree with his argument? Explain.
11. Who is Vo Nguyen Giap? What is his argument on the causes of American defeat and North Vietnamese victory in the Vietnam War? Do you agree or disagree with his argument? Explain.
12. Who is Frances Fitzgerald? What is his argument on the causes of American defeat and North Vietnamese victory in the Vietnam War? Do you agree or disagree with his argument? Explain.
13. Divide the American war in Vietnam into phases based on major changes or transitions in American strategy. Characterize each phase, and explain why the changes and transitions took place.
14. Characterize the Vietnam War during the (Advisory, Americanization, and/or Vietnamization) phase. What was the war like for the soldiers and marines who fought the ground war? What was the war like for the Navy and Air Force pilots who fought the war in air?
1532. Who is Frances Fitzgerald? What is her argument as to why the United States lost the Vietnam War? Do you agree or disagree with her thesis? Explain your answer.
. What was the strategic doctrine of the United States in the 1960s? What was theater doctrine and strategy of the United States for the conduct of the war in Vietnam under the (Kennedy, Johnson, and/or Nixon) Administrations? Assess the strategy of each President. Why did they fail to achieve America's political objectives?
16. Who is Vo Nguyen Giap? What was his strategy for the conduct of the war against the United States and Republic of Vietnam? What were the sources of his strategic thought?
17. Describe and explain the Moa Tse Tung strategy of the "People's War." What are the strengths and weaknesses of this strategy? Could the United States employ such a strategy? Why, or why not?
18. What were the American foreign policy objectives in Vietnam? Did those objectives reflect America's security needs, and interest? Explain your answer.
19. What was Eisenhower's strategic doctrine in the 1950s? What was Eisenhower's strategy for the war in Vietnam? Why did that strategy fail to achieve his political objectives?
20. Why did President Johnson decide to Americanize the war in Vietnam? What steps did he take to get American forces in combat? Who is George Ball, and what was his assessment of the Americanization of the war? What is your assessment of the way the United States went to war in Vietnam?
21. What was Westmoreland's operational strategy for the conduct of the ground war in Vietnam? What was his operational doctrine for the conduct of the war? What were the problems with his operational approach to the war? Did the operations conducted under Westmoreland's command have the potential to achieve America's strategic objectives? Explain your answer.
22. What were the objectives of the strategic bombing campaign, "Operation Rolling Thunder," against the North Vietnam? Did the campaign achieve its objectives? Explain your answer.
23. Define the term "unity of command." Did the United States follow this principle of war in Vietnam? What are the potential consequences for violating this principle of war?
24. What influence did the legacy of French colonial rule have on the people of South Vietnam, and North Vietnam? How did this legacy affect the American war?
25. What influence did the ubiquitous helicopter have on America's conduct of the war? Was the helicopter a tactical, operational, or strategic system?
26. Characterize American tactics from 1965 to 1968, and from 1969 to 1972. Were these tactics effective? Why was there a change in tactics in 1969?
27. Assess the performance of the ARVN. How did ARVN units perform in combat against the Viet Cong and PAVN? What motivated the officer corps of the ARVN? Under what criteria were officers promoted? What motivated the individual soldier? Given your analysis explain why the combat effectiveness of the ARVN was considerably below that of the PAVN?
28. Why did the ARVN collapse so quickly after the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of the United States in 1972?
29. Characterize the Vietcong. What motivated them? How were they organized? How did they operate? How were they equipped? Under what command structure did they operate? What were their strengths and weaknesses? Were they successful? If so, why?
33. Assess the performance of the government of South Vietnam in it goal to become a free, independent, democratic, capitalist nation state. Were the actions of the government in accordance with the goals delineated? Why or why not? Were the goals of the government of South Vietnam and those of the United States in accord, if so, in what way, if not, in what way?
34. Were the strategies of the government of South Vietnam synchronized and coordinated with American strategies? Explain your answer.
35. Characterize the geography and terrain of South Vietnam. How did this influence the conduct of the war? What was the ethnic composition of South Vietnam? What influence did the ethnic make-up of Vietnamese society have on the war?
36. What was the Tet Offensive? Was it successful, if so, in what way? What role did the media play? Was the media the decisive element? Explain your answer.
37. Characterize the "American Way of War." On what experiences is the American way of war based? Did the United States conduct the war in Vietnam in accordance with the traditional American way of war? Compare and contrast America's conduct of the Vietnam War with the traditional American approach to war. How do you account for the differences?
38. What was the mission of the U.S. Army in Vietnam? How did this mission differ from that of previous wars? What experience did the United States have in carrying out the missions given it in Vietnam?
39. What were the lessons of the Vietnam War? Are those lessons still valid? What did the war achieve?