Why did us troops have difficulties in Vietnam?

Answer 1

All wars, from the sling-shot to the spear, from the bow and arrow to the musket, have been primarily won by military force (sling-shot, spear, bow, musket, rifle, tanks, jets, etc.). In 1945 a new weapon appeared...the A-Bomb. What was the obstacle(s) facing the US from the beginning? How to win the war without using full military force...the A-Bomb. Invading the north might ultimately lead to using atomic weapons...especially if communist superpowers intervened. Solution: The US fought a "limited war" (limited to NON-nukes). Instead of taking ground (traditional methods of fighting wars); bodies were taken instead (a war of attrition).

Answer 2

U.S. troops had difficulties in Vietnam for a number of reasons. To begin with, they discovered as the war progressed, that the South Vietnamese didn't want the U.S.'s help in the first place, and that Vietnam was a civil war between North and South Vietnam, not a communist takeover set up by the Russians. Also, U.S. soldiers suffered from constant fear. Instead of danger being to the front, and safety to the rear, like previous wars the U.S. had been through, there was danger everywhere in Vietnam. The type of warfare in Vietnam was guerrilla warfare, and winning a guerrilla war is VERY hard. Public support was also almost nonexistent and by the end of the war, most U.S. citizens wanted to stop the war and blamed the soldiers for some terrible events that occurred in Vietnam.

I hope this helped.

Answer 3

The same as in most wars: Weather, Civilians, Enemy, Insects, Snakes, Terrain, Equipment failures, Home-sickness, Diease, Accidents, etc.