Explain why America could not defeat the Vietcong?

Answer 1

The US DID defeat the Viet Cong. There was more than one flavor communist, however. After the Commanding General of US Forces said he saw a 'light at the end of the tunnel' in late '67, the communists went for some grandstanding.

The North Vietnamese, who had a fully trained, equipped, and experienced professional military, supplied the communists in South Viet Nam, who were insurgents. these insurgents were the VC. Primarily local folks with 'advisors' from the North. They were merciless in battle, recruiting, and retribution.

Until 1968, the US forces had been fighting these 'villagers' on a small unit basis, with some major contacts in the more dense jungle areas. In 1968 the VC, with close and integral support from the North, launched what may be one of the best coordinated attacks in military history. Over 100 places attacked in the space of 4 hours.

The US response was "sew the wind; reap the whirlwind" and in somewhere around a year killed well over 150,000 VC, basically eliminating them as an effective fighting force. This, of course, is exactly what the North wanted; now there was no competition for leadership in what will be the communist South when the US left.

The North went to the peace tables with the US to end the War. The US said that we'd fight and bomb until there was a peace treaty. The US fought in Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Laos until the Treaty of Paris was signed, and ther US left. In early 1973.

The North violated the peace treaty by invading in 1975, knowing the US would not re-commit to South Viet Nam, and in roughly 9 months, the country fell to the North Vietnamese communists.

The US never lost a battle in Viet Nam larger than a company size (roughly 200 men) contest. There were ambushes, overrun outposts and firebases, but the US was never beaten on the battlefield.

So the short answer is...we did beat the Viet Cong.

Answer 2

Defeated? Made in-effective, or no longer "combat effective" is what happened to the VC after the TET offensive of '68. What makes a "guerilla" survive is "stealth" (not being detected/if one can be seen-he can be shot). The VC did well and survived...until he gave up his "stealth" during TET. Some historians believe that this was part of Hanoi's plan...to sacrifice the local VC (during the TET offensive) so when the war was over, they wouldn't have to contend with any opposition parties. After that offensive, the only "real" opposition the allies had was fighting the NVA (North Vietnamese Army)...so the question should be, "...explain why the allies could not defeat the NVA." And the answer to that question is, the US and allies pulled out, except for the South Viet Army (ARVN). When the US pulled out it's "air assets" (bombers) the ARVN couldn't stop the northern T54/55 medium tanks when they rolled south...and into the south's capital; winning the war.