Why did America back out of Vietnam?

Question:I'm doing my GCSE History coursework on whether it was bad media that made America pull out or other reasons i.e Guerilla Warfare.

If you know any reasons or have an opinion on what was most prominent that would be great!

Thankyou!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I'm doing my GCSE History coursework on whether it was bad media that made America pull out or other reasons i.e Guerilla Warfare.

If you know any reasons or have an opinion on what was most prominent that would be great!

Thankyou!

American did not "pull out" of Vietnam. To suggest that they did is just another example of the re-writing of history to preserve the myth that American might prevails.

America was utterly and comprehensively beaten in the Vietnam war. I still remember the pictures of the last helicopters leaving the roof of the US embassy as the Viet-Cong swarmed into Saigon. That was no "pull out", that was a panic evacuation in the face of a complete military defeat.

America was just not used to fighting a guerilla war. They didn't even know who their enemy was most of the time. On top of that they were fighting to preserve the "freedom" of a people (the South Vietnamese) who didn't really care one way or another whether they were "saved" or not.

It wasn't bad media or draft evasion or interference from politicians. The myth of an all-powerful America was destroyed by hordes of bicycle-riding guerillas who cared more about what they were fighting for than the Americans did.

becasue we were being slaughtered, and unlike now...they were smart enough to pull out when there was no point of fighting.

we just could not win.

well my opinion on that is your govt officials screwed up. they used the wrong approach to guerilla warfare. they used modern weapons in a jungle environment. guns would get broken because of mud and rain, helicopters were only useful if they were deployed over a vast ricefield which is a haven for nearby enemy snipers hiding in trees or bushes. but the media had an influence too.

It was a war that we could not win -
non-traditional battlefields - who is who?
friend or foe? they look the same - until the gun is pointed your way

and interestingly enough - 6 weeks before JFK was killed
he called the Pentagon Generals together and told them to have it wrapped up by the end of '64

and when his Vice Pres was sworn in - the War was escalated - with billions borrowed from Social Security
(o they moved it from private funds into the general budget)
thanks Dems - and Congress called the battle plans -

thank goodness we did not let Congress run Iraq

One of the major problems was that we were doing the fighting in the South so it was hard to know who was the enemy and who was the allie. If we were fighting in the North things would have been much different.

I'm sorry, I can't help your course work, but be sure, America was 'defeated' by the freedom fighters of Vietnam. In fact that war was against humanity. None could win ever in wars like this. (Example: Bangladesh, the then eastern part of Pakistan was liberated by the freedom fighters fighting against a Vast & TRAINED Army, like PAK! At some warfield, the freedom fighters had only plain guns or simple granedes, whereas Pak Army had all the latest arms supplied by China & USA. America even sent their largest WAR SHIP to the Bangladeh just to threaten our fighters, but no use. In fact, in a true war, the MENTAL Strength of the "positive-side" is factor, not the GUNS or CANNONS. Same thing happened in Vietnam war. The rest of the TRUTH, you please find out for your course work.

I visited Vietnam last year and reasons include that the Vietnamese were fighting for their homeland, they were fighting on their on home turf in an very hot, inhospitable climate plus they outsmarted the Yanks.
The Americans were fighting a very tenacious enemy.

Some of their strategies were very innovative.
It was a David versus Goliath war but the little guy won.
The Cu Chi tunnels and the War Crimes Museum are worth a visit if you travel to Vietnam.
It was a severe embarassment to the Yanks with all their tanks and guns, B52s, agent orange,carpet bombing, etc.
Some Vietnamese were well supplied but others were relying on primitive weapons

And the American public were getting sick of the war which went for about 10 years 1965-75.
The Americans started the war on Vietnam for no sane, rational reason. They made up this lame excuse for starting it.
The Mai Lai massacre in which innocent un-armed men, women and children were gunned down by American troops- some of them in the back while they were fleeing, also helped to turn the opinions of many ordinary Americans

When the Whitlam govt got elected in Australia in the early 1970s all the Aussie troops were pulled out.
The Yanks were running out of friends and world opinion against them was increasing.

-The Americans were never able to fight a guerilla war; their army has always been over sophisticated.

-The media told the general public that the war was going badly

-The World in general, was for ending the war

-American guns were jamming in the jungles of Vietnam when guerilla AK-47s were firing