Vietnam: Communism and Minh
by Allen Moore
Troubling Beginnings
Although technically not a war (because no one declared war), the Vietnam War was a serious deal. It all started when Vietnam was a part of Japan. Eventually, a Vietnamese by the name of Ho Chi Minh lead a group known as the Viet Minh that eventually gave the country its independence. However, France still felt Vietnam should be a part of their colony, French Indochina. After these conficts ended, Vietnam was seperated into a communist north and a democratic south. This split was sure to cause turmoil, and it did.
The Starting of a War
Tactics and Strategies
Because of the dense tropical forest, many of the American war tactics did not work. Ground troops had to push their way through thick vegetation and deep mud. Air strikes were difficult because the enemy could hide in the forests. The North used guerrilla warfare, which is a combination of many tactics, including ambush, sabotage, and espionage. They also used booby traps, mines, kidnappings, and many more secretive, obscure strategies that the Americans did not know how to deal with. In the end, this resulted in a long, expensive war that the United States and South Vietnam simply could not win.