The Ho Chi Minh Trail consisted of a network of roads that were built from North Vietnam to South Vietnam and passed through neighbouring countries Cambodia and Laos. The roads were very important because they provided logistical support to the North Vietnamese army and the Vietcong during the war. Did the US stop the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
The United States could not block the Ho Chi Minh Trail with ground forces, because the countries it passed through were officially neutral. Extensive aerial bombing did not prevent the North Vietnamese from moving hundreds of tons of war supplies per day down the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the south.
How effective was the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
The most stunning failure was in the US bombing campaigns over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. They had little or no success in cutting off the Vietcong and North Vietnamese troops from their supply bases above the seventeenth parallel. How many died on the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
Tri said 29 people died on the spot, while two others died on the way to the hospital. The veterans had left Hanoi on Monday as part of a tour to visit old battlefields, intending to arrive in the former South Vietnam capital of Saigon to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the end of the war on April 30.
Why did the US withdraw from Vietnam?
The United States withdrew from the Vietnam War for several reasons. The Army had to fight in unfamiliar territory, was lacking in moral, were not prepared for the conditions, could not shut down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and were untrained to respond to guerilla warfare. Why couldnt US ground forces go into Laos?
The Cooper-Church amendment to the defense appropriations act in 1970 prohibited the use of US ground troops in Laos, so the task fell to the South Vietnamese Army, supported by US airpower. The operation was called Lam Son 719. South Vietnamese forces crossed into Laos on Feb. 8, 1971.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
Why did the US bomb Laos and Cambodia?
In March 1969, President Richard Nixon authorized secret bombing raids in Cambodia, a move that escalated opposition to the Vietnam War in Ohio and across the United States. … He hoped that bombing supply routes in Cambodia would weaken the United States’ enemies. The bombing of Cambodia lasted until August 1973.
Who bombed the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
In 1965, more than 30 U.S. Air Force jets struck targets along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. This was just one part of several American ground and air strikes against villages and roads along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
How did Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnam response?
When Japan formally surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh felt emboldened enough to proclaim the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam. … In response, the Viet Minh launched an attack against the French in Hanoi on December 19, 1946—the beginning of the First Indochina War.
What made fighting in Vietnam so difficult?
Explanation: Firstly most of the war was fought as a guerrilla war. This is a type of war which conventional forces such as the US army in Vietnam, find notoriously difficult to fight. … The Americans, laden down with conventional weapons and uniform were not equipped to fight in the paddy fields and jungles.
How did the Vietnam war end?
Why was jungle warfare so difficult for US troops?
Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain. … Jungle terrain, often without good roads, can be inaccessible to vehicles and so makes logistical supply and transport difficult, which in turn places a premium on air mobility.
How many bombs were dropped on the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
Dubbed the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the American military reasoned that if it could be sufficiently damaged, the enemy would be unable to sustain itself. Three million tons of explosives would be dropped on the Laos portion of the trail alone. But as often as the Trail was bombed, it was repaired.
What happened to Vietnam after WWII?
After World War II and the collapse of Vietnam’s monarchy, France attempted to re-establish its colonial rule but was ultimately defeated in the First Indo-China War. … North and South Vietnam therefore remained divided until The Vietnam War ended with the Fall of Saigon in 1975.
What was the massacre in Vietnam?
Mỹ Lai Massacre Currently, the event is referred to as the Mỹ Lai Massacre in the United States and called the Sơn Mỹ Massacre in Vietnam. The incident prompted global outrage when it became public knowledge in November 1969. … Mỹ Lai massacre.
| Mỹ Lai Massacre Thảm sát Mỹ Lai | |
|---|---|
| Target | Mỹ Lai 4 and Mỹ Khe 4 hamlets |
| Attack type | Mass murder, war crime |
Why did President Lyndon B Johnson escalate U.S. forces in Vietnam?
Immediately after reports of the second attack, Johnson asked the U.S. Congress for permission to defend U.S. forces in Southeast Asia. … The Gulf of Tonkin incident and the subsequent Gulf of Tonkin resolution provided the justification for further U.S. escalation of the conflict in Vietnam.
When did the Vietnam War end?
November 1, 1955 – April 30, 1975 Vietnam War / Periods Having rebuilt their forces and upgraded their logistics system, North Vietnamese forces triggered a major offensive in the Central Highlands in March 1975. On April 30, 1975, NVA tanks rolled through the gate of the Presidential Palace in Saigon, effectively ending the war.
Was the Vietnam War Pointless?
As the other answers have indicated, the Vietnam war was, to a very large extent, a pointless, costly failure. Starting with cost, the war, in inflation-adjusted dollars, carried a price tag of $738 billion, according to defense specialist Stephen Daggett.
Is Vietnam still communist?
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a one-party state. A new state constitution was approved in April 1992, replacing the 1975 version. The central role of the Communist Party was reasserted in all organs of government, politics and society.
Is Vietnam still divided today?
Vietnam, a one-party Communist state, has one of south-east Asia’s fastest-growing economies and has set its sights on becoming a developed nation by 2020. It became a unified country once more in 1975 when the armed forces of the Communist north seized the south.
What does North Vietnamese not accept?
The public statements of North Vietnam’s leaders make one thing clear — North Vietnam will not accept President Nixon’s offer. … put forth by the Vietnamese Communists. Terms such as a just cause, and legitimate government, dominate the speech of their leaders.
What did Nixon do in Cambodia?
Nixon speaks He announced his decision to launch American forces into Cambodia with the special objective of capturing COSVN, the headquarters of the entire communist military operation in South Vietnam. Nixon’s speech on national television on 30 April 1970 was called vintage Nixon by Kissinger.
Why was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution controversial?
Despite the initial support for the resolution, it became increasingly controversial as Johnson used it to increase U.S. commitment to the war in Vietnam. Repealing the resolution was meant as an attempt to limit presidential war powers.
Is Laos still communist?
Landlocked Laos is one of the world’s few remaining communist states and one of East Asia’s poorest. … Communist forces overthrew the monarchy in 1975, heralding years of isolation. After the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Laos began opening up to the world.
Did Laos used to be part of Thailand?
Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. … After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century, when it became part of French Indochina.
Why is Laos so poor?
Despite rapid growth, Laos remains one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. A landlocked country, it has inadequate infrastructure and a largely unskilled work force.
Graduated from ENSAT (national agronomic school of Toulouse) in plant sciences in 2018, I pursued a CIFRE doctorate under contract with Sun’Agri and INRAE in Avignon between 2019 and 2022. My thesis aimed to study dynamic agrivoltaic systems, in my case in arboriculture. I love to write and share science related Stuff Here on my Website. I am currently continuing at Sun’Agri as an R&D engineer.