Guerrilla Warfare has its origins from small bands of Spanish soldiers who fought against Napoleon's French army in the Peninsular War, 1807-1814. The word "guerrilla" itself means "little war" in Spanish, which is accurate because guerrilla warfare is usually used when one of the parties in the war are smaller than the other.
The tactics employed by "guerrillas" however date back over 2000 years, to the ideas of Sun Tzu, a Chinese military strategist. Sun Tzu argued that all warfare involves the employing of one's strength to exploit the weakness of the enemy. In his book, The Art Of War, he gives many suggestions on how to defeat a larger and better-equipped army than your own. Mao Zedong, the leader of the communist forces in china successfully adapted Sun Tzu's idea. The establishment of a communist government in China was an inspiration to all revolutionaries in South East Asia, especially China's neighbour, Vietnam.
The strategy tactics of the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) were based very much upon the same tactics employed by Mao Zedong in China. The Viet Cong were organised in small groups of three to ten soldiers, also known as cells. The cells worked together, however they were organised so that they new nothing about each other. Therefore when a guerrilla was captured and tortured, his confessions did not do much damage to the Viet Cong itself.
The main objective of the Viet Cong was to gain the support of the peasants living in rural Vietnam. According to Mao Zedong, the peasants were the sea in which the guerrillas needed to swim: .
" Without the constant and active support of the peasants failure is inevitable.".
Upon entry into a village, the Viet Cong obeyed a strict code of behaviour and were issued a strict series of "directives". This ensured that the Viet Cong blended in with the everyday life of the villagers (who in most cases supported the VC), and ensured that the American, British, and Australian forces did not capture them.
The North Vietnamese were a militia using a strong tactic called guerilla warfare. Guerilla warfare was a method stressing deception and ambushes. ... Guerilla warfare is also known as a sneak attack from behind. ... Guerilla warfare was better for fighting in a rough terrain like Vietnam. ... Jim Morris stated his philosophy on the guerilla warfare tactic. ...
The United States fighting strategy in Vietnam proved to be unsuccessful due to unrestricted guerilla warfare. ... Much of the standard-issue equipment of US Army infantrymen proved poorly adapted to jungle and counter-insurgency warfare (Bernard 96). ... Guerilla warfare was used when engaged with conventional warfare would mean defeat. ... Ho Chi Minh, a self-declared president of North Vietnam once said that guerilla warfare was " practical methods of achieving the strategic objectives" (Http://homepage.mac.com/stray/ib/history/guerilla-terrorism.html). ... The main network system base wa...
The United States fighting strategy in Vietnam proved to be unsuccessful due to unrestricted guerilla warfare. ... Much of the standard-issue equipment of US Army infantrymen proved poorly adapted to jungle and counter-insurgency warfare (Bernard 96). ... Guerilla warfare was used when engaged with conventional warfare would mean defeat. ... Ho Chi Minh, a self-declared president of North Vietnam once said that guerilla warfare was " practical methods of achieving the strategic objectives" (Http://homepage.mac.com/stray/ib/history/guerilla-terrorism.html). ... The main network system base wa...
The Vietnam War and U.S. Domestic Policies *Describe two ways in which the war in Vietnam changed the United States. *Show how one of the changes that you have discussed had an impact on the U.S. that last to this day The Vietnam War was one of the Longest and most brutal wars for the United States. ... The North Vietnamese use guerilla warfare tatics and they were fighting in thick jungle areas. ... If we were to go into a war now the pblic would know and fully understand what is going on and be very supportive.The U.S. learn many c...
CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF THE VIETNAM WAR Why was there a Vietnam War?? ... Eisenhower, instead of building a nation from Political entity that was South Vietnam by making a government, taking control of the French, dispatching military advisers to train a South Vietnamese army, and releasing the central intelligence Agency (CIA) to make a psychological warfare against the north. ... Kennedy made another obstacle, when secretly he sent about 400 special operations forces trained (Green Beret) Soldiers to teach the South Vietnamese w to defend themselves called the "Counterinsurgency" war again...
Some would even label him as the "George Washington" of Vietnam. ... However, Wilson had little interest in removing the French colonial rule in Vietnam and turned Ho away. ... The Viet Minh engaged in guerilla warfare as opposed to conventional warfare. ... Ho Chi Minh then declared independence for Vietnam, and acted as the country's leader. ... In regards to nationalism, Ho focused on achieving large support from all classes towards the liberation of Vietnam from France. ...
Fear The United States fear of Communism began before Vietnam. ... Although President Lyndon Johnson feared Communism, his decision was incorrect to escalate troops in Vietnam; he should have withdrawn troops immediately because of the continuous protests and chaotic events occurring in the United States and the intense fighting against guerilla warfare. ... One other important reason President Johnson sent numerous troops to South Vietnam is because the United States made an oath to protect Vietnam from the threat of Communism. ... Former Vietnam veterans even supported to end...
In the Vietnam War, the Americans used Agent Orange, a plant killer that destroyed the massive amount of vegetation that sheltered the enemy guerillas in Vietnam. ... The objective of ORH was simple, blanket the forests of South Vietnam with herbicides in order to cause movement in the enemy guerillas hiding within the heavy canopy. ... This eventually backfired when the Soviets caught wind of ORH and accused the United States of "waging chemical warfare in South Vietnam. "7 Initially South Vietnamese Premier, Ngo Dinh Diem, gave permission to defoliate Vietcong inhabited forests in order to f...
It was represented through out the entire Vietnam War, and it is currently being used by fundamental Iraqis to battle the American occupation in Iraq. Because the Soviet partisans effectively used guerilla warfare against the Germans, its popularity has grown significantly. ... While Marx's idea captured the basic idea behind guerilla warfare, it lacked organization and insight. ... While lacking in military preparation for the war, Stalin realized the threat guerilla warfare posed. He also knew that many countries, including Germany regarded guerilla warfare as impractical. ...