We must allow a communist influence in the government instead of attempting to repress a genuinely nationalist revolution, which is the case in Vietnam. In conclusion, stating that the Vietnam War drains valuable resources, which could be better spent on improving the general status of our country. Because American policy prioritized anti-communism over sympathy for nationalism, this created a dangerously erroneous view that the conflict was simply another incident of communist aggression that had to be contained at all costs, like Korea. .
Furthermore, the US violated the scheduled elections in 1956 by supporting "President Ngo Dinh Diem in his refusal to hold the elections provided for in the Geneva Accords, presumably because he feared that the communists would win . . ." This not only showed a fundamental problem with US policy, but also the rejection of self-determination, which contrarily Johnson had stated as one of the reasons for US involvement in Indochina. .
The U.S. mainly depended on superior firepower and helicopters. The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese depended on surprise attack and concealment. The United States soldiers realized that the war would last for many more years and wondered if the U.S. war effort could succeed. At the end of 1968, the number of American troops in South Vietnam reached it's peak of 542,000 men. The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese launched a major invasion against the United States called the Tet offensive from January 30th to February 25th, 1968. At the Khe Sanh U.S. firebase, there was a major ground battle. There was a siege from January 21st to April 14th. It was thought to be the " American Dien Bien Phu ". .
The United States turned it around however, with their victory at Hue. By 1969, combat decreased quickly and American troops began to return home. The role of Communism was extremely important in this conflict. Communism was one of the main reasons of why the United States entered the war in the first place.