How was this, the Second Indochina war, fought?
What was the purpose of the fight [from all the various people who fought; 1. RVN, 2. the USA, 3. North Vietnam, 4. the ]?
Strategy and tactics: America, Saigon [ARVN and the other forces part of Saigon government], and the NLF and the North Vietnam regulars employed in Vietnam will be the focus.
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What is the difference between strategy and tactics?
What was [were] the objectives of the NLF? The North Vietnamese?
What was North Vietnamese Army Group 559?
What was [were] the objectives of the Saigon government[s]?
Of the Americans [during both the advisory period and after American combat troops were sent in in 1965]? What was MAAG and MACV?
Why was the decision made to fight a “big war” by the American Army?
Why were the successes of programs such as at Buon Enao in Darlac Province, the CIDG, the US Marines Operation Golden Fleece [and the Marines’ small unit tactics], etc. not recognized and built on?
Why did the American command refuse to see anything but progress and roses in Vietnam from the beginning? General Paul Harkins said: ” the positive and eliminate the negative” after the Battle of Ap Bac. [ p 81 The Army and Vietnam]
Did the overwhelming power, and firepower, of ARVN the USA make any difference? Did air power [both helicopters and bombers]?
Search and destroy?
The use of herbicides?
How did the NLF, the VC, fight? How did the North Vietnamese regulars fight?
What was the nature of battle? See for example just a few: Ap Bac. Song Be. Ia Drang. Plei Mei. Dong Ha. Khe Sanh. The Tet offensive. Khe Sanh again.
And a thousand others.
