The U.S. entered the Vietnam War in an attempt to prevent the spread of communism, but foreign policy, economic interests, national fears, and geopolitical strategies also played major roles.

Which Countries Were Involved in the Vietnam War?

• France.
• United States.
• China.
• Soviet Union.
• Laos.
• Cambodia.
• South Korea and Other U.S. Allies.
• Vietnam.

Vietnam War, (1954–75), a protracted conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong, against the government of South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States.

The North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong, however, are said to have lost more than a million soldiers and two million civilians. In terms of body count, the U.S. and South Vietnam won a clear victory. Once the U.S. left, the North Vietnamese used their last ounce of strength to push into South Vietnam and win the war.

President Richard M. Nixon assumed responsibility for the Vietnam War as he swore the oath of office on January 20, 1969. He knew that ending this war honorably was essential to his success in the presidency.

One advantage that the American military had in the Vietnam War was that they had more powerful weapons. The great advantage that the United States military forces had during the Vietnam War was that they had superior firepower. U.S. Army and Airforce had more powerful weapons.

The US had the most advanced war technology and was economically very powerful so they could invest heavily in the war. They also had South Vietnamese soldiers on their side. The US had a powerful air force and could use it to deploy troop support, bombing and raids.

Disadvantages of U.S. Troops One of the largest disadvantages of American troops in Vietnam was that most people were no older than the average age of 19 with little to no war experience and would commit major war crimes such as raping, murdering, and torturing innocent women and children.

For destroying armored vehicles or bunkers, the Vietcong had highly effective rocket propelled grenades and recoilless rifles. Mortars were also available in large numbers and had the advantage of being very easy to transport. Many weapons, including booby traps and mines, were homemade in villages.

Their having lived in these areas prior to the war gave them superior knowledge of the land, which they used to plant traps and plan ambushes. Additionally, they were not tied down by as rigid of a military structure as the US, so they were able to fight independently and wage their own private wars.

U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam War: the Gulf of Tonkin and Escalation, 1964. On August 7, 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia.

The Viet Cong were South Vietnamese supporters of the communist National Liberation Front in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War (known in Vietnam as the American War). They were allied with North Vietnam and the troops of Ho Chi Minh, who sought to conquer the south and create a unified, communist state of Vietnam.

Victor Charlie

The movement’s principal objectives were the overthrow of the South Vietnamese government and the reunification of Vietnam.

The Viet Minh was a Communist guerrilla force founded in 1941 to fight against the joint Japanese and Vichy French occupation of Vietnam during World War II. Its full name was Việt Nam Ðộc Lập Ðồng Minh Hội, which literally translates as the “League for Viet Nam’s Independence.”

Black with short sleeve shirt with blue and red “flag” pinned to proper left pocket. Brown wool pants. Black and white checked cloth neckerchief with red band at each end. Brown cloth rice belt.

The Viet Cong was an insurgent force of irregular personnel and had no uniforms.

The national traditional dress in Vietnam is the ao dai, a silk tunic with pants worn by women and men. Ao dài are worn for special occasions including Tet, the new year celebration. Since the twentieth century, Vietnamese people have also worn contemporary clothing that is popular in many places in the world.

The common Vietcong used all black colour uniform, black and white square pattern scarft, and light brown ammo and grenade holder. The “Black Pajamas” of the Viet Cong has taken on a mythic status among the portrayal of the Viet Cong in popular culture.

During the early stages of their insurgency, the Viet Cong mainly sustained itself with captured arms (often of American manufacture) or crude, self-made weapons (e.g. copies of the US Thompson submachine gun and shotguns made of galvanized pipes). Most arms were captured from poorly defended ARVN militia outposts.

Communist forces were principally armed with Chinese[2] and Soviet weaponry[3] though some Viet Cong guerrilla units were equipped with Western infantry weapons either captured from French stocks during the first Indochina war or from ARVN units or requisitioned through illicit purchase.