according to a lot of people replied to Yahoo answer , it gave me the impression that just because america always managed to kill more enemies than losing its own , based on that calculation , america has never lost in a war . do you agree with this assumption? For example , america lost 50,000 soldiers but killed 3m vietnamese , so america won the vietnam war !!! does this make sense to you ???
2007-03-01 22:07:13 · 30 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Not at all. Look at WW2. Russia lost around 26 million people in that war and yet they came out on the winning side. Or did Germany win that war because they killed more Russians???
The simple fact is the US lost in Vietnam but they don't like to admit defeat. The same thing goes for Somalia and the same thing for Iraq (in the near future).
2007-03-01 22:13:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
No. Winning the war isn't about how many people you kill. Winning the war is about having a purpose for the war, and having a goal and achieving it. If there is no purpose and no measurable goal, then it's a senseless war.
The purpose of the Vietnam war was to stop the advance of the Vietcong or the communist army. The US lost, because they couldn't stop the Vietcong from overrunning Vietnam. It's not about how many vietnamese the US killed.
If the purpose of the Vietnam war was to kill as many vietnamese as possible (which is shameful for a country like US), then the US won. That would make the United States a big bully who just wants to kill people. Thankfully, that is not the case.
So, the bottom line is, the US lost the Vietnam war, because it couldn't fulfill it's purpose.
2007-03-02 04:07:46 · answer #2 · answered by Think Richly™ 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
well using your own example, if winning a war is dependant on who kill the most then Americans should have been a winner in Vietnam, however the war in Vietnam is considered to be lost since the US didn't manage to keep the NVA out of south of Vietnam and Vietnam remains the government as it was before the war. even if they do kill more enemies, i don't think there is anything wrong with that because the enemy would do the same if they had the chance.
2007-03-01 22:57:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
OK I have read enough US Bashing...
First off killing more enemy than what the enemy has killed of your own side is sound strategy. But it is not an overall deciding factor for victory.
Second. The US Military did not lose any major engagement during the Vietnam War. The US Lost Vietnam because the Politicians and the Public lost their will to win. How is it you can fight an enemy and then not take the fight to them ?? The US Conducted no major offenses against North Vietnam.
Korea- Was a UN show. The US Military was not adequately trained nor prepared for Combat. Once the Military geared up for war they gave a very good account for themselves. Again the Politicians decided the outcome of this war.
World War II- The US did not want to fight, we had our own problems domestically to take care of. President Roosevelt decided (rightfully so) to send equipment and material instead of troops. Russia had more troops so they carried the fight. Roosevelt also felt that Russia was trying to settle with Germany for their own Peace Treaty. Roosevelt needed Russia to continue the fight while America's Industry changed over to producing war supplies. The US supplied Russia, British and American troops with Military Supplies and Materiel. After Dunkirk the British were pretty well done.
World War I- was a European Conflict. There was no real need for the US to get involved. When the US did become involved, France and Britain were tired of the war. They had no more ready supply of troops to throw into battle. Without the infusion of US Troops the Stalemate could have gone on indefinately.
Afghanistan- The US Military is winning this war. Notice how there isn't that much news about it ?? Why ?? Because that doesn't sell news. Deaths of US Soldiers sells. Let the Liberal Media have their way and every day the US Military will have either killed an Allied Soldier, some poor civilian or gotten themselves killed.
Iraq- The US Military won this. See Vietnam and know why we are losing it and if the trend doesn't change why we will Lose !! The Politicains have no clear cut idea what they want. They have placed their troops between a rock and a hard spot.
Do not blame the US Military for any failures. The US Military has upheld itself very well. Blame the US Politician and the Liberal Media.
2007-03-02 01:02:38 · answer #4 · answered by JohnRingold 4 · 3⤊ 5⤋
Every war has a goal call it strategic or call it whatever but there is an objective. Victory equal achieving objectives. If the objective was to kill a certain number, it may be victory. If we take war on Iraq objective (for example) as mentioned before the war. It was weapons of mass destruction. It was never said that the objective is killing 2 m Iraqi civilians for example. Any one can ask himself about where are the weapons of mass destruction? if it's found or not, and answer easily if there is a victory or not.
I think if a country is using a unauthorised weapons and soldiers are shooting civilians in their homes including (children,women,old people). No body can call that a victorious army unless that person consider war crimes a victory.
On the other hand in many cases like in Iraq the real numbers of deaths in the American army is not revealed to the Medea, but many people watching different Medea these days may know indications about the truth.
2007-03-02 03:12:13 · answer #5 · answered by Wise Heart 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Success in war isn't measured by how many men are killed on either side. Wars are waged to accomplish some agenda. In Vietnam we tried to keep S. Vietnam from becoming part of N Vietnam because the North was a communist nation. We did not accomplish that so we lost. The loss should forever be attributed to the lack of will of the American public, not the lack of military might of the USA.
There is a similar problem today in Iraq. The outcome will also be similar but likely much more precipitous and violent. The US military does not rule in this country and is subject to the whims of public opinion about whether or not any war (or any other activity) should be continued.
2007-03-01 22:18:37 · answer #6 · answered by Nightstalker1967 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
The War of 1812 was actually a technical or diplomatic defeat for the US as was Korea. Whereas Vietnam was a complete disaster...the same will be said soon about Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran if this nation is stupid enough to start trouble there. And, don't forget there are hordes of Americans who still don't believe the South actually got whipped severely in the Civil War.
2007-03-02 04:36:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, we actually lost 3 wars here in America, the first being the Vietnam War, the second being the Iraq War, and the third being to George Bush in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. Now, we are starting to lose another war, but to the Chinese economically, and perhaps one day militarily...
2007-03-02 05:10:39 · answer #8 · answered by bsc_student_08 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Does anyone really believe that America won the war in Vietnam? I am not saying America could not have won..... it just lacked the political will to continue to fight. The communists now govern the whole of Vietnam, which surely indicates they won.
2007-03-01 22:26:10 · answer #9 · answered by PATRICK C 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No that kind of math will never equal a victory in warfare.
In terms of objectives reached and control of a region, we got our butts handed to us in VietNam, and barely managed a tie in Korea, achieving at best a stalemate after the Communists were driven back to the north.
The only clear victory achieved in the 20th century was WW II, where we were a part of an Alliance of nations at war with the German / Japanese / Italian axis. We did take a leading role there, and our manpower, manufacturing, and technology certainly helped tip the scales. We did not win solely on our own.
2007-03-01 22:15:05 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
If America won the Vietnam war why did they pull out and North Vietnam was never overrun
2007-03-01 22:42:48 · answer #11 · answered by barn owl 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋