How were the Viet Cong able to defeat the U.S army when they were even employing anti-guerilla tactics?

Question

When the Viet Cong used the forests and jjungle as a cover for their fighting to pin down American troops, they responded with a scorched earth policy that destroyed the forests.

Shouldn't this have deprived the Viet Cong and defeated them eventually, seen as though the only thing that made their guerilla tactics so effective was gone.

Then how were they able not just to survive another couple of years, but to eventually "defeat" in a sense, and drive out the US troops?

Answer 1

We defeated the viet cong many times. We would have won the war if not for:
A: Richard "Scumbag" Nixon
B:Jane Fonda and her ilk.

Answer 2

The Americans couldnt defeat the Viet Cong. North Vietnamese actually had weapons and equipment like the U.S. military. And the U.S. was killing millions of villagers and not defeating the Viet Cong so we withdrew. It went on for 10 years with too much killing and no real purpose. This affair in Afghanistan is not a war. It is another occupation like Iraq so there is no classic victory. I think the U.S. has done enough damage in both countries and should stop spending so much money and killing so many people. That is a good reason to get out. If people knew how many military operations around the world the U.S. is financing or actively engaging in or by proxy para-military, there would be an uproar in the U.S. much more than the OWS movement. I didnt know British troops were in VietNam. In America, at that time you heard only what Americans were doing. It has not changed much in that regard.

Answer 3

What do you mean "drive out the US troops"& ""defeat" in a sense"???

We slaughtered the Viet Cong during the Tet Offensive in December 1968. This was exactly what the commanders of the North Vietnamese Army wanted, nobody to dispute the complete take over of the South by the North. The Viet Cong rebels had no place in a post war united Vietnam as far as the North was concerned. We won the War against the Viet Cong but were never allowed to invade North Vietnam.and defeat the NVA. The NVA used "protracted warfare" in the South to avoid combat unless they greatly out numbered the US or RVN force they fought, they hid in tunnels.

We finally signed a Peace Agreement with North Vietnam. The North agreed to end the war and withdraw from South Vietnam and we withdrew, thats how the war ended for us.

Well, guess what?? The North decided to renew the war against the South after we came home and the South was over run.

Answer 4

The US did defeat the Viet Cong! We did not defeat the NVA (North Vietnamese Army). They were two different organizations. NVA was the N Vietnamese official Army. The VC was a militia group.
People always think they were the same thing, but they weren't.

Answer 5

Actually, the Viet Cong did NOT defeat the U.S. The Viet Cong was utterly smashed during the Tet Offensive of '68, and was rendered useless for the remainder of the war.

From that point on, we were going up against the NVA, and would have smashed them, too, if not for the politically-motivated early withdrawal and subsequent abandonment (by the Democrats) of our allies in the ARVN.

Answer 6

the viet Cong lost the guerilla war. When the US troops were pulling out the Viet Cong was practically non existent, to the point of unarmed and un-escorted US soldiers going for tourist sight seeing trips in the country.
South Vietnam was conquered (on the second try) by North Vietnam in a classic invasion using tanks and jet planes. The first NVA invasion was completely anihilated by the RVA army. On the second try - thanks to the Dems in Congress - the South Vietnamese did not have any weapons to defend themselves with

Answer 7

Even early in the conflict (63-64) we could sit on the ridge tops and look down on a supply trail but not allowed to do a thing about it because it was in another country.
We also had the same problem that has been experienced in Iraq, we would clear an aria of Vietnam and then move on. The moment we left the VC moved back in. The result was that we had to take the same real estate over and over.

The problem with US war policy is and always has been the reluctance to talk instead of shoot. We can win a battle with no problem, but lack the ability to secure a Peace.

Answer 8

The liberals here in America had alot more to do with defeating the American forces in Viet Nam. After the Tet offensive, the Viet Cong were so decimated that if we had staged a counter-offensive and not cut and run, we would have won the war.

Answer 9

They never defeated them, they lost every battle and major engagement of the war. while the US bombing missions over Vietnam tried to take out a lot of the jungle, they could not take down every tree. Also, the majority of their infrastructure was underground.
And The communists (north Vietnamese) would come into a village and kill everyone who did not become Viet Cong, and would take prisoners (aka daughters and wives) to ensure cooperation.
The US backed down because of the huge anti-war movement in the US, which because of such bad press, hated the war, didn't understand the war, and portrayed soldiers as baby-killers.

Answer 10

Militarilly ,the Cong and the NVA were defeated at every turn.
N.Viet Nam was forced into a cease fire,rather than face destruction and occupation.
After the combat troops were withdrawn and they'd had time to rebuild and raise kids to fighting age,they restared the war.
Our political leaders (?) didn't have the guts or will to go back in.
It was a political defeat.

Answer 11

The Viet Cong didn't defeat anybody. The Viet Cong virtually ceased to exist after Tet. It was the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) that did all the fighting after Tet.