There are so many “What if’s” in the Vietnam war

How about an episode called "what if US never fought in Vietnam"

France basically blackmailed USA into supporting it during the French-Indo China War. France basically stated that instead of joining NATO, it would consider either staying independent or side with Russia. Not a serious threat in hindsight, but at the time, enough to bring the USA into France’s side of the war.

I have often said that with regards to Vietnam, the US completely forgot it's own history. 188 years prior to entering to Vietnam the 13 colonies were the ones going against a major colonial power that fought with guerrilla tactics on it's own ground. In 1945, Lord Louis Mountbatten the Supreme Allied Commander for the Southeast Asia area urged the French government to allow the Vietnamese to governed themselves. They didn't listen. Can you imagine what that area of the world would look like if a unified Vietnam and a unified Korea were constitutional republics? It seems that the US government routinely has this habit of backing bad people simply because they are not communists out of fear. Any decision based on fear will have consequences of which you should be afraid. I think your presentation was spot on. Well done.

My grandpa was in the Vietnam war fighting for the south. He was working as a Vietnamese “marine” as almost all of the missions he went was almost 100% death rate. When my grandpa’s dad tried to pay for his exemption from the army because my grandpa always write back that he was scared to die and didn’t want to fight anymore. They paid tons of money for his exemption but they still won’t let him go asking for more money. Showing how corrupt the south government is. When they paid again my grandpa’s own friend shot off my grandpa’s right pointer finger then saying something along the lines of “You are a coward and now without a finger you cannot pull the trigger” but now hes alive then he had my dad and my dad had me. But my dad has a large hatred for the US Army and how much suffering and war crimes they committed. Even though im in JROTC and not the army he hates the uniform and thinks of it as a symbol of death. I respect his opinion and the story fully shows why.

As a vietnamese, This is not very surprising to me, yet somewhat surprising. Vietnam is a very resilient country, they fought off so many forces, you’d an search up Vietnamese history and it will be explained.

My stepdad was a vietnam veteran 23rd and 25th infantry division US army he spoke highly of the Vietnamese capability to wage war my stepdad was also a really big reader of the Art of war and The book of five rings he said that the possibility of an american victory was never gonna happen the Vietnam soldiers not only had the willingness to die out completely in the pursuit of theyre cause but also they fought well not to say the americans didnt fight well but my dad knew the loss of favor in the war back In the US and the fact that the US military wasnt willing to sacrifice as much as the vietnamese proves his point the Vietnamese soldiers we’re more than willing to die and were mainly made up of fanatical volunteers [correct me if im wrong on that] Dad said most of the US troops did not wanna be there and just wanted to go back home

"You win every fight you avoid." - Sun Tzu

I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees. The trees are speaking Vietnamese…

“I am not going to lose Vietnam. I am not going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went.” -Newly inaugurated President Lyndon Johnson at a White House meeting on November 24, 1963 responding to U.S. ambassador to South Vietnam Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. telling him that Vietnam “would go under any day if we don’t do something.”

As a Filipino, we are envious of Vietnam, because they stood their ground and never surrendered to the enemies. We should've won the Philippine American War, if not for the traitor, Emilio Aguinaldo. If only the Philippines stood her ground, we would be retained our Latin culture and influence up to this day.

“I think we have all underestimated the seriousness of this situation. Like giving cobalt treatment to a terminal cancer case. I think a long protracted war will disclose our weakness, not our strength.”-Deputy Secretary of State George W. Ball answering President Lyndon Johnson’s question at a White House meeting on July 21, 1965 about whether the United States could win a war in the “jungle rice-paddies” of Vietnam.

The Infographics Show: So this is how the USA could have won in Nam' USA: Write that down!! WRITE THAT DOWN!!

This is the best video I have seen to summarize this. And it's among the very best videos this channel has produced.

as a Vietnamese this is a very well made video. It covers all the points that the majority of ppl tends to overlooked. Vietnam was "forced" to becomes Communist. We were just trying to reunite our country and begging for help. Anyone who provided helps would be "friend" for the time.

Lesson 1: Know the combatants and their goals and agendas before getting involved in a war. Lesson 2: have clear, actionable goals. Lesson 3: commit to a total war where you use any resources and any means necessary to achieve your goals, or don’t pursue these goals at all. That’s why the Gulf War was a victory: we had a clear objective of defending Kuwait and crippling the Iraqis’ ability of waging war against Kuwait, and used any means necessary to achieve these goals. But we also didn’t do anything that wasn’t necessary to achieve these goals. We imposed a crippling no fly zone blockade against Iraq after the war was over, but we didn’t take out Saddam Hussein. Yes, he was a terrible human being, but taking him out would have opened a can of worms that we REALLY did not want to have to deal with.

I agree that the US has a bad habit of not giving itself permission to just win. We fail to press advantage, and so we make huge openings that loose us the long game

Fun Fact - The Vietnamese call it The American War

I can't remember which late 90's PC game it was, but I vaguely remember the difficulty settings listed as something like: 1. Easy 2. Normal 3. Challenging 4. Difficult 5. Vietnam

Maybe we fought in a way to prolong the conflict and never actually win to make more money for the military industrial complex

How the US could have won vietnam: “Side with the North”.

I want to see what if US would not have been in 1. Vietnam war 2. Iraq War 3. Afghanistan war.

Thanks, really well put 👏🏼

So many “nuke” comments in this video make me worry :/ what’s wrong with people? The US shouldn’t have waged war in the first place :/

In Basic training, we learned all of this. And that we could have ended the war at any point. Our airforce alone had the capability to end the war by itself but we wouldn't target certain bridges or buildings.

Thank you, because I've been explaining these points to people for years now ..

The only way we could have won in Viet Nam was to never have gotten involved.

My Grandfather was in Vietnam and received 2 purple hearts and a bronze star has passed away November 15th, 2021

They could've won if they learned that trees and rice fields spoke Vietnamese.

Do not forget America has a knack for INTENTIONAL blunders for purposes of profit.

Or we could have just left Vietnam alone 🤷🏾‍♀️

Actually, the only way the US could "win" the Vietnam war is by letting Vietnamese decide their own future.

We just had to side with North Vietnam when they asked us for help.

I say the biggest US mistake in Vietnam was incompetent tactics and strategies with the Air Force and Navy. At the beginning of the war, the USAF and USN were prohibited from bombing the cities of Hanoi (North Vietnamese Capital) and Haiphong (Largest port city in North Vietnam). These 2 cities were the most important to North Vietnam as Hanoi housed the entire military and civilian leadership and many weapon factories and infrastructure. Haiphong was also the city where all soviet supplies came from. All soviet equipment and aid coming to North Vietnam went through the port of Haiphong. At the beginning of the war, these 2 cities were also undefended and didn't have significant anti-aircraft defenses. Had the USAF and USN not used limited war as a tactic, they could have obliterated these two cities and critically impact the North Vietnamese war effort. By the time the US realized this and bombed these two cities towards the end of the war, the cities were now too defended as North Vietnam deployed anti-aircraft batteries and had been preparing the cities defenses for years. Other air operation mistakes were not attacking North Vietnamese air bases (The USA didn't bomb any North Vietnamese air bases because they believed if the North Vietnamese Air Force was destroyed, China would use their own Air Force to support them. This allowed the North Vietnamese Air Force to pick their battles and gave their planes a safe-haven) and Terror-Bombing (USAF and USN bombing missions were meant to lower the morale of the North Vietnamese people and make their government end the war, however, this did not work and US bombing missions just angered the North Vietnamese and encouraged more people to join the military or the Viet-Kong). These mistakes and many restrictions on air operations made USAF and USN efforts useless and just caused America to lose hundreds of planes for no reason.

I remember that part from the book Chesty where Chesty Puller in his golden years wrote a letter while retired to the armed forces about how he'd win the war singlehandedly by leading one batallion of us marines armed with nothing but BAR's (in his opinion the best rifle ever made).

Excellent video!

The question is, wich side was correct and who was not. For example, we learned that U.S.A. was the wrong one, but every country can change the way they tell history ( I'm from México, not from Vietnam)

Being a active duty military service member I can sure safe that from 2:05 to 2:26 is the truth for most *IF NOT ALL* of our armed conflicts…

Great point. Never thought of most of these points.

And yet 🇺🇸 politicians keep doing the same thing…the very definition of insanity. You just gave more information about 🇺🇸 war history than most people willingly learn in a lifetime.

I don’t always totally agree with some of these videos but in this one you got it exactly right. I remember being in high school in the late 1960’s watching the war in living color on my TV and wondering what they thought they were going to accomplish. I did not think it was going to end well and it didn’t.

If they just played COD for just one more hour they could be so good they could have won

Limited war might’ve been a flawed strategy, but expanding the conflict would’ve been far worse. Bombing China directly during the Korea War would’ve made it nearly impossible for the U.S. to establish diplomatic relations later on. Regarding the Vietnam War, China was actively involved, sending aid and soldiers to North Vietnam. China had a vested interest in Vietnam, and would’ve expanded operations if the U.S. escalated the conflict.

As a fan of the USAF, it saddens me that, while Operation Desert Strom was a great use of shock & awe tactics, other campaigns were just downright inhumane. For example, Operation Rolling Thunder is one of the grimmest mistakes (& war crimes) committed by America's ariel capabilities.

Another usefull video, because nobody can change that event and remember that the reality from field, IT s very different of what we see in films (sth from the internet or tv).

Never should have been there in the first place!

US could have won if they had brought investers to Vietnam, instead of soilders.

The Vietnamese people were stubborn, they fought the Chinese for 1,000 years after being captured (twice as many bombs dropped in Vietnam as in WW2 with the Vietnamese people yearning for freedom so they would fight even if there was no j).

Love how planes take off in these videos

You're right, Switzerland won again.

I'm sorry, but I disagree entirely that Iraq/Afghanistan is comparable to Korea/Vietnam. We achieved total victory in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I believe we failed to understand that both country populations considered us to be 'conquerors' and not 'liberators'. Our mistake in policy was the overblown ego that we could change the minds of a people that have been living the same way for hundreds of years. How would the United States population react to Mexico 'liberating' us from our current government and expect us to conform to our way of life in a single generation? The Iraq invasion should never have happened since it was based on flawed intelligence. Afghanistan should have been an invasion based on the complete destruction of all terrorist infrastructure. Then with the warning of future destruction and isolation if the government sponsors those who will attack the U.S. again.

I am a Vietnamese born and been living in the North of Vietnam. Solution number 1 was simply not true. While the oppression seen by the outside world was vivid thanks to the freedom of the press offered by the South Republic, the oppression we the people from the North suffered much worse, yet no one was allowed to report that. However, the people do know, as the matter of fact, millions of Northeners flocked to the South in 1954 as a deal was struck to allow the people to choose which part of the country they wanted to live in.

War or not, Vietnam will rise. They are one of the most progressive and hard-working country there is right now.

Pretty good analysis. First problem is that we were on the wrong side.

WW2, was fully of ironies. The West did not care about Japan until Japan started getting onto area where they had interest in. Per example here. Japan invaded Vietnam and kicked out the French. Vietnam officially became the Empire of Vietnam, and there were actual Vietnamese leaders that welcomed the Japanese because they were just tired of the French treatment. After Japan lost, the French still wanted Vietnam back and the USA backed this idea. When Japan lost, Britain wanted back Hong Kong and the USA supported this idea too. Imagine that, Americans fighting a war to stop countries from taking over other countries just so they can keep the countries they took over. French wanted Vietnam back. Britain got HK back. And the US got the Philippines back.

Wow. I am only 5 minutes into this video, and it has taught me very much. I am a fourth year poli sci student, and we have never once been suggested the factors which were mentioned throughout this video.

Americans: "You dont get to decide what is best for you. I do." -_-

One Finnish F1 champion once said,”Just leave me alone, I know what am I doing.”

Someone asked me why did America beat the Japanese in the jungles while they couldn't beat the Vietnamese in theirs. The answer: vastly different terrain and circumstances. For one, Vietnam was surrounded by other countries while the Japanese primarily fought in islands. There was no escape for the Japanese so they could he hunted down to the last while the Vietnamese could escape through sovereign borders.

You lost me when you said authoritarian communism “isn’t real communism”

Imagine if the US had given all those money to the North instead, instead of wasting on that aggressive war. Vietnam would have been the 2nd richest nation on Earth by now.

My American friend watching this : just nuke it

Vietnam in itself did win the war. Before they were two countries north and south now they are united as one country so technically Vietnam succeeded becoming united.

"It is one of the wars US lost because of Guerilla fighting" Afghanistan: Hello.

Yeah your first sentence is so right. US should have support Vietnam in the first place but they chose to help France take Vietnam again

We could have won if not for Yujiro Hanma

Love The vid

You guys don't understand how hard it is to live in Vietnam in that era

I never knew that the North Vietnamese were cozier to American ideals. My plan would be to help the North Vietnamese kick out the French and then America can have influence in the area. Using deplomacy and economic assistance the North could be coaxed into a less authoritarian mindset.

Love your content!

Learned something new today

We didn’t lose to Vietnam That’s the most American thing I’ve ever heard

Imagine a Vietnam where North and South still existed like with Korea

How US could have won Vietnam? - Only when all the grass in Vietnam has been pulled out then only will there be no Vietnamese to fight the aggressors (Nguyễn Trung Trực)

you should have added to cino soviet split. and how the war in Vietnam caused that split. something happened on china and russia border, they shot at eachother, sometime after the tet offensive.

You forgot to mention the times that the UK and France offer advice on how to fight in the jungles since the USA had no real knowledge on how to do so compared to the UK and France

I don't Condone War unless it's for Defense. Regardless of if our Troops had a right to be in Vietnam or not... They all Served with Distinction and are one of our Bravest and Best

I think this is a very American-centric analysis that overlooks a lot of the wider geo-political nuances. Yes, you didn’t bomb China, but you speak to this as if you had there would have been no reaction from China or the Soviet Union more broadly, that they would have docilely accepted this incursion into their own territory with no repercussions. The Korean War saw China intervene directly because they were concerned that US forces would invade after deposing North Korea. That intervention saw the rout and retreat of US and UN forces against numerically superior forces. If the US had bombed China directly during Vietnam, then there would have been a direct response against the US mainland. Whilst their bombers may not have been able to reach the US directly, if their government had felt that their country was under threat, they would potentially have been inclined to use a nuclear response. The idea that the US can just engage in warfare with no action in response by opposing forces is ludicrous.

Good point about total war...

Kinda funny how france used the us for its own advantage and then .makes fun of the us for losing to war.

The reason why US lost Vietnam war is the same as confederacy lost to union. They have more armies and they have the moral high ground bcoz they are fighting for their country.

“I believe this resolution to be a historic mistake. I believe that within the next century, future generations will look with dismay and great disappointment upon a Congress which is now about to mistake such a historic mistake.”-Senator Wayne Morse (D-OR) on the Senate’s impending vote to adopt the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution on August 7, 1964.

Sad that so many young men were drafted and were wounded or died for a loss cause 😢

I’ve been saying this forever!!! The U.S. after WW2 continues to fight “limited wars” with not the full commitment to win!! Afghanistan and Iraq are prime examples!!! And of course Vietnam

Ah yes, farmers with guns, mostly has no experience with firearms, defeating highly trained soldiers taught skills in battle by one of the most, if not THE most powerful men in the world's entirety at the time. Fun. Edit: tH4nKs f0r 69 lIK3s!1!11!!

There was a draft at that time. The rich didn’t have to serve they were deferred if they entered college. My brother and I were drafted on the same day. My brother went to Panama and I went to Vietnam.

Two options for war: 1. To stop an illegitimate invader 2. To make money through profits and continuous taxation from the Military Industrial Complex.

There is not enough money to be made in a victory. A stalemate is priceless.

0:09 "Vietnam remains unique as a war where America snatched defeat from the jaws of victory."

I think the US would had won if they used special forces units designed to fight a unconventional war like in Vietnam and kept a low profile and not made a big televised show of it like the Brits in Malaysia.

We didn’t lose we just got bored the Vietnam was the most one sided war ever

The policy directed towards Vietnam shows why fear shouldn’t influence policy, it will go wrong sooner or later

(as a preface, I view Chinese (authoritarian/meritocracy) and Russian (Marxist/socialist) communism as 2 radically different things) I'm not gonna lie... as a US citizen, I was always taught that we entered Vietnam to support their (s. Vietnam's) independence, after France abandoned them as a colony, against a north that had already sided with Russia (before France pulled out) and Russia was pressuring them (s. Vietnam, who believed it was an issue to be sorted out between the north and south and only enlisted the U.S.A. because the north had the Ruskies and the south had been abandoned by the French and Brits) to enter the Comintern, and once we had pushed them (n. Vietnam) back to within 25 or so kilometers of the china border, Russia had applied some form of political/military pressure against China to get them to side with the Russo communist party and oppose the U.S.A. on the grounds that we (the U.S.A.) were going to keep pursuing the n. Vietnamese soldiers well into China's territory and we were going to keep/"gift to Vietnam", all Chinese territory we captured, because their allowing of n. Vietnamese soldiers into Chinese territory might have been misconstrued by the U.S.A. as tacit support on china's end. So TLDR: France abandons s.Vietnam -> U.S.A. intervenes (intentions unsure, but claimed to support of independence of s. Vietnam) -> U.S.A. goes light handed against n. Vietnam because of Russia's intervention and U.S.A. not wanting to escalate -> U.S.A. still pushes Vietcong back to 15-25km from Chinese border -> Some form of communication between Russia's and China's consulate takes place, then china intervenes on Russia's behalf and issues ultimatum of declaration of war with U.S.A. if they do not pull back their troops from the Chinese border despite U.S.A. insistence that no U.S.A. "soldier shall trespass upon china's sovereign territory under any circumstance" -> and that's why Vietnam looks more like Laos or Cambodia as opposed to South Korea.

"We didn't loose the war, it was a tie!" -Red Foreman

Staline once said "No matter how much effort you deploy in air superiority it is the ground force who conquer country".

A wise man once said "Never steal rice from a Asian man"

"Not real communism." Well if a century of attempting real communism has only lead to horrific failures then maybe real communism doesn't exist. Nevertheless I agree that being friends with Vietnam would've been the right choice since they gave way to peaceful capitalism very quickly anyway. There never was much of a threat posed by them.

Vietnam Bodied USA!

I often wonder what life is like after the war. Tunnels, traps and the such. My father and others I know fought there.

Us always fight litle countries(Iraq,Syria,libiya,Vietnam,Afghan,korea) yet lost most of them, US military is expensive and ineffective.