US were trained in conventional warfare whereas the Viet Cong used guerilla tactics - hitting the enemy and then moving away; not wearing a standard uniform; merging into village life with ease etc. It was difficult for these young American troops to know who was the enemy and who they could trust amongst the South Vietnamese population.
America had total control of the air. Planes could be used to back-up ground troops by using napalm. Defoliation chemicals were also used to destroy the jungle cover given to the Viet Cong along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Agent Orange killed large areas of jungle disguising this trail but those using it, simply moved further inland or further into Laos thus avoiding the defoliated areas.
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During the Vietnam War, the US strategy was "Attritition". This involved the tactics of "Search and Destroy", which was accompanied by the procedure of "counting enemy bodies", which resulted in the term, "body count".
while vietnam is in war with america, vietnam soldiers used learn guerilla tactics by studying shivaji maharaj. shivaji maharaj used guerrilla tactics against huge moghal empire. Same way vietnam is in war with giant america, vietnami soldiers gets inspired from shivaji's example...
Wars prior to Vietnam were ground taking wars (territorial gains). Vietnam was a body count war-a war of attrition.
the us government withdrew all troops from Vietnam, because the enemies guerrilla tactics made it a one sided war. We were losing countless soldiers in a war that didnt directly affect us, until the american citizens protested over having their loved ones and countless others sent to a country on the other side of the world.
The fear of being invaded was not a justification for the increase in US involvement in Vietnam. The US withdrew from Vietnam in 1975.