5.3.6

Vietcong Tactics

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Vietcong Tactics

Guerrilla warfare, the Ho Chi Minh Trail, tunnels and booby traps were the main Vietcong tactics.

Guerrilla warfare

Guerrilla warfare

  • Guerrilla warfare is when fighters avoid open battles and instead ambush their enemies.
  • It was used due to small size of VC compared to USA.
  • It was hard for the ARVN and USA to fight back because the VC blended into villages as they wore no uniform.
  • Ambush attacks, infiltrated US army bases/cities and laid traps.
Ho Chi Minh Trail

Ho Chi Minh Trail

  • A 600-mile trail through Laos and Cambodia used to provide supplies from North/China for attacks in South.
  • The USA couldn’t stop it as goes through other countries, and they wouldn’t declare war on them.
Tunnels

Tunnels

  • The VC used tunnels as bases and ambush spots.
  • They contained hospitals, storage and weapons and allowed the VC to move unseen across 400km of South Vietnam.
  • The US couldn’t fit in the tunnels to destroy them, so simply destroyed any entrances they found.
Booby Traps

Booby Traps

  • Examples of VC traps would be Punji sticks covered in excrement or Bouncing Betty mines laid by women and children.
  • 19% of US casualties were caused by traps.
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1

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1.1

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1.1.1The Treaty of Versailles1.1.2Roles of Wilson, Clemenceau & George
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1.4

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2

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2.1

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2.1.1The League of Nations2.1.2Structure of the League: Assembly & Council2.1.3Structure of the League: Special Commissions2.1.4Structure of the League: Permanent Court2.1.5Structure of the League: Secretariat2.1.6Financial Crisis in the World
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3

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3.1

What were the Long-Term Consequences of Versailles

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3.2

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3.5

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4

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4.1

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4.3

How did the US React to Soviet Expansionism?

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5.1

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5.2

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5.3

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6

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Practice questions on Vietcong Tactics

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  1. 1
    What were the main Vietcong tactics?Fill in the list
  2. 2
    The Ho Chi Minh Trail:True / false
  3. 3
    Examples of VC booby traps:Fill in the list
  4. 4
    What percentage of US casualties were caused by traps?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    During the Vietnam War, why did the Vietcong avoid open battles and instead use guerrilla warfare tactics such as ambushes?Multiple choice
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US Tactics

The Vietcong