Failures of the Easter Offensive:
Mutual Miscalculations, Strategic Flaws, and the ARVN’s Reliance on U.S. Airpower
Failures of the Easter Offensive:
Mutual Miscalculations, Strategic Flaws, and the ARVN’s Heavy Reliance on U.S. Airpower
The Easter Offensive is one of the most important conflicts of the Vietnam War, as North Vietnam troops invaded South Vietnam in a widespread surprise offensive that would ultimately serve as a catalyst for the withdrawal of United States troops from Vietnam. Hoping to discredit the Vietnamization policy, disrupt pacification, and gain territorial ground in South Vietnam, North Vietnam sought military victory in launching this three-pronged attack on March 30, 1972. By the end of this conflict, neither side would emerge victorious. The ambiguous outcome of the Easter Offensive was due to the failures of all parties. The strategy of North Vietnam’s troops was flawed strategically, the Army Republic of …show more content…
to execute successful military operations. “Its ability to prevail without the support of U.S. airpower was highly suspect” (Herring, 2014, p. 318). Outstanding use of U.S. airpower was the reason the NLF did not emerge successful at the end of the Easter Offensive. “Tactical air support was directly instrumental … within South Vietnam, first blunting, and then breaking the Communist momentum” (Doglione, 1976, p. 106). Although by the end of the conflict neither side came out a clear victor, it was obvious the ARVN had failed to become a strong force to be reckoned with. Consistently, they had proven deficient in their ability to take on the primary role of combat operations, and in the Easter Offensive, they verified their continued reliance on U.S. assistance. “Without the intervention of U.S. airpower, the 1972 Spring Offensive would have had a very different and much less satisfactory ending” (Doglione, 1976, p.
Mutual Miscalculations, Strategic Flaws, and the ARVN’s Reliance on U.S. Airpower
Failures of the Easter Offensive:
Mutual Miscalculations, Strategic Flaws, and the ARVN’s Heavy Reliance on U.S. Airpower
The Easter Offensive is one of the most important conflicts of the Vietnam War, as North Vietnam troops invaded South Vietnam in a widespread surprise offensive that would ultimately serve as a catalyst for the withdrawal of United States troops from Vietnam. Hoping to discredit the Vietnamization policy, disrupt pacification, and gain territorial ground in South Vietnam, North Vietnam sought military victory in launching this three-pronged attack on March 30, 1972. By the end of this conflict, neither side would emerge victorious. The ambiguous outcome of the Easter Offensive was due to the failures of all parties. The strategy of North Vietnam’s troops was flawed strategically, the Army Republic of …show more content…
to execute successful military operations. “Its ability to prevail without the support of U.S. airpower was highly suspect” (Herring, 2014, p. 318). Outstanding use of U.S. airpower was the reason the NLF did not emerge successful at the end of the Easter Offensive. “Tactical air support was directly instrumental … within South Vietnam, first blunting, and then breaking the Communist momentum” (Doglione, 1976, p. 106). Although by the end of the conflict neither side came out a clear victor, it was obvious the ARVN had failed to become a strong force to be reckoned with. Consistently, they had proven deficient in their ability to take on the primary role of combat operations, and in the Easter Offensive, they verified their continued reliance on U.S. assistance. “Without the intervention of U.S. airpower, the 1972 Spring Offensive would have had a very different and much less satisfactory ending” (Doglione, 1976, p.