did not wear military uniform so integrated with rural peasants
stayed close to US deployments of soldiers so they couldn't be bombed easily
sabotaged roads and bridges to make it difficult for the enemy to move around
avoided open battles
blended in with the local population so it was hard for members to be identified- could be male, female,young or old
tunnels allowed the VC to organise suprise attacks, store their supplies safely, hide securely and treat the wounded
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Operation Rolling Thunder and Chemical Weapons
early in 1965, still not US soldiers on the ground in Vietnam
Johnson wanted to force the North Vietnamese to negotiate a settlement so in 1965, the USA started a bombing campaign in North Vietnam called Operation Rolling Thunder
Johnson resisted calls from the military to bomb extensively so Rolling Thunder began gradually, near to South Vietnam
it targeted the Ho Chi Minh Trail to stop supplies being taken south, and North Vietnam's small industrial base
Johnson avoided the capital Hanoi, the port Haiphong (where the USSR sent supplies into North Vietnam) and the border area with China, to avoid the war escalating and China and the USSR becoming more involved
the US sprayed large areas of Vietnam with chemicals such as napalm, to destroy jungle and crops- these caused birth defects and widespread starvation
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US tactic of 'search and destroy'
small groups of US soldiers tracked down VC camps then called in helicopters to spray chemicals on them and bomb them
the VC often left traps on the ground to kill or injure US soldiers
if any VC remained in the area, they used 'hit and run' attacks on US troops instead of fighting any battles
US troops destroyed any VC tunnels, weapons and supplies that they found
however, after US troops left the area, the VC returned, sending out the message that US Search and Destroy methods were failing
the use of chemical sprays and bombing of crops and homes made the USA unpopular with locals
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Tet Offensive 1968
led by the North Vietnamese and VC in January-February 1968
over 100 cities and US bases in South Vietnam were attacked
initially, thr North Vietnamese and VC drew US and ARVN troops away from cities and military bases by attacking the demilitarised zone
the North Vietnamese also suggested a negiotiated settlement, which made the US think the communists were losing
on 30th January, North Vietnamese troops and the VC attacked high profile places in Saigon, such as the US embassy, airport and radio station
the attack in Saigon was defeated, but US citizens were shocked at events
eventually, US and ARVN troops recaptured the cities and bases that were attacked and the communists suffered very heavy losses (the VC were almost wiped out)
the American public saw the Tet Offensive as a terrible failure
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