The Vietnam War is one of the most famous conflicts the United States has ever been involved with. It was a war that was very unpopular amongst the American public and resulted in mass casualties of countless young and brave Americans. While that is the cold, hard, unfortunate truth, the war itself still had many developments worth looking at through a historical lens.
Operation Rolling Thunder
Beginning in 1965, the United States military rolled out an operation called Operation Rolling Thunder, which was a codename for an American bombing campaign where U.S. military aircraft struck targets throughout Northern Vietnam. The purpose of this operation was to put military pressure on communist leaders in Northern Vietnam to weaken their ability to continue their war efforts. Operation Rolling Thunder was most significant because it was the first American attack on Northern Vietnam, which signaled a major escalation in United States involvement in the war was underway. The operation would eventually conclude in October of 1968.
Before Operation Rolling Thunder
Before Operation Rolling Thunder commenced, U.S. involvement in Vietnam began with supplying military equipment, aid, and other resources to Southern Vietnam to help in their efforts. In 1962, the U.S. began assisting in battle in a limited manner through the air when the Air Force began targeting Viet Cong bases by spraying chemicals, most notably Agent Orange throughout the jungle. In 1964, U.S. involvement expanded when President Johnson authorized retaliation strikes after U.S. warships in the Gulf of Tonkin were attacked.
Controversy Around Rolling Thunder
The debates surrounding Operation Rolling Thunder over the years have been intense and complex, with historians offering various perspectives on the operation’s effectiveness and overall impact it had on the war. These viewpoints span from considerations for political constraints and gradual escalation, to the limited impact on North Vietnam’s ability to acquire war materials, its agricultural economy, and the unsuitability of conventional warfare approaches.
Many argue that officials in Washington, D.C. imposed numerous roadblocks, impeding the operation’s effectiveness due to their apprehensions about provoking China and the Soviet Union. Additionally, it is asserted that the gradual progression of efforts allowed Hanoi the time to adapt and formulate strategies to counter the evolving air defense system. Ultimately, critics contend that the bombings proved ineffective in impeding North Vietnam’s receipt of materials from China and the USSR. Some also question the U.S.’s reliance on conventional warfare strategies against an adversary with limited industrial bases.
North Vietnam’s Response to the Bombings
One of the controversies surrounding Operation Rolling Thunder was the gradual escalation in the plan, which afforded the opposition more time to devise a combative response. According to vietnamwar50th.com, in response to the bombings, North Vietnam implemented a plan to disperse its military assets throughout the country, making it more challenging for U.S. bombers to target on a large scale. Additionally, other government allies of Vietnam, such as the Hanoi government, were successful in delivering more materials that mitigated the structural damages resulting from the bombings. They quickly created bypasses and alternate routes for bridges, roads, and routes that had been disrupted by the bombings. Ultimately, China and the USSR supported North Vietnam with supplies, ammunition, weapons, and aircraft.
What Operation Rolling Thunder Led To
According to History.com, Operation Rolling Thunder eventually resulted in the expansion of the United States presence in Vietnam. While the U.S. was previously only targeting the southern portion of North Vietnam, they eventually began to target more northern areas. Just months after Operation Rolling Thunder began, the U.S. attacked much of northern Vietnam. In fact, by this time there were only a few areas considered “off-limits,” which signaled a noticeable increase in U.S. involvement compared to its initial strategy earlier on in the war.
Conclusion
Operation Rolling Thunder concluded on Halloween in 1968 after years of sustained bombings through numerous regions in Vietnam. There are differing opinions regarding the operation’s success, some crediting it with harming North Vietnam, while other’s claim it was largely ineffective in the grand scheme of the war. The Vietnam war continues to be considered one of, it not the most unpopular wars in U.S. history. Regardless, it is still a piece of American history that is important to look back on.