WS358 BLOCK 3 REVIEW EXAM
Questions and Verified Answers
100% Guarantee Pass
1. Review of the 5 Military Revolutions
Answer: -Creation of the state and large armies
-French Revolution
-Industrial Revolution
-WWI (and WWII)-combination of the previous three revolutions states can organize large armies through CONSCRIP- TION
and equip them technologically-results in DEADLY WAR
-Nukes-constitute a PARADIGM SHIFT that influence strategy of Cold War (and specifically Vietnam)
2. Why was the Vietnam War Complex?
Answer: -There is a sense of INSTABILITY due to factors at home and abroad. The draft is unpopular (and at
times inettective) as the US fights a counterinsurgency
-There is extreme SPECIALIZATION-highly technical war with a lot of moving parts; many soldiers don't fight, they just
exhibit technical expertise
-There is CENTRALIZATION-a lot is taken into account for victory; causes extremely large amounts of information to get
,passed up the chain of command. Counterintuitive as there is too much information for commanders to know what to do
with.
-Together, this results in PARALYSIS
3. Van Creveld's Thesis
Answer: -Command is all about managing uncertainty
-Vietnam shows that too much certainty is a PARADOX
-Getting too much info in the search for certainty clouds that very goal; in order to be ettective, it must also be TIMELY
-Too much information gets in the way of that
4. What are Van Creveld's 5 Ways for How Command Can Operate in Uncertain- ty?
Answer: -Power Down Decisions Based on Combat
-Self Contained Units
-Regular Reporting Procedures
-Active/Supplemental Information (he uses the term DIRECTED TELESCOPE)
-Informal and formal reporting
-NONE of these revolve around technology; technology can help, but it does not automatically guarantee success
-Also need to be conscious of the enemy and how they think.
5. RVNAF
Answer: -The Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces
, -Essentially, the military of South Vietnam
-Trained by Americans, largely inettective on their own
6. ARVN
Answer: -The Army of the Republic of Vietnam
-Essentially, the army of South Vietnam
7. PAVN
Answer: -The People's Army of Vietnam
-Essentially, the army of North Vietnam
-Also called the NVA (North Vietnamese Army)
8. NLF
Answer: -The National Liberation Front
-Irregulars that supported the communist cause who operated in South Vietnam
-Known colloquially as the VC (Viet Cong)
9. The Tet Offensive
Answer: -Early 1968 surprise attack on ARVN and USF; initially caught ott guard, the US and Vietnamese
eventually win
-Tet is a tactical victory but strategic disaster as US public sees high casualties and believes the US is losing in Vietnam
-MACV CMDR WILLIAM WESTMORELAND wanted to conventionally attack NVA, so he is overjoyed by Tet as he can do
Questions and Verified Answers
100% Guarantee Pass
1. Review of the 5 Military Revolutions
Answer: -Creation of the state and large armies
-French Revolution
-Industrial Revolution
-WWI (and WWII)-combination of the previous three revolutions states can organize large armies through CONSCRIP- TION
and equip them technologically-results in DEADLY WAR
-Nukes-constitute a PARADIGM SHIFT that influence strategy of Cold War (and specifically Vietnam)
2. Why was the Vietnam War Complex?
Answer: -There is a sense of INSTABILITY due to factors at home and abroad. The draft is unpopular (and at
times inettective) as the US fights a counterinsurgency
-There is extreme SPECIALIZATION-highly technical war with a lot of moving parts; many soldiers don't fight, they just
exhibit technical expertise
-There is CENTRALIZATION-a lot is taken into account for victory; causes extremely large amounts of information to get
,passed up the chain of command. Counterintuitive as there is too much information for commanders to know what to do
with.
-Together, this results in PARALYSIS
3. Van Creveld's Thesis
Answer: -Command is all about managing uncertainty
-Vietnam shows that too much certainty is a PARADOX
-Getting too much info in the search for certainty clouds that very goal; in order to be ettective, it must also be TIMELY
-Too much information gets in the way of that
4. What are Van Creveld's 5 Ways for How Command Can Operate in Uncertain- ty?
Answer: -Power Down Decisions Based on Combat
-Self Contained Units
-Regular Reporting Procedures
-Active/Supplemental Information (he uses the term DIRECTED TELESCOPE)
-Informal and formal reporting
-NONE of these revolve around technology; technology can help, but it does not automatically guarantee success
-Also need to be conscious of the enemy and how they think.
5. RVNAF
Answer: -The Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces
, -Essentially, the military of South Vietnam
-Trained by Americans, largely inettective on their own
6. ARVN
Answer: -The Army of the Republic of Vietnam
-Essentially, the army of South Vietnam
7. PAVN
Answer: -The People's Army of Vietnam
-Essentially, the army of North Vietnam
-Also called the NVA (North Vietnamese Army)
8. NLF
Answer: -The National Liberation Front
-Irregulars that supported the communist cause who operated in South Vietnam
-Known colloquially as the VC (Viet Cong)
9. The Tet Offensive
Answer: -Early 1968 surprise attack on ARVN and USF; initially caught ott guard, the US and Vietnamese
eventually win
-Tet is a tactical victory but strategic disaster as US public sees high casualties and believes the US is losing in Vietnam
-MACV CMDR WILLIAM WESTMORELAND wanted to conventionally attack NVA, so he is overjoyed by Tet as he can do
