[sawdust]

"by ARVN and American air power"

The operative phrase here is AMERICAN AIR POWER. ARVN was never able to defeat large-scale conventional NVA attacks without US air power. Did it never occur to the Thieu government that, one day, the American people would insist ARVN fought its own battles?

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"...ARVN was never able to defeat large-scale conventional NVA attacks..."

A South Vietnamese military with limited resources and no allies absolutely could not defeat a North Vietnamese military fully armed and supported by the entire communist world.

My contention is that Hanoi continued the war past 1973 only because they saw American support for South Vietnam disappear. The American left, in government and out, caused that to happen.

ARVN only faced three large scale assaults during the war. The first one was a disaster for the communists because of massive American support. The second was a disaster for the communists even though American support was limited to air support and a little arty support. ARVN infantry and ARVN armor recaptured all but one town that had been overrun and the communists suffered massive casualties.

In the final assault the communist world used strong armor and air power to crush an isolated, outnumbered, out-gunned South Vietnam.


"Did it never occur to the Thieu government that, one day the American people would insist ARVN fought it's own battles?"

Your final question is irrelevant. What was the South to do, surrender? What the Thieu government thought has no bearing on what occurred.

Michael Frazier