Blog 2

Comparison of the war in Afghanistan and the Vietnam War

Evan Goldstein 


Our discussion in class on the Afghan War and the recent pullout and capitulation of the Afghan government reminded me a lot of the Vietnam War, which had been a major focus of mine in high school. From what I remember from my classes, as well as additional projects and reading that I had done on the conflict, initial US involvement in Vietnam started out very similarly with initial US involvement in Afghanistan. In Vietnam, the US supported the French, an occupying power, against the Viet Minh, a guerilla group. While in Afghanistan, the US armed the Mujahideen against the Soviet Union, who had invaded the government in support of its Communist government. While the US supported the occupying power in one war and the guerilla movements to overthrow them in the other, initial US involvement in both nations began with aid being delivered, rather than conventional military actions. Furthermore, in both cases, there was a separate event after the US aided their chosen allies that brought them fully into war, with the Gulf of Tonkin Incident with regards to the Vietnam War and 9/11 with regards to the war in Afghanistan. 

Alongside the similarities that occurred before official US involvement, once the US did enter both countries officially, they did not find themselves fighting a large military force, but instead, against much smaller organizations that fought with guerilla tactics. In Vietnam, the US fought against the Viet Cong, whereas in Afghanistan, the US fought against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. While both groups shared vastly different ideologies, they did share a similarity in that they received support from outside groups, to include the Soviet Union and China in the case of Vietnam and allegedly Pakistan and wealthy donors across the Middle East in the case of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. There were other similarities present during US strategy in both wars as well. For example, in both conflicts, the US sought to employ a “hearts and minds” and "nation building strategy to win over the local population, however, "the net effect was that local U.S. partners became dependent on American assistance whereas their adversaries sustained themselves with indigenous resources and support” (Ott). Also, the US was fairly confident that it would be able to easily win by using its superior military and economic power, however, it ultimately lost in both wars. While the US military very rarely lost on the battlefield, the true losses occurred in the homes of the American public, as public opinion began to sway against the wars and towards withdrawal. 

Finally, both conflicts are similar in how they ended, with the United States withdrawing its troops and the side it supported being overrun and eventually overthrown by the opposing faction. As Paul Miller explains in his book, Withdrawal Deadlines In War: Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan “Quite simply, attempting to withdraw and fight simultaneously, as in Vietnam and Afghanistan, is a self-defeating strategy” (Miller). Both conflicts were also alike in the peace process, with the US meeting their adversary to discuss a US withdrawal, however, the governments that the US set up in the host countries were left out of them, leading to separate deals and promises between each side. This ultimately lead to a "sense of betrayal" (Ott) among both the Afghan and South Vietnamese governments. Also similar is the imagery from the endings of both conflicts, depicting US helicopters urgently and chaotically leaving the US embassy and terrified civilians attempting to run away from the approaching enemy force. While the US has become friendlier with the government of Vietnam, with the objective of keeping China at bay, it will be interesting to see how relations between the US and the new Taliban government continue to evolve.    


Bibliography

 Ott, Marvin. “Afghanistan: Echoes of Vietnam?” Asia Dispatches, Wilson Center, 13 July 2021, https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/afghanistan-echoes-vietnam. Accessed 2 Mar. 2022. 


 Miller, Paul D. “SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.” Withdrawal Deadlines In War: Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Atlantic Council, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep24664.7.

  



Comments

  1. Max GilbertMarch 8, 2022 at 4:45 PM

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  2. Max GilbertMarch 8, 2022 at 4:46 PM

    I thought this was a very interesting comparison of two major conflicts involving the United States. The two wars are definitely similar, especially given the polarization the they created back home, with both Afghanistan and Vietnam seeming at times unnecessary wars for America to be fighting, leading to social activism. As you point out, the United States rarely seemed to be worried about their abilities on the battlefield, but when the support of the American public began to sway, then the entire purpose of the war gets brought into question. Afghanistan and Vietnam are prime examples of this.

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  3. Sofia GordonMarch 8, 2022 at 8:11 PM

    I think that you've illuminated some really interesting parallels between these two major conflicts. Given the social climate we live in currently, I was reminded of the phrase: "history repeats itself". As we watch feuds transpire between Russia and Ukraine and how the US responds, I wonder if we will experience such notions you've outlined in your blog, and if one day a future student will be writing about this time in a similar manner.

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