What were the factors that led to the gradual withdrawal of American combat troops from the Vietnam War?
611886
1. The USA was getting an absolute humping.\n2. errrr that's it really.\n\nThe Vietcong were hamering the USA and so the USA pulled out and left South Vietnam to face the onslaught alone.\n\nAll the US citizens were seeing on a daily basis were rows of body-bags being loaded onto planes.\n\nEventually the USA admitted that enough was enough and pulled out.
224660
You might find this web site useful: "The Vietnam Conflict: Coming Home, by Bill Hunt."
1149483
I'm sure somebody used em to describe Vietnam.   I think, though, that the issue they're talking about is our responsibility to provide stability in government. The removal of Saddam created a very real power vaccume in Iraq. (question of right/wrong in doing so aside) Simply leaving after getting Saddam, would have drawn even more condemnation from the world. The world would  be screamin at us for NOT doing something to help them. As it is, they're screaming at us FOR doing somehthing. Whether or not what we're doing is effective, is another story.
165410
It was fought on the land, air, and lesser so, at sea.\nThe North Vietnamese had small airforce and navy. The N. Vietnamese fought a guerilla warfare the majority of the time. The French, and then the Americans had to adjust to jungle fighting that was sumwhat unique in their country.\nIt also became a phyalogical battle of stalemate and grueling conditions for the americans and their foes.
535810
There was no official start to Viet Nam war. It started back in about 1954 for the United States, that is about the time that the French pulled out. They had come to the conclusion that it was to costly and a lost cause. We sent advisers in at first. Kennedy continued with the advisers and Johnson Sent in the most troupes to actually fight the war that was about 1964 or 1965 Nixon got us out of there finally about 1973 or 1974, those are as close as I can come to dates from memory.
1099887
The US had a presence there since 1950's, even before that if you count the OSS operatives during WWII. Our involvement was to stem the tide of Communism, and also to step in to fill the gap after the French were leaving to comply with the Geneva Accord of 1954. \n     In the context of the times, fighting Communism was a more important and justifiable pretext than oil. \n    It seems apparent that actual motives changed and got muddied as the scope of involvement became lengthy. \n    In the end, US objectives are actually beginning to be realized, and that area of the world moves to more of a self determined free-market based economy. It is a shame that there had to be so much suffering of the general population AFTER US withdrawal to see this come about. \n     I have read memoirs and interviews from former Viet Cong of how they were immediately disenfranchised when the South was overrun, (and they were on the same side as the North, and did much of the dying at the hands of the US!), so one can imagine how bad it must have been for the remainder of the population.
1036873
For the US, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; the Civil War, western expansion, World War II; we came out the number one country in the world from that, and Vietnam caused us to lose our innocence about such things.  For many Vietnam was the glass through which all subsequent issues are viewed.  Also, the Civil Rights movement of the 60's.  AND the great industrial progress:  telephone, autos, planes, etc.
254351
They left Vietnam to escape the communist regime there. They also didn't want their songs to be taken for the military, or their daughters to be sold as prostitutes, etc. Opportunity is what it boils down to.
559211
1. The economic impact of the retirement of the Boomers.\n2. Loss of privacy/civil rights.\n3. The National Debt.\n4. Long-term deployment of troops in mid-east combat zones.\n5. The economic imbalance with China.
698986
There are several examples in history of the superpower losing a war everyone thought they would just walk through.  Vietnam is one of these.  The VC knew that if they could just hold out long enough, the US would just go away due to exhaustion.  The same is true in Iraq; the populace knows we as a citizenry will start to DEMAND the troops come home because we are tired of the losses.\n\nAnother example is our own revolution against Britain.  Washington knew if he could keep the army together the Brits would eventually get tired of throwing away men they needed on European fronts and go away.  That's pretty much what happened.  It didn't hurt that we had French support, but the end was inevitable for Britain -- and us.  It is impossible to fight a population of insurgents without doing too much damage to those who support us in the region.  See also: Vietnam, Afghanistan.\n\nWhy do people think we can win?  They don't study political science and history -- I do.
136637
It depends on the soldier. After Vietnam,many veterans suffered from post-traumatic stress for years. It didn't help that it was such an unpopular war and they didn't receive as much public support at home as had been shown to\nveterans of previous wars. In extreme cases it led to shootings,most just suffered from depression and a degree\nof alienation from the rest of society.
874758
the same way we got out of Vietnam
757459
the United States.\n\nbut not before they destroed the country, long with Laos and Cambodia.\n\nthe Khmer Rouge came to power in the vacuum created and led to the genocide of hundreds of thousands of Cambodians.\n\nwhen the Vietnamese Army invaded to relieve the Cambodians, the US imposed further sanctions on the Vietnamese.\n\nso NO, they never did learn their lesson.\n\nbut its not the politicians who're paying the price.  it is the young American men and women who have to fight these wars on their behalf who end up getting blown up by IED's.\n\nsad.
833500
about wars, specifically the Vietnam war.
960794
If the American military pulls out, a few things will very likely happen:\n\n1. If you think the situation is bad there now, the violence will only escalate;\n\n2. America will appear weak militarily;\n\n3. Muslim extremists will get the message that crime does, in fact, pay very well;\n\n4. The fragile democracy in Iraq will likely collapse;\n\n5. Those in power now, including the police, will be sitting ducks.\n\n(See also CAMBODIA after we left Vietnam for further lessons.)
642689
The Vietnam War ended.  Richard Nixon, President of the U.S., resigned in shame.  Jimmy Carter was elected President.
386069
Here is a nice timeline with root causes of the Vietnam War