The Impact of the Failure in Vietnam on the Development of US Counterinsurgency Theory

Abstract

The objective of the following article is to highlight on what fundaments the counterinsurgency theory of the United States rested at the beginning of the Vietnam War, and what kind of changes the war itself triggered in the US doctrine. The article uses a doctrinal focus as its central approach, because in the opinion of the author this is the best indicator for showing which factors the United States Army considered important for winning the war in Vietnam.