Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: eos!woody@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Wayne Wood)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Chinese Army and the Vietnam conflict of 1979
Message-ID: <1990Jul31.223503.6119@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 31 Jul 90 22:35:03 GMT
References: <1990Jul27.015503.21955@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Calif.
Lines: 34
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: eos!woody@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Wayne Wood)

In article <1990Jul27.015503.21955@cbnews.att.com> anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Anthony Lee) writes:
>
>In 1979 China was involved in a major conflict with Vietnam.  The 
>Chinese Army made a very small penetration into Vietnam but suffered
>many casualties.  Many experts pointed out that the Chinese Army was
>then poorly organised and also poorly armed.  In many ways this was the

>the current political situation ?  Is the Chinese Army actually capable
>of defending China in a conventional war, considering her poor preformance

sorry, but you're comparing apples and oranges.  there is a vast amount of
difference between an invading force and a defending force.

first, consider logistical problems.  the invading force not only has to fight
and secure territory but it must also provide it's own logistical needs...
possibly transporting the needed supplies/replacements through hostile 
territory.  witness napoleon and hitler. 

the defender, on the other hand, has no such problems... resupply/reinforcement
is an 'easier' task because they are operatiing on their own turf.  also,
morale considerations should be taken into account.  people who are defending
their homeland would tend to fight harder than those attacking it.

the US was forced to withdraw from VietNam as well... should we ask the same
questions of our armed forces as you are asking of the chinese??

/***   woody   ****************************************************************
*** ...tongue tied and twisted, just an earth bound misfit, I...            ***
*** -- David Gilmour, Pink Floyd                                            ***
****** woody@eos.arc.nasa.gov *** my opinions, like my mind, are my own ******/