Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military From: anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Anthony Lee) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Chinese Army and the Vietnam conflict of 1979 Message-ID: <1990Aug5.042822.29278@cbnews.att.com> Date: 5 Aug 90 04:28:22 GMT References: <1990Jul27.015503.21955@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul31.223503.6119@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 44 Approved: military@att.att.com From: anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Anthony Lee) eos!woody@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Wayne Wood) writes: >In article <1990Jul27.015503.21955@cbnews.att.com> anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Anthony Lee) writes: >> [stuff deleted about China-Vietnam 1979 conflict...] >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 Chinese army didn't exactly have a long way to go. I forgotten how far they penetrate into Vietname but I would be very surprised if it is much more than 10km. As for logistical needs well Vietnam is right next door to China and if the Chinese army can't bring supplies in for such a short distance then it must have real transport problems. >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. That's true, I agree the Vietnamese would have more "push" to repel the Chinese army. However the Chinese army of the time is supposed to be well drilled in discipline, the finer points of communism and loyalty to the party. Therefore I doubt if morale could have lead to their defeat. I think it is more because of poor organisation and the lack of a proper command structure. (The command structure was changed by Mao and officers don't wear any badges etc. to indicate rank) >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?? Don't you think that part of the reason why the US was forced out Vietnam was public opinion about the war in Vietnam ? In 1979, the majority of the households in China don't have TVs and public opinion don't count in China. -- Anthony Lee (Michelangelo teenage mutant ninja turtle) (Time Lord Doctor) ACSnet: anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz TEL:+(61)-7-371-2651 Internet: anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au +(61)-7-377-4139 (w) SNAIL: Dept Comp. Science, University of Qld, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia