CDL: Why Couldn't the United States Bomb Its Way to Victory in Vietnam?

The United States entered the war over in Vietnam to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam. Like it says in our textbook reading, “World War II demonstrated the critical importance of airpower in modern war.” Pg. (1076) The U.S. couldn’t bomb its way to victory in Vietnam not because we didn’t have the necessary tools in order to do so but according to Admiral U.S. Grant Sharp (WWII veteran and commander in chief of the Pacific Command), “Our airpower did not fail us; it was the decision makers.” Pg. (1076) Military Officials were given the green light to start bombing North Vietnam, but under certain restrictions. The operation was called “Operation Rolling Thunder”, which happened in August 1963. The new President, Lyndon B. Johnson, ordered the first bombing of North Vietnam. The purpose was to break the Vietnamese will to struggle through "shock and awe". It was also used to boost morale in South Vietnam, try and halt the communist insurgency in South Vietnam, destroy North Vietnam’s infrastructure (or at least damage it), and slow the flow of troops and war materiel from North Vietnam to South Vietnam. However though, president Johnson didn’t want Military Officials to just go and bomb whatever they wanted and wherever they wanted to; he wanted to be strategic about what they were going to do. Johnson didn’t want to give China or the Soviet Union any reason to get involved in the war. He didn’t want to make the mistake of bombing the North Vietnamese border, which had at least 700 million Chinese men waiting there. As for the Soviet Union Johnson didn’t want them to enter the war because he wanted to contain antiwar sentiment at home. President Johnson also didn’t allow bombing on airfields and missile sites, along with no bombing of areas where high civilian casualties might occur. Although president Johnson didn’t want China and the Soviet Union to enter the war they both contributed to North Vietnam throughout the war by supplying things like 600,000 tons of rice and small arms, ammunition, vehicles, tanks, fighter planes, air missiles, and other sophisticated weapons. The number of bombs dropped over Vietnam in this campaign alone was greater than the total dropped during the entire Second World War. Even though the U.S. dropped 643,000 tons of bombs on North Vietnam in the operation of rolling thunder they were not successful in bombing their way to victory like many people thought they could’ve done if we would’ve begun operation Rolling Thunder “with an all-out massive bombing and continued until the devastation brought North Vietnam to their knees.”

1.) Do you think that the U.S. could’ve bombed their way to victory if they began operation “Rolling Thunder” with an all-out massive bombing?

2.) Was President Lyndon B. Johnson’s decision to forbid bombing in certain areas a wise strategic decision? Or do you think that because of his decision we ended up not winning the war?