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Very short intro to "On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War" by PowerPointSamurai :: NR7 :: Show
This book was once read by all US Army Command and General Staff College students and has taken on a controversial reputation. Summers and this book have been accused of being apologists for the US Army and the war in Vietnam. I think some of the criticism against this book is misguided and makes me wonder if some of these people read the same book. I've talked to some people who perceive that this book says that the US Army won the war in Vietnam. That's true to an extent, in that Summers himself says in the book that the US never lost a tactical engagement, but sardonically says that in the end that was irrelevant. At it's core, I think this book basically says that the absolute main effort the US should've pursued during the Vietnam War was to build competent and legitimate native forces rather than pursuing counter-insurgency itself and pushing the ARVN (Army of the Republic of South Vietnam) aside.
It also clearly points out the neglected need to nudge the South Vietnamese government to legitimacy and/or reconcile the root problems with North Vietnam, as well as other non-military and unmet inter-agency actions.
The book also examines the North Vietnamese strategy of driving a wedge between the government of South Vietnam and the US through attrition and propaganda aimed at ebbing away popular support for the US Army.
In summary, I think Summer's book is a masterpiece, and a great deal of what he talks about remains completely relevant today and still provides a great deal of understanding of the nature of counter-insurgency warfare and modern warfare.