Three Reasons for Linebacker II's Success

<p>The objective of the 1972 Linebacker II air campaign was to apply maximum pressure on North Vietnam through the destruction of major target complexes in the vicinity of Hanoi and Haiphong. This pressure was designed to force a negotiated settlement with the North Vietnamese--one in which the United States could honorably extricate itself from a costly and divisive war. Linebacker II achieved its objectives through the concentrated application of airpower. Not only did this eleven-day bombing campaign strike at the will of the North Vietnamese people and leadership it also inflicted substantial damage on the North's ability to support the war effort. This success is directly attributable to three key factors. First the decision to use B-52s against lucrative targets in Hanoi and Haiphong and the advent of smart weapons allowed planners to strike at militarily significant targets previously forbidden due to collateral damage considerations. Second military planners faced less restrictive political constraints toward the end of the Vietnam conflict due to the political context in which the Nixon administration did not fear an escalatory response from either the Soviets or the Chinese. President Nixon's willingness to use airpower to its maximum effect against strategically important targets resulted in improved combat effectiveness that forced the North Vietnamese back to the negotiating table. Finally the very nature of the Vietnam War had changed by 1972. In the beginning of the conflict the United States fought an unconventional war against a guerilla force.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>