CORDS/Phoenix: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Vietnam for the Future

Abstract

As the United states ends its third year of war in Iraq, the military continues to search for ways to deal with an insurgency that shows no sign of waning. the specter of Vietnam looms large, and the media has been filled with comparisons between the current situation and the "quagmire" of the Vietnam War. the differences between the two conflicts are legion, but observers can learn lessons from the Vietnam-experience if they are judicious in their search. For better or worse, Vietnam is the most prominent historical example of american counterinsurgency (COIN)-and the longest-so it would be a mistake to reject it because of its admittedly complex and controversial nature. An examination of the pacification effort in Vietnam and the evolution of the Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS) program provides useful insights into the imperatives of a viable COIN program.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA489376

Entities

People

  • Dale Andrade
  • James H. Willbanks

Organizations

  • United States Army Center of Military History

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civilian Personnel
  • Command And Control
  • Counterinsurgency
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • New York
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychological Operations
  • South Vietnam
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • Vietnam War
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.