To what extent was US military strategy the main reason for their defeat in the Vietnam War?

The counter-productive and inappropriate American military strategy in the Vietnam War was, to a great extent, the main reason for their loss of the war, however a combination of factors made the war 'unwinnable', including the strength of the Communist forces in North Vietnam, and problems on the home front which undermined the war effort. Strategies such as Operation Rolling Thunder, which began in 1965, proved to be ineffective and did more to alienate the Vietnamese civilians whom the bombs affected, in turn swelling the Viet Cong ranks. This failure to win the hearts and minds of the people was worsened by events such as the My Lai Massacre, as well as use of napalm. The strength of the Communists was also a significant factor, as their ingenuity was demonstrated by the Ho Chi Minh Trail and guerrilla tactics. The American forces were unable to decisively defeat them, and they ensured the war was unwinnable through immovable determination and forcing an unfamiliar guerrilla war on the American army.Thirdly, home front problems, most notably the anti-war demonstrations, may have impacted the war by contributing to the reduced morale, however this factor is not as significant as the tactics of the two sides, and it is more plausible to say that the home front problems were a result of the US losing the war, and not a cause.

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