Patterns of great power intervention in Vietnam and Afghanistan
Journal: Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska sectio K – Politologia
Year: 2016

This study identifies and describes a general policy pattern common to French and American interveners in Vietnam as well as Soviet and American interveners in Afghanistan. Each employed political tactics at first and, after their failure, military tactics that also failed. Each intervener then sought a diplomatic solution to its dilemma, a goal that it achieved, but the diplomatic outcome masked the larger failure of each of the interventions.