How In the World Did We Win the War?

Haven't listened to it, but the themes on the website seem clear.

Britain clearly underestimated the resolve of the patriot faction. The war was prohibitively expensive for Britain and, toward the end, very unpopular in England. Without a draft, England had to rent mercenary forces that were not only expensive but also irritating to Americans who were not necessarily patriots.

Washington, though no genius in tactics, understood that as long as he could put an army in the field the patriots had a chance to outlast the British and even defeat them in some engagements. Thus he kept his army together against all odds and lived to fight another day.

But the key to victory was the alliance with France, which supplied money, arms, and soldiers, not to mention a fleet. It was that fleet, and French soldiers, that eventually led to the victory at Yorktown. It was an alliance not without its difficulties; Newport was a disappointment, but Washington took it in stride and smoothed over the unpleasantness to keep the alliance alive.

All in all, American leaders involved in Vietnam would have been well-served to compare their respective positions in the later war to consider their probability of success there.