The common name for the "Vietnam War" or "Vietnam War" is the Second Indochina War, in which the main belligerents were the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the United States.
For reference: The First Indochina War - France's war for the preservation of its colonies in Indochina in 1946-1954.

The Vietnam War began around 1961 and ended on April 30, 1975. In Vietnam itself, this war is called the Liberation War, and sometimes American war. Often the Vietnam War is seen as the peak " cold war"between the Soviet bloc and China, on the one hand, and the United States with some of its allies, on the other. In America, the Vietnam War is considered the darkest spot in its history. In the history of Vietnam, this war is perhaps the most heroic and tragic page.
The Vietnam War was both a civil war between various political forces in Vietnam and an armed struggle against the American occupation.

Beginning of the Vietnam War

After 1955, France, as a colonial power, withdraws from Vietnam. Half of the country north of the 17th parallel, or the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, is controlled by the Communist Party of Vietnam, the southern half, or the Republic of Vietnam, by the United States of America, which governs it through puppet South Vietnamese governments.

In 1956, in accordance with the Geneva agreements on Vietnam, a referendum on the reunification of the country was to be held in the country, which further provided for the election of the president throughout Vietnam. However, South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem refused to hold a referendum in the South. Then Ho Chi Minh creates the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NLF) in the South, which starts a guerrilla war to overthrow Ngo Dinh Diem and hold general elections. The Americans called the NLF, as well as the government of the DRV, the Viet Cong. The word "Viet Cong" has Chinese roots (Viet Cong Shan) and is translated as "Vietnamese Communist". The United States provides assistance to South Vietnam and is increasingly drawn into the war. In the early 60s they introduce South Vietnam their contingents, increasing their numbers every year.

August 2, 1964 began new stage Vietnam War. On this day, the US Navy destroyer Maddox approached the coast of North Vietnam and was allegedly attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. So far, it is not clear whether there was an attack or not. On the part of the Americans, there was no evidence of damage to the aircraft carrier from attacks by Vietnamese boats.
As a response, US President L. Johnson ordered the American air force to strike at the naval facilities of North Vietnam. Then other objects of the DRV were also bombed. Thus the war spread to North Vietnam. From this period, the USSR joined the war in the form of military-technical assistance to the DRV.

The allies of the United States in the Vietnam War were the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN, that is, the Army of the Republic of VietNam), the contingents of Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. In the second half of the 60s, some South Korean units (for example, the Blue Dragon brigade) turned out to be the most cruel towards the local population.

On the other hand, only the North Vietnamese army of the VNA (Vietnamese People's Army) and the NLF fought. On the territory of North Vietnam were military specialists from Ho Chi Minh's allies - the USSR and China, who did not directly participate in the battles, with the exception of the defense of DRV facilities from US military air raids on initial stage war.

Chronicle

Local fighting between the NLF and the US Army happened every day. Major military operations involving a large number of personnel, armaments and military equipment, were the following.

In October 1965, the US Army launched a major offensive in South Vietnam against the NLF units. 200 thousand American soldiers, 500 thousand soldiers of the South Vietnamese army, 28 thousand soldiers of the US allies were involved. Supported by 2,300 aircraft and helicopters, 1,400 tanks and 1,200 guns, the offensive developed from the coast to the border with Laos and Cambodia and from Saigon to the Cambodian border. The Americans failed to defeat the main forces of the NLF and hold the territories captured during the offensive.
In the spring of 1966, the next major offensive began. Already 250 thousand American soldiers participated in it. This offensive also did not bring significant results.
The autumn offensive of 1966 was even more extensive and was carried out north of Saigon. It was attended by 410 thousand American, 500 thousand South Vietnamese and 54 thousand soldiers of the allied forces. They were supported by 430 aircraft and helicopters, 2300 large-caliber guns and 3300 tanks and armored personnel carriers. On the other hand, 160,000 NLF and 90,000 VNA soldiers opposed. No more than 70 thousand American soldiers and officers participated directly in the battles, since the rest served in the logistics units. The American army and its allies pushed part of the NLF forces to the border with Cambodia, but most of the Viet Cong managed to avoid defeat.
Similar offensives in 1967 did not lead to decisive results.
1968 was a turning point in the Vietnam War. In early 1968, the NLF conducted a short-term operation "Tet", capturing a number of important objects. Fighting even took place near the US embassy in Saigon. During this operation, the NLF forces suffered heavy losses and between 1969 and the end of 1971 switched to limited tactics. guerrilla war. In April 1968, in connection with the significant losses of American aircraft over North Vietnam, US President L. Johnson ordered a cessation of bombing, except for a 200-mile zone in the south of the DRV. President R. Nixon set a course for the "Vietnamization" of the war, that is, the gradual withdrawal of American units and a sharp increase in the combat capability of the South Vietnamese army.
On March 30, 1972, the VNA, with the support of the NLF, launched a large-scale offensive, occupying the capital of the Quang Tri province bordering North Vietnam. In response, the United States resumed massive bombing of North Vietnam. In September 1972, South Vietnamese troops managed to recapture Quang Tri. At the end of October, the bombing of North Vietnam was stopped, but resumed in December and continued for twelve days almost until the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in January 1973.

The ending

On January 27, 1973, the Paris Accords were signed on a ceasefire in Vietnam. In March 1973, the US finally withdrew its troops from South Vietnam, with the exception of 20,000 military advisers. America continued to provide the South Vietnamese government with huge military, economic and political assistance.

Vietnamese and Russian veterans of the Vietnam War

In April 1975, as a result of the lightning operation "Ho Chi Minh", North Vietnamese troops under the command of the legendary General Vo Nguyen Zap defeated the demoralized South Vietnamese army left without allies and captured all of South Vietnam.

In general, the assessment by the world community of the actions of the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) and the US Army in South Vietnam was sharply negative (ARVN surpassed the Americans in cruelty). In Western countries, including the United States, mass anti-war demonstrations were held. The American media in the 70s were no longer on the side of their government and often showed the futility of war. Many conscripts sought because of this to evade service and assignment to Vietnam.

Public protests to a certain extent influenced the position of President Nixon, who decided to withdraw troops from Vietnam, but the main factor was the military and political futility of the further continuation of the war. Nixon and Secretary of State Kissinger came to the conclusion that it was impossible to win the Vietnam War, but at the same time they “turned the arrows” on the Democratic Congress, which formally decided to withdraw troops.

Vietnam War figures

Total US combat losses - 47,378 people, non-combat - 10,799. Wounded - 153,303, missing - 2300.
Approximately 5,000 US Air Force planes were shot down.

The losses of the army of the puppet Republic of Vietnam (US ally) - 254 thousand people.
Combat losses of the Vietnamese People's Army and partisans of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam - more than 1 million 100 thousand people.
Losses of the civilian population of Vietnam - more than 3 million people.
14 million tons of explosives were blown up, which is several times more than during the Second World War in all theaters of operations.
The financial costs of the United States - 350 billion dollars (in the current equivalent - more than 1 trillion dollars).
Military and economic assistance to the DRV from China ranged from $14 billion to $21 billion, from the USSR - from $8 billion to $15 billion. There was also assistance from Eastern European countries, which at that time were part of the Soviet bloc.

Political and economic reasons

On the US side, the main stakeholder in the war was the US armaments corporations. Although the Vietnam War is considered local conflict, a lot of ammunition was used in it, for example, 14 million tons of explosives were blown up, which is several times more than during the Second World War in all theaters of operations. During the years of the Vietnam War, the profits of US military corporations amounted to many billions of dollars. It may seem paradoxical, but the US military corporations, in general, were not interested in a quick victory for the American army in Vietnam.
Indirect confirmation of the negative role of large US corporations in all politics are statements in 2007. one of the Republican presidential candidates, Ron Paul, who stated the following: “We are moving towards fascism, not of the Hitler type, but to a softer one, expressed in the loss of civil liberties, when everything is run by corporations and ... the government is in the same bed with big business” .
Ordinary Americans initially believed in the justice of America's participation in the war, seeing it as a fight for democracy. As a result, several million Vietnamese and 57 thousand Americans died, millions of hectares of land were scorched by American napalm.
The American administration explained the political need for US participation in the Vietnam War to the public of their country by the fact that there would supposedly be a “falling domino effect” and after the conquest of South Vietnam by Ho Chi Minh, all the countries of Southeast Asia would pass under the control of the communists one by one. Most likely, the US was planning a "reverse domino". So, they built a nuclear reactor in Dalat for the Ngo Dinh Diem regime to conduct research work, built capital military airfields, introduced their people into various political movements in countries neighboring Vietnam.
The USSR provided assistance to the DRV with weapons, fuel, military advisers, especially in the field of air defense, due to the fact that the confrontation with America was carried out totally, on all continents. Assistance to the DRV was also provided by China, which feared the strengthening of the United States near its southern borders. Despite the fact that the USSR and China at that time were almost enemies, Ho Chi Minh managed to get help from both of them, showing his political art. Ho Chi Minh and his entourage independently developed a strategy for waging war. Soviet specialists provided assistance only at the technical and educational levels.
There was no clear front in the Vietnam War: the South Vietnamese and the United States did not dare to attack North Vietnam, as this would cause the sending of Chinese military contingents to Vietnam, and the USSR would take other military measures against the United States. The DRV did not need a front, because the NLF controlled by the North actually surrounded the cities of South Vietnam and at one favorable moment could take them. Despite the guerrilla nature of the war, all types of weapons were used in it, except for nuclear weapons. The fighting took place on land, in the air and at sea. Military intelligence of both sides worked intensively, sabotage attacks were carried out, and landings were made. The ships of the US 7th Fleet controlled the entire coast of Vietnam and mined the fairways. A clear front also existed, but not for long - in 1975, when the DRV army launched an offensive to the South.

Direct hostilities between the military of the USA and the USSR in Vietnam

During the Vietnam War, there were separate episodes of direct clashes between the US and the USSR, as well as the deaths of civilians from the USSR. Here are some of them published in the Russian media in different time based on interviews with direct participants in hostilities.

The first battles in the skies of North Vietnam using surface-to-air missiles against US aircraft that bombed without declaring war were carried out by Soviet military specialists.

In 1966, the Pentagon, with the approval of the President of the United States and Congress, allowed the commanders of aircraft carrier strike groups (AUGs) to destroy Soviet submarines found within a radius of one hundred miles in peacetime. In 1968, the Soviet nuclear submarine K-10 in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam for 13 hours imperceptibly at a depth of 50 meters followed under the bottom of the aircraft carrier "Enterprise" and practiced conditional attacks on it with torpedoes and cruise missiles, being at risk of destruction. The Enterprise was the largest aircraft carrier in the US Navy and flew the most bombing missions from North Vietnam. The correspondent N. Cherkashin wrote about this episode of the war in detail in April 2007.

Electronic intelligence ships actively worked in the South China Sea during the war Pacific Fleet USSR. They had two incidents. In 1969, in the area south of Saigon, the Hydrophone ship was fired upon by South Vietnamese (US ally) patrol boats. There was a fire, part of the equipment was out of order.
In another episode, the Peleng ship was attacked by American bombers. Bombs were dropped on the bow and stern of the ship. There were no casualties or destruction.

On June 2, 1967, American planes fired at the port of Kamfa on the ship "Turkestan" of the Far Eastern Shipping Company, which was transporting various cargoes to North Vietnam. 7 people were injured, two of them died.
As a result of the competent actions of the Soviet representatives merchant fleet in Vietnam and employees of the Foreign Ministry, the Americans were proven guilty of the death of civilians. The US government has awarded the families of the dead sailors a lifetime benefit payment.
There were cases of damage to other merchant ships.

Effects

The greatest damage in this war was suffered by the civilian population of Vietnam, both its southern and northern parts. South Vietnam was flooded with American defoliants; in northern Vietnam, as a result of many years of bombing by American aircraft, many residents were killed and infrastructure was destroyed.

After the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, many American veterans subsequently suffered mental disorders and various kinds of diseases caused by the use of dioxin contained in "agent orange". The American media wrote about an increased percentage of suicides among Vietnam War veterans in relation to the US average. But official data on this subject was not published.
Representatives of the American political elite fought in Vietnam: former Secretary of State John Kerry, many senators at different times, including John McCain, presidential candidate Al Gore. At the same time, shortly after returning from Vietnam to the United States, Kerry participated in the anti-war movement.
One of the former presidents, George W. Bush, escaped Vietnam as he served in the National Guard at the time. His campaign opponents portrayed this as a way of evading duty. However, given fact biographies rather indirectly served him well. Some American political scientists have concluded that any participant in the Vietnam War, regardless of his qualities, has no chance of becoming president - the voter's negative image of this war has become so entrenched.

Since the end of the war, quite a lot of films, books and others have been created based on it. works of art most are in America.

Against the background of numerous US wars of the last decade, the war in Vietnam lost to Washington is gradually fading into the shadows. However, it is a vivid example of how national identity and patriotism can defeat any enemy, even armed with modern weapons.

The Vietnam War was the longest military conflict in modern history. military history. The conflict lasted about 20 years: from November 1, 1955 to the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975.

The most characteristic picture of the Vietnam War

In 1940, US President Franklin Roosevelt officially announced his country's assistance to Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Minh movement. In the documents they were called "patriots", "nationalists", "freedom fighters" and "allies".

Roosevelt and Ho Chi Minh
[Wikipedia]

58,200 Americans died in the clashes and another 304,000 were injured. In total, approximately 2.5 million military personnel passed through Vietnam. Thus, every tenth was killed or injured. About two-thirds of the US military during the war were volunteers. The most bloody for the Americans was May 1968 - then 2415 people died.

Moments of War

The average age of a dead American soldier was 23 years 11 months. 11,465 dead were under the age of 20, and 5 died before reaching the age of 16! The oldest person to die in the war was a 62-year-old American.

War is for the young...
[http://www.warhistoryonline.com/]

Civilian casualties are unknown to date - it is believed that about 5 million died, more in the North than in the South. In addition, the losses of the civilian population of Cambodia and Laos are not taken into account anywhere - apparently, here they also number in the thousands.

Footage of war crimes

From 1957 to 1973, about 37,000 South Vietnamese were shot by Viet Cong guerrillas for collaborating with the Americans, most of whom were petty civil servants.

A typical picture of Vietnamese cities...

On average, an American soldier in Vietnam fought 240 days a year! For comparison, an American soldier during the Second World War on pacific ocean fought an average of 40 days in 4 years.

Military operation in the jungle

As of January 2004, 1,875 American soldiers were considered missing in Vietnam. As of August 1995, there were 1,713,823 Vietnam War veterans in the United States. Only 0.5 percent of Vietnam War veterans ended up in prison after it ended, and their suicide rate was 1.7 percent above the average.

Downed American pilot

The United States used Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, banned for military use in Geneva in 1925. As a result, at least 400,000 Vietnamese died. The traditional explanation for this fact is that it is used exclusively against vegetation.

Spraying defoliants over the jungle.
[Wikipedia]

On March 16, 1968, American soldiers completely destroyed a Vietnamese village, killing 504 innocent men, women, and children. For this war crime, only one person was convicted, who three days later was "pardoned" by the personal decree of Richard Nixon.

Destroyed Vietnamese village

The war that went on with a short break in Indochina, primarily in Vietnam, in 1946-1975, became not only the longest, but also the most amazing military conflict of the second half of the 20th century. An economically weak, backward semi-colonial country managed to defeat first France, and then an entire coalition led by the most economically developed state in the world - the United States.

War for independence

French colonial rule in Indochina collapsed during World War II when Japan took over the region. After the defeat of Japan in the war, France tried to regain its former colony. But it turned out that it is not so simple. The Vietnamese fought for independence against the Japanese and now for the most part did not want to return to submission to the former colonialists.

After the surrender of Japan, the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, was occupied by partisans of the Vietnam Independence League (Viet Minh), created by the communists. On September 2, 1945, the leader of the Viet Minh and the Communist Party, Ho Chi Minh, proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV). In other countries of Indochina - Laos and Cambodia - the movement for independence also intensified.

On September 23, French troops landed in Saigon, in southern Vietnam. By the beginning of 1946, France had sent troops to all major Vietnamese cities. The French government proposed to the leaders of the national movements that the colonial empire be transformed into a French Union, where the colonies would enjoy autonomy but no sovereignty. Ho Chi Minh did not agree with this plan, and negotiations dragged on.

In November 1946, armed clashes began between the colonialists and the forces of the DRV. Detachments of the Viet Minh were driven out of the cities. But the French could not defeat the Viet Minh. But against 50-60 thousand partisans, they concentrated more than 100 thousand soldiers, not counting the militia of both sides (part of the local population served on the side of the French). The attempts of the French to go deep into the jungle, which occupied 80% of the country's territory, ended in defeat. The Vietnamese knew the area well, they tolerated the humid, stuffy and hot climate of their country better. The French landed troops among the forests, hoping to capture the leaders of the rebels, but to no avail.

In 1949, the colonialists were forced to accept the independence of Vietnam and formally transferred power to a representative of the local dynasty and their Catholic supporters. But this did not help to cope with the communists.

The landing of American soldiers in South Vietnam. June 1965

In 1950, with the support of China, Vietnamese troops under the command of Vo Nguyen Giap launched a counteroffensive. One by one, they smashed the French garrisons, despite the fact that the French were commanded by the illustrious General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny. He had to concentrate his forces around Hanoi and fight off blows from all sides. Now, under the command of Giap, there were more than 100 thousand fighters. Allied with the communists and nationalists of Laos, the Vietnamese communists expanded the theater of operations to Laos. In order to divert the Vietnamese from the onslaught on Hanoi and cut off their ties with Laos, the French created the Dien Bien Phu fortress in the rear, near the border with Laos, which was supposed to tie down the communications of the Viet Minh. But Giap besieged and took Dien Bien Phu.

After the defeat at Dien Bien Phu, the French had no choice but to leave Indochina. In July 1954, the Geneva Accords were concluded, according to which Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia gained independence. In Vietnam, general elections were to be held, but for now it was divided between the DRV and the imperial government along the 17th parallel. The conflict between the communists and their opponents in Vietnam continued.

US intervention

After the liberation of Vietnam from French colonial rule, the country was divided into the north, where the DRV existed, and the south, where the Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed in 1955. The United States began to provide increasing assistance to the south in order to stop the "expansion of the communists." But the countries of Indochina were poor, and it seemed to millions of peasants that the communists were offering a way out of poverty.

The communists of the DRV arranged for the dispatch of weapons and volunteers to the south along the path laid in the jungle through Taos and Cambodia. This road was called the Ho Chi Minh trail. The monarchies of Laos and Cambodia were unable to resist the actions of the communists. The provinces of these countries adjacent to Vietnam, along which the "path" passed, were captured by the allies of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam - the Patriotic Front of Laos, led by Prince Souphanouvong, and the army of the Khmer Rouge (Cambodians) led by Salot Sar (Pol Pot).

In 1959, the communists launched an uprising in southern Vietnam. The peasants of the south, for the most part, supported the partisans or were afraid of them. Formally, the uprising was led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, but in reality the command in the south was carried out from the DRV. Washington decided that a communist victory in Indochina could lead to the West losing control over Southeast Asia. Under these conditions, American strategists decided on direct military intervention.

As a pretext for a large-scale invasion, the United States used the shelling by the Vietnamese of American ships dangerously approaching the Vietnamese coast in the Gulf of Tonkin. In response, the US Congress adopted the Tonkin Resolution in August 1964, allowing President Lyndon Johnson to use any military means in Vietnam. Massive bombardments of the DRV began in 1965, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians. So that no one could escape, the Americans poured burning napalm on the Vietnamese land, which burned out all life, since it could not actually be extinguished. Johnson, he said, sought to "bomb Vietnam in stone Age". More than half a million American soldiers landed in South Vietnam. Small contingents were sent by Australia, South Korea and other US allies. This war became one of the main armed conflicts of the Cold War - the confrontation between the capitalist West and the state-socialist East.

When planning the defeat of the communists, American strategists counted on helicopters. With their help, the soldiers were supposed to quickly appear in those areas of the jungle where communist activity was noted. But the helicopters were easily shot down from grenade launchers that the Vietnamese communists received from the USSR and China. The Americans and their South Vietnamese allies dealt blow after blow against the guerrillas and yet could not conquer the jungle. Supporters of Ho Chi Minh passed along the trail named after him and could penetrate through Laos and Cambodia to any area of ​​South Vietnam, stretched from north to south. The communists killed not only soldiers, but also thousands of civilians who collaborated with the South Vietnamese regime. Soon the Americans had to switch to the defense of their bases, limiting themselves to combing and bombing the jungle. American aircraft watered the jungle chemicals, from which the vegetation covering the partisans dried up, people and animals were sick and dying. However, this ecological war did not help. In January 1968, Vietnamese communist troops under the command of Giap launched an offensive during the Tet holiday.

The coming of the Tet holiday

Vietnamese celebrate New Year in late January - early February (Tet holiday). By this date, the leaders of the Communists timed a general uprising against the United States and its allies.

Americans in North Vietnam. Winter 1965/66

On January 30, 1968, Giap planned to launch a simultaneous attack on dozens of points in South Vietnam - from American bases to large cities. According to Ho Chi Minh, the population should have joined the partisan columns. But by January 30, not all of Giap's forces managed to reach the planned lines of attack, and he postponed the strike for a day.

However, this news did not reach all the columns, so on January 30 the Americans were attacked in several places. The surprise factor was lost, the Americans and the Saigon soldiers prepared for defense. But they did not expect the scale of Giap's offensive. The partisans managed to quietly concentrate in an area of ​​​​more than 50 points, so that the Americans did not know about it. The local population reported nothing to the Saigon authorities. Especially dangerous for the Americans were attacks on Saigon and Hue, which was taken by partisans. Fighting in Saigon continued for more than a month. Already in the first days of the fighting, it became clear that the population was not ready for an uprising. The Vietnamese did not like the American occupation, but most of the inhabitants were not going to shed blood for the communists either. Especially on a holiday, when people intended to relax and have fun. After Giap realized that there would be no uprising, he withdrew most of his columns. Nevertheless, the Tet offensive showed that the Americans and their allies did not control South Vietnam, and the Communists felt at home here. This was a moral turning point in the war.

The United States was convinced that it could not defeat communism through direct military intervention.

After American casualties in Indochina ran into the tens of thousands, the popularity of this war in the United States began to decline rapidly. In America, anti-war sentiments intensified, anti-war rallies were held, often degenerating into massacres between students and the police.

In March 1968, a landmark event took place in the Vietnam War: the company of Lieutenant William Kelly killed almost all the inhabitants of the Vietnamese village of Song My, including women and children. This massacre caused a new explosion of indignation in the United States. More and more Americans believed that their army was no better than the Nazis.

America's Lost World

Due to the sharp deterioration of Soviet-Chinese relations in the late 60s. The DRV began to experience difficulties in supplying from the "socialist camp". US President Richard Nixon ordered to mine the ports of the DRV, even at the risk that Soviet ships could be blown up by these mines. The conflict in Vietnam would turn into a global one. Then the Vietnamese sailors began to clear the bay of the port of Haiphong, "driving" along it on boats. Mines exploded - if lucky, then behind the boat. But not everyone was lucky. However, the comrades of the dead again and again went to these dangerous "races". As a result, the fairway of the bay was cleared of mines.

In 1970-1971. The Americans repeatedly invaded Laos and Cambodia, destroying bases along the Ho Chi Minh trail. At the same time, a policy of "Vietnamization of the war" was pursued - under the guidance of American instructors, a more combat-ready army of Saigon was created (as the regime of South Vietnam was called after the name of its capital). Saigon soldiers bore the brunt of the war. But this army could only fight with the constant help of the United States.

A military photographer captured the tragedy of American soldiers. During the retreat in the jungle, death awaits on all sides

In 1972, communist troops launched a new offensive against South Vietnam from Laos and Cambodia. In response, the United States undertook a massive bombardment of the DRV and the Ho Chi Minh trail. However, they again did not reach a turning point in their favor. It became clear that the war was at an impasse.

In January 1973, the Paris Agreement was signed between the USA, the DRV and South Vietnam, according to which America and North Vietnam withdrew their troops from South Vietnam. The DRV promised not to send weapons and volunteers to South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. These countries had to pass free elections. But after the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, the US sharply cut aid to the allied regimes in Indochina. In the spring of 1975, the local communists, who, despite the agreements, continued to receive a lot of help from the USSR, China and the DRV, went on the offensive in Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam. In March, the South Vietnamese army was defeated, and on April 30, 1975, the communists entered Saigon, which was soon renamed Ho Chi Minh City (the leader of the Vietnamese communists died in 1969). In April, the communists won in Cambodia and Laos. In 1976, the united Socialist Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed.

American soldiers in Vietnam left behind many victims

Former US President Nixon said that America won the Vietnam War but "lost the peace." Indeed, the US lost the fight after the Paris Accords. But they didn't win the war either. It was won by the Vietnamese people, who were striving for unification and social justice. The US defeat in Vietnam was America's biggest setback during the Cold War.

Major events and phases of the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was the largest conflict of the second half of the twentieth century. Under the Vietnam War is usually meant an armed clash with the United States. But this is only part of the conflict. There are three main stages in this war: the civil war in South Vietnam, the entry of the United States into the war, and the final stage. All these events took place between 1957 and 1975. They are called the Second Indochina War. The conflict began as a civil strife in South Vietnam, which then became involved in North Vietnam. At a certain point, the Vietnam War escalated into a confrontation between the Western SEATO bloc (who were on the side of the southerners) and the Soviet Union with China (who helped the northerners). The Vietnam conflict affected neighboring Cambodia and Laos, where there were also civil wars. If you are interested in what time the Vietnam War was and who participated in it, we advise you to read this material.

Without considering the events leading up to the Vietnam War, it is impossible to give a complete picture of what happened. Therefore, first, let us recall what preceded this armed conflict. To do this, let's go back to the end of World War II.

France colonized Vietnam in the second half of the 19th century. There was a constant struggle with the colonialists in the country, and there was an underground. The confrontation escalated at the beginning of the 20th century after the First World War. As a result, by 1941, the League for the Independence of Vietnam arose. It was a military-political organization that united under its banner all those who fought against the French colonialists. She was also called the Viet Minh. Key positions in this organization were occupied by communists and supporters of Ho Chi Minh.

During the Second World War, the United States provided comprehensive assistance to Vietnam in the war with Japan. After Japan surrendered, the Independence League occupied Hanoi and other big cities Vietnam. As a result, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed. The French authorities did not agree with this and sent an expeditionary force into Vietnam in December 1946. Thus began the colonial war. It went down in history as the First Indochina War.

The French could not cope with the partisans alone, and then the United States began to help them. For them, this region was important in terms of protecting the Philippines and the Japanese islands from the southwest. Therefore, they decided to help their allies, the French, get control of Vietnam.

The war lasted from 1950 to 1954 and ended with the defeat of the French troops at Dien Bien Phu. At this point, the United States provided more than 80 percent of the costs of this war. Richard Nixon (then Vice President of the United States) advocated the use of tactical nuclear weapons. However, in July 1954 a peace agreement was reached in Geneva. In accordance with it, Vietnam was divided into North and South along the seventeenth parallel. passed under the rule of France, which granted him independence. True, only on paper. In reality, American puppets were in power there. After some time, a sluggish civil war began in the country.

In 1960, presidential elections were held in the United States. The "red threat" was actively used in the election campaign. In China, a course was adopted to develop the communist model. Therefore, the US watched the expansion of the communist regime in Indochina very nervously. They could not establish communist rule here. And for this reason they take the place of France.

The first president of the Republic of Vietnam was Ngo Dinh Diem, who, with the help of the Americans, came to this position. The rule of this man can be described as the worst form of tyranny and corrupt power. Key positions were occupied by relatives of Ngo Dinh Diem, who organized a terrible outrage. Opponents of the regime languished in prisons, there was no freedom of the press and speech. The US leadership turned a blind eye to this so as not to lose an ally.

Under such rule and the discontent of the population in South Vietnam, resistance units began to appear, which initially were not even supported by the northerners. But in the USA they convinced themselves that the communists were to blame for everything and began to tighten the screws. This pressure only led to the fact that by the end of 1960, underground groups in South Vietnam united into a single organization called the National Liberation Front. In the west, this organization was called the Viet Cong.

From that time on, the North Vietnamese authorities also established constant assistance to the guerrillas. In response, the Americans increased technical assistance and advisory support. At the end of 1961, the first units of the US Army appeared in South Vietnam. These were several helicopter companies to make the troops of the southerners more mobile. US advisers began to train the troops of the southerners more seriously. In addition, they planned military operations.

All the actions of the White House administration were aimed at demonstrating their determination to fight the "communist infection" in Indochina. Gradually, this confrontation grew into a "hot" spot for the United States, and Vietnam became the scene of a clash of superpowers. After all, behind the back of North Vietnam stood the USSR and China. The United States lost control over South Vietnam and lost Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. This put even Australia at risk.

The Americans realized that their protege Diem could not cope with the partisans, they staged a coup with the help of generals from his entourage. Ngo Dinh Diem was killed on November 2, 1963, along with his brother. After that, a period of struggle for power began and a series of coups followed. As a result, the partisan movement strengthened its position. At the same time, Kennedy was assassinated in the United States and Lyndon Johnson replaced him in this post. He first sent additional troops to Vietnam. In 1959, the Americans had 760 troops in South Vietnam, and by 1964 their number had increased to 23,300 there. That is, they were gradually drawn into the conflict. And a direct confrontation between American troops and North Vietnam was only a matter of time.

How did the US get into the Vietnam War?

On August 2, 1964, the first "Tonkin Incident" took place. In the bay of the same name, the American destroyers Turner Joy and Maddox engaged North Vietnamese torpedo boats. After 2 days, the destroyer Maddox received a message about repeated shelling from the enemy. But the alarm was false and this was confirmed from the ship after a while. But intelligence officials reported that they had intercepted messages from the North Vietnamese confirming this attack.

The vote in the US Congress was unanimous for the right to respond by all available means. Thus, the Tonkin Resolution was adopted and the full-scale war in Vietnam began. President Johnson ordered air strikes against Northern naval bases. The operation was named Pierce Arrow. An interesting fact here is that the decision to launch a military operation was enthusiastically accepted only by the civilian leadership of the United States. The Pentagon generals were not at all happy with this decision.

Already in our time there have been studies of historians about that episode. In particular, Matthew Aid, who deals with the history of the NSA (the agency national security). This special service is engaged in electronic intelligence and counterintelligence in the United States. He came to the conclusion that intelligence reports about the incident in the Gulf of Tonkin were forged. He came to this conclusion based on a report by Robert Heynock (NSA historian). It was declassified in 2001. According to this document, officers of the National Security Agency made a mistake in translating radio intercepts. Higher officials revealed this error, but covered it up. As a result, everything was presented in such a way that an attack was actually made on an American destroyer. The country's leadership used this data to launch a military operation.

At the same time, historians are not inclined to think that President Johnson wanted the war. It's just that the data has been falsified in such a way that North Vietnam is deliberately escalating the situation. But there are many who think the opposite. They believe that it was the US leadership that was looking for a pretext for war, and they would have come up with it anyway without the events in the Gulf of Tonkin.

At the height of the Vietnam War, the United States presidential elections(1969). Future President Richard Nixon won because he advocated ending the Vietnam War and claimed he had a clear plan to do so. But this was a lie, and after coming to the White House, Nixon began carpet bombing Vietnam. In 1970, US ships and bombers fired more shells and dropped more bombs than in all the years of the war. At the same time, strategic bombers were actively used.

In reality, the Vietnam War had only one beneficiary - the American military corporations that produce weapons and ammunition. During the Vietnam War, about 14 million tons of explosives were used. This number exceeds what was used in the Second world war on all fronts. Powerful aerial bombs, as well as those prohibited by various conventions, were compared to the ground at home. Napalm and phosphorus were actively used to burn the jungle.

Another bloody crime of the US Army is the use of dioxin. This is the strongest poison. In total, during the Vietnam War, he was dropped to 400 kg. For comparison, 100 grams of this substance in the water supply system of a large metropolis will kill the entire city. This poison still causes the birth of children with disabilities in Vietnam. Military corporations well "warmed their hands" in this war. This is the only force that was not interested in victory or defeat. They needed the war to last as long as possible.

Vietnam War 1965─1974 Chronology

In this section, we will review the main stages and key events of the Vietnam War.

On August 5, 1964, the ships of the Seventh Fleet and the US Air Force began shelling and bombing the territory of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In the next few days, Congress passed the "Tonkin Resolution", authorizing military action. Lyndon Johnson received the right to use the armed forces in Vietnam.

American generals planned to isolate freedom movement in South Vietnam from the northern part of the country, as well as along the border with Cambodia and Laos. After that, it was planned to inflict a final defeat on them. An air war plan was developed against North Vietnam. In accordance with the developed plan, on February 7, 1965, the US Air Force launched Operation Flaming Dart, which involved the destruction of industry and military installations of the DRV.

On March 2, 1965, the bombing of North Vietnamese targets became systematic. They were part of Operation Rolling Thunder. Around the same time, several thousand marines landed in the city of Da Nang. Three years later, the US military group had more than half a million people and a lot of military equipment. According to various estimates, a third of the entire ground equipment and helicopters of the US Army, about 40 percent of tactical aviation, 10-15 percent of aircraft carrier formations and more than 60 percent of the Marine Corps.

In February 1966, a conference of members of the SEATO bloc was held, at which it was decided to send a contingent to Vietnam from the following countries:

• South Korea;
• Thailand;
• Australia;
• Philippines;
• New Zealand.

The number of troops sent by these countries ranged from several hundred to several tens of thousands.

PRC and Soviet Union provided economic and technical support to the government of North Vietnam. Assistance was also provided by military specialists and instructors. In particular, during the first few years of the conflict, the DRV received assistance from the USSR in the amount of more than three hundred million rubles. Weapons, technical means, and ammunition were supplied to North Vietnam. Experts from the USSR taught local fighters deal with military equipment.

The first major ground offensive by the armies of the United States and South Vietnam was undertaken in 1965-1666. to capture the cities of Kontum and Pleiku. The goal was to dissect the Viet Cong detachments, squeezing them to the borders of Cambodia and Laos, followed by destruction. The total grouping of troops used for this operation had a strength of 650 thousand people. The Americans used the entire arsenal of their means, including biological and chemical weapons, as well as napalm. But the forces of the Liberation Front of South Vietnam managed to disrupt this operation thanks to an offensive near Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City).

During the dry season 1966-1967. The US Army organized the second major operation. By this point in the Vietnam War, a situation had developed when the guerrillas constantly left the blows, maneuvered and delivered unexpected blows to the enemy. At the same time, tunnels, fighting at night, and hidden shelters were used. The supply of partisans in South Vietnam was carried out with the help of. As a result, with a total strength of 1.2-1.3 million people, the coalition of the American and South Vietnamese army was on the defensive.

In early 1968, Viet Cong forces launched a major offensive. It went down in history as Operation Tet. This is the New Year celebrated in Asian countries. The number of attackers was ten infantry divisions, many separate regiments, battalions, companies of the regular army, as well as partisan detachments. The total number of these units reached three hundred thousand people. Taking into account the local population, which also took part, the attacking forces were approaching a million fighters.

And the partisans attacked more than forty major cities in the south of the country. Among them was the capital, Saigon. 30 major airfields and air bases were attacked. The offensive went on for 45 days. The result for the American coalition was the loss of:

• 150 thousand fighters;
• More than 2 thousand helicopters and planes;
• More than 5 thousand units of military equipment;
• About two hundred ships.

In parallel with these events, the US Army waged an "air war" against the DRV. About a thousand aircraft were involved in carpet bombing. Between 1964 and 1973 they flew over 2 million sorties and dropped about 8 million bombs. However, here the Americans miscalculated. The leadership of North Vietnam evacuated the population from large cities to mountain shelters and jungles. The USSR supplied and helped develop supersonic fighters, air defense systems and radio equipment. As a result, the Vietnamese managed to destroy about 4,000 US Air Force aircraft during the entire conflict.

In mid-1969, the Republic of South Vietnam was proclaimed at the Congress of People's Representatives of South Vietnam, and partisan detachments converted to Folk armed forces(NVSO SE). This outcome of the hostilities forced the United States to negotiate peace and stop the bombing. The American leadership began to gradually reduce their participation in the Vietnam War. By the beginning of 1971, more than 200,000 troops were withdrawn from South Vietnam. The Saigon army was increased to 1,100,000 men. In addition, they were given almost all the heavy weapons of the withdrawn army units.

In early 1973, the Paris Agreement was signed to end the Vietnam War. According to this document, the United States had to completely withdraw its troops and military personnel, remove their bases. A full exchange of prisoners of war was also envisaged. This ends the second phase of the Vietnam War, when the United States took an active part in the hostilities. Thereafter Vietnam War entered the final stage.

After the Paris Agreement was concluded in 1973, the Americans left more than 10,000 advisers in Saigon. In addition, they provided them with financial support, which for 1974-1975. was about $4 billion.

In 1973-1974, the Liberation Front intensified the fighting. The troops of the army of South Vietnam were seriously damaged. By the spring of 1975, the southerners had forces only for the defense of Saigon. It all ended in April 1975, when Operation Ho Chi Minh was carried out. Without the support of the Americans, the South Vietnamese army finally lost its combat effectiveness and was defeated. It was the end of the Vietnam War. In 1976 North and South Vietnam were merged into single state ─ Socialist Republic Vietnam.

The Vietnam War was one of the largest military conflicts in military history. Today there are a lot of polar opinions about it. In our review, there are several facts about the Vietnam War that will allow you to learn about the unknown sides of that terrible war.

1 The CIA Hired Hmong During The Secret War

In 1965, the CIA, with the help of Air America (which it secretly owned), began the operation that would become known as the "Secret War". By 1961, 9,000 Hmong guerrillas in Laos had been recruited. During the Vietnam War, Laos was neutral, but the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) had a strong influence in that country. In 1965, the number of Hmong partisans increased to 20,000 and then the true cause of the "Secret War" was revealed.

The Hmong were to destroy NVA supply depots, ambush cargo convoys, disrupt supply lines, and generally cause any possible damage to the NVA. When America began withdrawing troops from Vietnam, Air America was forced to leave Laos. On June 3, 1974, the airline's last plane left Laos, leaving the Hmong to fend for themselves.

Shortly after the Lao government began arresting the Hmong for their collaboration with the CIA, many guerrillas fled to the jungle, where they have lived since the end of the Vietnam War. Many of these Hmong guerrillas still hope today that the US will one day come to rescue them from the jungle.

2. Most of the soldiers were volunteers

According to official figures, three-quarters of all American soldiers volunteered for the army. More specifically, during the entire war, 9,087,000 people served in the army, and only 1,728,344 of them were called up. This is a very low number of conscripts compared to other wars. For example, during World War II, 8,895,135 Americans were drafted into the army, which was two-thirds of total all Americans involved in the war.

3. Unfair call

Another controversial issue regarding the war is social inequality in conscription. It was rumored in America that racial and social status of people. But 88.4 percent of the men who served in the Vietnam War are Caucasians. So, the myth that racial minorities were "cannon fodder" is simply not true. 79 percent of military personnel received higher education, and the wealth of three-quarters of all soldiers was above the poverty line, which refutes the theory of social inequality.

4. Payments to spies

The South Vietnamese spies were very important to the United States, but their work was dangerous. The problem with recruiting these spies was that many of them lived in communities where money simply didn't exist and where barter was accepted. This led to the use of rice and other goods as payment. This scheme worked for some time, after which it turned out that the "agents" did not need more rice, and they did not need other goods.

The decision was made to provide the spies with Sears catalogs from which they could choose the goods they would be paid with. The first order was for six red velvet blazers with copper buttons, each paid for 20 days' work. The spies also ordered other items of clothing, such as bras, especially large sizes that they used to... harvest fruit.

5. Age of soldiers

The Vietnam War caused numerous protests in American society also because young people were dying. And it was true: the average age of a soldier is 22 years old, and that of an officer is 28 years old. And the oldest person to die in Vietnam was 63-year-old Kenna Clyde Taylor.

6. Super glue

War is always death and terrible wounds. And today it seems incredible that wounded American soldiers used superglue to get a chance at salvation. The wound, filled with glue, provided invaluable time for the soldiers to get to the medical unit and wait for the operation.

7. Life after the war

At one time, it was much said that in the United States, society treated Vietnam veterans very negatively after they returned home. Allegedly, crowds of protesters met the soldiers at the airport. But in most cases, none of this happened.

8. Seeding Clouds

The United States Army did not hesitate to use sabotage and sabotage to their advantage. One of the most interesting ways that the Americans used against the North Vietnamese army was Operation Popeye. As part of this operation, the Americans conducted 50 sorties of aircraft, during which silver iodide was dispersed in rain clouds, which led to heavy precipitation in 82 percent of cases. These rains were supposed to stop the military advance of the Vietnamese in certain areas. It was also supposed, by changing the weather, to flood specific areas, causing damage to crops, which should have left the Vietnamese army without provisions.

9. US Allies in the Vietnam War

Usually, when it comes to the Vietnam War, they mostly talk about the Americans. Although the United States had the largest number of soldiers in Vietnam, it also had troops from South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand fighting on its side. South Korea alone sent 312,853 troops to Vietnam between September 1963 and April 1975.

South Korean soldiers killed 41,000 North Vietnamese soldiers and 5,000 civilians. At the same time, only 4,687 South Koreans were killed during the war. 60,000 troops came from Australia and 3,000 from New Zealand.

10. Death card

It is likely that, thanks to Hollywood films, many have begun to associate Vietnam with the ace of spades. At the same time, many do not have the slightest idea about the true history of this famous symbol. The ace of spades was left on the bodies of dead soldiers as a warning. The Vietnamese were very superstitious people, and when the American troops found themselves intimidated by maps, the practice became widespread.

Fortunately, many years have passed since that terrible time, and Vietnam has turned into a flourishing and active developing country. One of the attractions that attract the attention of tourists is. He is really wonderful.