Vietnam war
November 1, 1955- April 30, 1975
About
The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, was a major conflict during the Cold War that was fought in South and North Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The main sides were the anti-communist forces Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and the United States of America against the pro-communist forces of the People's Army of Vietnam (PVA), also known as the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NLF), also known as the Viet Kong. More anti-communist forces and supporters included South Korea, Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. Pro-communist forces included Khmer Rouge, Pathet Lao, China, the Soviet Union, North Korea, and Cuba. The North Vietnamese and the Viet Kong were fighting to unify Vietnam under communist rule, while South Vietnam and eventually the United States fought to prevent the spread of communism into southeast Asia. The conflict had been started after the North Vietnamese defeated the French in 1954, and tried to model their country after the Soviet Union and China. United States military units were activated in 1965 and by 1969, the U.S. had 500,000 troops stationed in Vietnam. By the time the U.S. had full intervention, the Soviets and Chinese were also fully supporting the communist efforts with supplies, weapons, and military leaders and advisers. The cost of the war, in terms of monetary and in terms of personnel, was getting very high for the U.S. and in 1973, the combat units were pulled from Vietnam. In 1975, South Vietnam fell to the full invasion from the North.
|
Result
After the fall of the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon on April 30, 1975, the North Vietnamese and pro-communist forces claimed victory. Their victory led to full withdrawal of the United States in Indochina, communist governments in South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. South Vietnam was then annexed by the North into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Analysis and Impact
The Vietnam War represents the fight between communism and capitolism, the fight of the Cold War. Basically, the Vietnam War was a microcosm of the Cold War during that time period. It was the desire to spread communism versus the desire to stop it. This is because the North Vietnamese wanted to follow in the footsteps of the Soviet Union and China, and South Vietnam wanted to Westernize. The impact of the war was mostly devastating, the total casualties, including civilians and wounded is around six million people. The landscape of where the fighting took place was annihilated, and the infrastructure of both North and South Vietnam was destroyed. The war was a victory for communism, and a blow to the United States in the Cold War. The spread of communism further into South Asia was a major defeat for the U.S.
|
Additional Info
Vietnam War statistics for world/U.S.
|