South Vietnamese battalion commander Captain Thach Quyen threatens violence against a captured North Vietnamese soldier in the Mekong Delta (1965)
Fifty years ago in March 1965, 3,500 US Marines landed in South Vietnam. These were the first American combat units in the place of a military conflict that stretched for a decade. Beginning in 1950, the people of North Vietnam (with the support of the Soviet Union and China) began to actively fight against the authorities of South Vietnam (which were supported by the United States). But if the USSR and China for the entire period of this time were limited to providing military-technical assistance to their ally, then the United States, in its desire to assert its world leadership at all costs, began to send its advisers to Vietnam, and then its troops. So by the end of the first year of the invasion of Vietnamese soil, 185,000 American troops were transferred there, and in 1968 their number reached 500,000.
But despite the presence there a large number its troops and the South Vietnamese troops supporting them, the United States faced stubborn resistance from both the North Vietnamese army and the partisan detachments supporting it. Each of the warring parties has suffered huge losses over the years. But the civilian population suffered the greatest losses during the war. According to various estimates, they ranged from 1.5 to 3.6 million people killed. But despite such losses, the Vietnamese people managed to survive in this war and force the United States to get out of its territory.
An American military instructor poses with a group of locals outside a training camp in Central Vietnam (November 17, 1962)
A Buddhist monk burns himself on a Saigon street to protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government on June 11, 1963.
South Vietnamese paratroopers, escorted by 12 US special forces, land from helicopters to carry out a surprise raid on a North Vietnamese army supply base 62 km northwest of Saigon (August 6, 1963)
A mortally wounded North Vietnamese guerrilla walks past as South Vietnamese marines search for insurgent forces in the Mekong Delta (February 27, 1964)
South Vietnamese Marines parachute from American helicopters in rice fields during operations against North Vietnamese guerrillas in the Mekong Delta (December 1964)
An American attack aircraft Douglas A-1 Skyraider drops napalm bombs on the positions of North Vietnamese troops (December 26, 1964)
U.S. Army helicopters pour machine-gun fire into a line of forest to assist in attacking South Vietnamese troops during their attack on a North Vietnamese force camp 25 kilometers from the Cambodian border (March 1965)
A South Vietnamese Marine comforts his comrade, who was badly wounded by North Vietnamese guerrillas while searching for them in sugar cane fields 12 km from Saigon (August 5, 1963)
South Vietnamese military interrogators conduct an interrogation with prejudice of a captured North Vietnamese guerrilla (March 28, 1965)
The wounded lie on the street after the bombing outside the US Embassy in Saigon (March 30, 1965). As a result of the incident, 2 Americans and several Vietnamese were killed.
General William Westmoreland visiting the positions of the 1st Battalion, 16th Regiment, 2nd Brigade, US 1st Division near Bien Hoa (1965)
An American B-52 strategic bomber drops bombs on the positions of North Vietnamese troops 56 km northwest of Saigon (November 2, 1965)
Killed and wounded soldiers of one of the battalions of the American 1st Cavalry Division, who unexpectedly came under fire from guerrillas during a night search in the Ya Drang valley (November 18, 1965)
North Vietnamese Army soldier taken prisoner (undated)
A U.S. Marine who recently arrived in South Vietnam covered in sweat while searching for North Vietnamese guerrillas near Da Nang Air Base (April 29, 1965)
Vietnamese civilians crossing a destroyed bridge in Hue City (undated)
Exhausted civilians who crawled out of their underground shelters after two days of bombardment and heavy fighting in the vicinity of the city of Dong Xoai (June 6, 1965)
Four American military transport aircraft Fairchild C-123 Provider are spraying liquid defoliant (chemicals to destroy vegetation and all living things) over the positions of North Vietnamese troops (September 1965)
A South Vietnamese Marine wearing a special bandage among the decomposing corpses of American and Vietnamese soldiers who died during the fighting on the Michelin rubber plantation, 70 km northeast of Saigon (November 27, 1965)
Vietnamese women and children hide from artillery fire in an overgrown canal 30 km west of Saigon (January 1, 1966)
American soldier Rick Holmes of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in combat position (January 3, 1966)
An American attack aircraft Douglas A-1 Skyraider drops bombs filled with white phosphorus on the positions of North Vietnamese troops (1966)
Fireballs from napalm explosions in the vicinity of the location of the soldiers of the American troops (1966)
A slightly wounded US Marine gives water to his seriously wounded comrade during a special operation along the demilitarized zone between North and South Vietnam (July 21, 1966)
A Vietnamese child clings to his father, who was detained and tied up as suspected of helping North Vietnamese guerrillas 280 kilometers northeast of Saigon (February 17, 1966)
The face of an American Marine firing an M60 machine gun during one of the battles south of the demilitarized zone (October 10, 1966)
The Korean Kittens perform in a music show in front of US soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division.
A 23-year-old Vietnamese girl who was detained by an Australian patrol on suspicion of involvement in guerrilla activities after being subjected to water torture 65 km southeast of Saigon (October 29, 1966)
A US Navy Douglas A-4 Skyhawk light deck attack aircraft strikes a railway bridge 10 kilometers north of Thanh Hoe, North Vietnam (September 10, 1967)
A Vietnamese makes tea while a U.S. Marine is watching a lustful beauty from an erotic poster (September 1967)
A soldier of the American 1st Cavalry Division pointed his flamethrower towards the entrance to a cave in the An Lao Valley in South Vietnam (April 14, 1967)
Sergeant Ronald Payne emerges from an underground tunnel dug by North Vietnamese guerrillas in the forests of Ho Bo in South Vietnam (January 21, 1967)
American soldiers make their way through the swamp during military operation in southern Vietnam in the Mekong Delta (April 1967)
Lieutenant Donald Sheppard fires flaming arrows at a bamboo hut on the banks of the Bassac River, under which there may be an underground bunker of the Vietnamese guerrillas (December 8, 1967)
transport helicopter marines US CH-46, which was knocked out by ground fire south of the DMZ between North and South Vietnam (July 15, 1966). The helicopter crashed and exploded on a hill, killing one crew member and 12 Marines. Three crew members suffered severe burns.
The body of an American soldier who died in combat in the jungle near the Cambodian border is lifted onto a hovering helicopter for his subsequent evacuation (1966)
A nurse tries to comfort a wounded US Army soldier at the 8th Army Hospital in Nha Trang City, South Vietnam (February 7, 1965)
Coffins containing the bodies of eight US Army personnel who were killed in attacks on US military installations in South Vietnam aboard a military transport aircraft at an airfield in Saigon (February 9, 1965)
Stages of the Vietnam War.
- Guerrilla warfare in South Vietnam (1957-1965).
- US military intervention (1965-1973).
- The final stage of the war (1973-1975).
We will consider precisely the military intervention of the United States.
Causes of the Vietnam War.
It all started with the fact that the US plans were to surround the USSR with "their" countries, that is, countries that would be puppets in the hands of the United States and perform all necessary actions against the USSR. At that time, among such countries were already South Korea and Pakistan. It remained the case for northern Vietnam.
The southern part of Vietnam asked for help from the United States, due to its weakness in front of the northern part, since at that time there was an active struggle between the two halves of one country. And northern Vietnam enlisted the support of the USSR in the form of a visiting head of the Councils of Ministers, but the USSR did not openly get involved in the war.
Vietnam: War with America. How did she go?
In the north of Vietnam, Soviet centers of air defense missile forces were established, but under the guise of strict secrecy. Thus, air security was ensured, and at the same time, Vietnamese soldiers were trained as missilemen.
Vietnam has become a test site for weapons and military installations of the United States and the Soviet Union. Our specialists have tested the principles of "ambush" shooting. First, the enemy plane was shot down, and then in the blink of an eye the person moved to a pre-prepared place, carefully hidden from prying eyes. In order to catch the anti-aircraft installations of the USSR, the United States used the Shrike homing missile. The struggle was daily, the losses of American aircraft were huge.
In northern Vietnam, about 70% of the weapons were Soviet-made, we can say that vietnamese army was Soviet. The weapons were unofficially shipped through China. The Americans, despite their impotence, did not want to give up, although during the war years they lost thousands of people and more than 4,500 fighters and other military equipment, which accounted for almost 50% of the entire air force. The public demanded the withdrawal of the troops, but President Nixon did not want to lose face and lose the dignity of America.
Let's sum up the Vietnam War.
After America lost a lot of money, suffered huge human losses, in the form of killed and maimed soldiers, the withdrawal of American troops began. This event was facilitated by the signing of a peace treaty between Hanoi and Washington in Paris. January 27, 1973.
The Vietnam War, which lasted almost 18 years, was fought mainly between North Vietnamese troops and the South Vietnamese army, supported by American forces. In fact, this confrontation was part of the Cold War between the United States on the one hand and the Soviet Union and China, who supported the communist government of North Vietnam, on the other.
After the surrender of Japan, which occupied Vietnam during World War II, the confrontation practically did not stop. Ho Chi Minh, a prominent figure in the Comintern, led the movement for a united communist Vietnam in 1941, becoming the leader of the Viet Minh military-political organization, which aimed to fight for the country's independence from foreign domination. He was essentially a dictator until the late 1950s, and remained a figurehead until his death in 1969. Ho Chi Minh has become a popular "icon" of the new left around the world, despite the totalitarian dictatorship and the extermination of tens of thousands of people.
Prerequisites
During World War II, the Japanese occupied Vietnam, which was part of the French colony called Indochina. After the defeat of Japan, a certain power vacuum arose, which the communists took advantage of to declare the independence of Vietnam in 1945. Not a single nation recognized the new regime, and France soon sent troops into the country, which caused the outbreak of war.
Beginning in 1952, US President Truman actively promoted the domino theory that communism ideologically inevitably strives for world domination, so the communist regime will cause a chain reaction in neighboring states, ultimately threatening the United States. The metaphor of a falling domino connected complex processes in remote regions with US national security. All five American governments that participated in the Vietnam War, despite some nuances, followed the domino theory and the policy of containment.
Truman declared Indochina a key region. If the region is under communist control, then all of Southeast Asia and the Middle East will follow. This will jeopardize the security of the interests of Western Europe and the United States on Far East. Therefore, a Viet Minh victory in Indochina must be prevented in any case. The prospects for success and the subsequent costs of participating in the US were not in doubt.
The US supported the French and by 1953, 80% of the material resources used by the pro-French puppet regime for warfare were supplied by the Americans. However, from the beginning of the 50s, the northerners also began to receive assistance from the PRC.
Despite their technical superiority, the French were defeated at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in the spring of 1954, which was final stage confrontation. It is estimated that during this conflict, called the Indochina War of 1946-1954, about half a million Vietnamese died.
The result of peace negotiations in Geneva in the summer of that year was the creation of four independent countries on the territory of the former French colony - Cambodia, Laos, North Vietnam and South Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh and the Communist Party ruled North Vietnam while South Vietnam was ruled by a pro-Western government led by Emperor Bao Dai. Neither side recognized the legitimacy of the other - the separation was regarded as temporary.
In 1955, Ngo Dinh Diem, supported by the Americans, became the leader of South Vietnam. According to the results of the referendum, it was announced that the inhabitants of the country abandoned the monarchy in favor of the republic. Emperor Bao Dai was deposed and Ngo Dinh Diem became President of the Republic of Vietnam.
Ngo Dinh Diem became the first leader of Vietnam British diplomacy proposed holding a plebiscite in the North and South to determine the future of a unified Vietnam. However, South Vietnam opposed such a proposal, arguing that free elections were impossible in the communist North.
There is an opinion that the United States was allegedly ready to accept free elections and a reunified Vietnam, even under communist rule, if only foreign policy was hostile to China.
Terror in North and South Vietnam
In 1953, the North Vietnamese Communists embarked on a ruthless land reform that massacred landlords, dissidents, and French collaborators. Accounts of those who died as a result of repression vary considerably - from 50,000 to 100,000 people, some sources give a figure of 200,000, arguing that the real numbers are even higher, as family members of terror victims starved to death in a policy of isolation. As a result of the reform, the landlords were liquidated as a class, and their lands were distributed among the peasants.
By the end of the 1950s, it became clear that peaceful attempts to unite North and South had reached an impasse. The government of the North supported the uprising that broke out in 1959, organized by the South Vietnamese communists. However, some American sources claim that in fact the organizers of the rebellion were mishandled northerners who penetrated South Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh trail, and not the local population.
By 1960, the disparate groups that fought against the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem united into a single organization, which in the West received the name Viet Cong (from the abbreviated "Vietnamese Communist").
The main direction of the new organization was terror against officials and civilians who expressed open support for the pro-American regime. The South Vietnamese partisans, who received the full support of the northern communists, acted more confidently and successfully every day. In response to this, in 1961 the United States introduced its first regular military units into the territory of South Vietnam. In addition, American military advisers and instructors assisted the army of Zien, assisting in the planning of military operations and training personnel.
Escalation of the conflict
In November 1963, the Kennedy administration decided to overthrow by a coalition of generals the weak South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem, who was not popular among the people and failed to organize a proper rebuff to the communists. President Nixon later described this decision as a disastrous betrayal of an ally that contributed to the eventual collapse of South Vietnam.
There was no proper agreement among the group of generals that came to power, which led to a series of coups in the following months. The country was in a fever from political instability, which the Viet Cong immediately took advantage of, gradually expanding their control over new areas of South Vietnam. For several years, Northern Vietnam transferred military units to American-controlled territories, and by the beginning of an open confrontation with the United States in 1964, the number of North Vietnamese troops in the South was about 24 thousand people. The number of American soldiers by that time was just over 23 thousand people.
In August 1964, off the coast of North Vietnam, there was a collision between the American destroyer Maddox and border torpedo boats. A couple of days later there was another skirmish. The Tonkin incidents (after the name of the bay where the conflict took place) became the reason for the United States to launch a military campaign against North Vietnam. The US Congress passed a resolution authorizing President Johnson, who replaced John F. Kennedy, who was shot dead a few months ago, to use force.
Bombardment
The National Security Council recommended a three-stage incremental bombardment of North Vietnam. The bombings lasted a total of three years and were intended to force the North to stop supporting the Viet Cong, threatening to destroy the country's air defenses and infrastructure, and also provided moral support to South Vietnam.
However, the Americans did not limit themselves to the bombing of North Vietnam. To destroy the Ho Chi Minh trail, which passed through the territory of Laos and Cambodia, through which military aid was supplied to South Vietnam for the Viet Cong, bombardments of these states were organized.
Despite the fact that during the entire period of air strikes more than 1 million tons of bombs were dropped on the territory of North Vietnam, and more than 2 million tons on Laos, the Americans did not manage to achieve their goals. On the contrary, such US tactics helped to unite the inhabitants of the North, who had to switch to an almost underground way of life during the long years of bombing.
Chemical attacks
Since the 1950s, US military laboratories have been experimenting with herbicides, which were developed as chemical weapons during World War II and then used to test their effects on nature for military purposes. Since 1959, these funds have been tested in South Vietnam. The tests were successful, and US President Kennedy made these substances the centerpiece of an innovative counterinsurgency strategy in 1961, personally ordering their use in Vietnam. At the same time, the US government used a flaw in the Geneva Convention of 1925, which prohibited the use of chemical substances against people, but not against plants.
In July 1961, the first shipments of chemicals arrived under code names in South Vietnam. In January 1962, Operation Farm Lady began: the US Air Force systematically sprayed herbicides in Vietnam and the border regions of Laos and Cambodia. In this way they cultivated the jungle and destroyed crops in order to deprive the enemy of protection, ambushes, food and support of the population. Under Johnson, the campaign became the largest chemical warfare program in history. Until 1971, the US sprayed about 20 million gallons (80 million liters) of dioxin-contaminated herbicides.
ground war
Since the expected effect of the bombing did not bring, it was decided to deploy ground combat operations. The US generals chose the tactics of wear and tear - the physical destruction of as many enemy troops as possible with the least of their own losses. It was assumed that the Americans should protect their own military bases, control the border areas, catching and destroying enemy soldiers.
The goal of regular American units was not to conquer territory, but to inflict maximum damage on the enemy in order to prevent possible attacks. In practice, it looked like this: a small airmobile group went to the area of operation by helicopter. After detecting the enemy, this kind of "bait" immediately fixed its location and called in air support, which carried out a dense bombardment of the indicated area.
This tactic resulted in numerous civilian deaths in the cleared areas and an exodus of survivors, making subsequent "pacification" much more difficult.
It was not possible to objectively assess the effectiveness of the chosen strategy, since the Vietnamese, if possible, took the bodies of their dead, and the Americans were very reluctant to go into the jungle to count the corpses of the enemy. Killing civilians to increase reporting figures has become a common practice among American soldiers.
The main difference between the Vietnam War can be considered a small number of large-scale battles. Having suffered several major defeats from a technically better equipped enemy, the Viet Cong chose the tactics of guerrilla warfare, moving at night or during the rainy season, when US aircraft could not seriously damage them. Using the vast network of tunnels as armories and escape routes, engaging only in close combat, the Vietnamese guerrillas forced the Americans to spread their forces more and more in an attempt to control the situation. By 1968, the number of American soldiers in Vietnam exceeded 500 thousand people.
U.S. soldiers, unfamiliar with the country's language and culture, could hardly tell peasants from guerrillas. Destroying both of them for reinsurance, they created a negative image of the aggressor among the civilian population, thereby playing into the hands of the partisans. Although the US Army and the South Vietnamese government forces had a 5-fold advantage in numbers, their opponents managed to maintain a constant flow of weapons and well-trained fighters, who were also much more motivated.
Government forces rarely managed to maintain long-term control over cleared areas, while the Americans were forced to use a significant part of their troops to protect their own military bases and weapons stored there, since they were constantly under attack. In fact, the partisans managed to impose their tactics on the enemy: it was they who decided where and when the battle would take place, and how long it would last.
Tet offensive
The large-scale offensive of the Viet Cong on January 30, 1968 came as a surprise to the Americans and government forces. This date was the celebration of the traditional Vietnamese New Year, during which both sides previously declared an unspoken truce.
The attack was carried out in a hundred places at the same time, more than 80 thousand Viet Cong participated in the operation. Due to the effect of surprise, the attackers managed to capture some objects, but the Americans and their allies quickly recovered from the shock and pushed the North Vietnamese troops back.
During this offensive, the Viet Cong suffered huge losses (according to some sources, up to half of the personnel), from which they could not recover for several years. However, from a propaganda and political point of view, success was on the side of the attackers. This operation, widely publicized in the press, showed that, despite the presence of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers, the strength and morale of the Viet Cong did not decline in the long period of hostilities, contrary to the claims of the US Army leadership. The public outcry of this operation sharply strengthened the position of anti-war forces in the United States itself.
In April 1968, the leadership of North Vietnam decided to start negotiations with the United States. However, Ho Chi Minh demanded the continuation of the war until the final victory. He died in September 1969, and Vice President Ton Duc Thang became head of state.
"De-Americanization"
The US General Staff wanted to use the defeat of the Viet Cong to expand and consolidate the success. The generals demanded a new call-up of reservists and tougher bombing of the Ho Chi Minh trail in order to further weaken the bloodless enemy. At the same time, staff officers, taught by bitter experience, refused to outline a time frame and give any guarantees of success.
As a result, Congress demanded a reassessment of all U.S. military activities in Vietnam. The Tet offensive destroyed the hope of the citizens of the United States for a speedy end to the war and undermined the authority of President Johnson. Added to this was a huge burden on the state budget and the US economy caused by the war - for the period 1953-1975. $168 billion was spent on the Vietnam campaign.
By the combination of all factors, Nixon, who became President of the United States in 1968, was forced to announce a course towards the "de-Americanization" of Vietnam. Since June 1969, a gradual withdrawal of American troops from South Vietnam began - about 50 thousand people every six months. By the beginning of 1973, their number was less than 30 thousand people.
The final stage of the war
In March 1972, the Viet Cong attacked South Vietnam simultaneously from three directions and captured five provinces within a few days. For the first time, the offensive was supported by tanks sent as military aid by the Soviet Union. The South Vietnamese government forces had to focus on the defense of major cities, thanks to which the Viet Cong managed to capture many military bases in the Mekong Delta.
President Nixon with soldiers However, for Nixon, military defeat and the loss of South Vietnam were unacceptable. The United States resumed the bombing of North Vietnam, which allowed the South Vietnamese to withstand the onslaught of the enemy. Both sides, exhausted by continuous confrontation, began to think more and more about a truce.
During 1972 negotiations continued with mixed success. The main goal of North Vietnam was to enable the US to get out of the conflict without losing face. At the same time, the South Vietnamese government, on the contrary, tried with all its might to avoid such an option, realizing that it was not able to independently resist the Viet Cong.
At the end of January 1973, the Paris Peace Agreement was signed, according to which American troops left the country. Fulfilling the terms of the agreement, by the end of March of that year, the United States completed the withdrawal of its troops from the territory of South Vietnam.
Americans leave Vietnam Deprived of American support, the South Vietnamese army was demoralized. An increasing part of the country's territory de facto fell under the rule of the northerners. Convinced that the United States did not intend to resume its participation in the war, in early March 1975, North Vietnamese troops launched a large-scale offensive. As a result of a two-month campaign, the northerners occupied most of South Vietnam. On April 30, 1975, the communists raised the banner over the Independence Palace in Saigon - the war ended with the complete victory of North Vietnam.
Participation of other countries
In addition to the Americans, military assistance to the government forces of South Vietnam was provided by South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. The Philippines, Taiwan, Japan and Belgium did not formally participate in the war, but the United States provided various assistance to their allies - by sending military advisers, delivering various cargoes, allowing refueling of military aircraft on their territory, etc.
North Vietnam received significant military and economic support from the USSR, China and North Korea. Soviet anti-aircraft gunners took a direct part in the hostilities, and Chinese technical specialists ensured the construction of military facilities. North Korea sent a squadron of fighters and air defense units to North Vietnam.
The Vietnam War is a pretty serious milestone cold war. AT exam tests in history, some tasks may test knowledge world history, and if you do not know anything about this war, then it is unlikely that you will solve the test correctly using the “poke” method. Therefore, in this article we will briefly analyze this topic, as far as possible within the text.
Photos of the war
origins
The causes of the Vietnam War of 1964-1975 (also called the Second Indochina War) are very diverse. To understand them, you need to delve a little into the history of this exotic eastern country. From the second half of XIX For centuries until 1940, Vietnam was a French colony. From the beginning, the country was occupied by Japan. During this war, all French garrisons were destroyed.
Since 1946, France wanted to regain Vietnam, and to this end, unleashed the first Indochina War (1946-1954). The French alone could not cope with the partisan movement, and the Americans came to their aid. In this war, independent power in North Vietnam, headed by Ho Chi Minh, was strengthened. By 1953, the Americans took over 80% of all military spending, and the French quietly merged. Things got to the point that Vice President R. Nixon expressed the idea of dropping point nuclear charges on the country.
But everything was somehow decided by itself: in 1954, the existence of North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South (Republic of Vietnam) was formally recognized. The northern part of the country began to develop along the path of socialism and communism, which means it began to enjoy the support of the Soviet Union.
Ho Chi Minh
And here we must understand that the division of Vietnam was only the first act. The second was the anti-communist hysteria in the United States, which accompanied them all. Just against the backdrop of such hysteria, J.F. Kennedy came to power there, who, by the way, acted as an ardent fighter against communism. Nevertheless, he did not want to unleash a war in Vietnam, but simply somehow politically, through diplomacy, to achieve his goals. It must be said here that since there were communists in the north, the United States supported the south.
Ngo Dinh Diem
In South Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem ruled, who actually introduced a dictatorship there: people were killed and hanged for nothing, and the Americans turned a blind eye to this: it was impossible to lose the only ally in the region. However, Ngo soon got tired of the Yankees and they arranged coup d'état. Ngo was killed. Right there, by the way, in 1963, J.F. Kennedy was assassinated.
All barriers to war were removed. New President Lyndon Johnson signed a decree sending two helicopter groups to Vietnam. North Vietnam created an underground in the South called the Viet Cong. Actually, military advisers and helicopters were sent to fight him. But on August 2, 1964, two American aircraft carriers were attacked by North Vietnam. In response, Johnson signed a decree on the outbreak of war.
J.F. Kennedy
In fact, most likely, there was no attack in the Gulf of Tonkin. Senior NSA officers who received this message immediately realized that this was a mistake. But they didn't fix anything. Because the war in Vietnam was unleashed not by the US military, but by the President, Congress, and big business, which was engaged in the production of weapons.
Lyndon Johnson
Pentagon experts were well aware that this war was doomed to failure in advance. Many experts spoke openly. But they were obliged to obey the political elite.
Thus, the causes of the Vietnam War are rooted in the communist "contagion" that the United States wanted to counter. The loss of Vietnam immediately led to the loss of Taiwan, Cambodia, and the Philippines by the Americans, and the "contagion" could directly threaten Australia. This war was also spurred on by the fact that China, from the beginning of the 1950s, firmly embarked on the path of communism.
Richard Nixon
Events
In Vietnam, the United States tested a lot of weapons. During this entire war, more bombs were dropped than during the entire Second World War! They also sprayed at least 400 kilograms of dioxin. And this is the most toxic substance created by man at that time. 80 grams of dioxin can kill an entire city if you add it to water.
Helicopters
The entire conflict can be broken down into the following stages:
- The first stage 1965 - 1967. It is characterized by the offensive of the allies.
- The second stage in 1968 is called the Tet Offensive.
- The third stage 1968 - 1973. R. Nixon came to power in the United States at that time under the slogans of ending the war. America was overwhelmed by anti-war protests. Nevertheless, the United States dropped more bombs in 1970 than in all previous years.
- The fourth stage 1973 - 1975 - the final stage of the conflict. Since the United States could no longer support South Vietnam, there was no one to stop the advance of the enemy troops. Therefore, on April 30, 1975, the conflict ended with the complete victory of Ho Chi Minh, the whole of Vietnam became communist!
Results
The consequences of this conflict are very diverse. On a macro level, a North Vietnamese victory meant the loss of Laos and Cambodia to the US, as well as a significant reduction in American influence in Southeast Asia. The war had a serious impact on the values of American society, it provoked anti-war sentiments in society.
Photos of the war
At the same time, during the war, the Americans strengthened their armed forces, their military infrastructure and military technologies developed noticeably. However, many military personnel who survived received the so-called "Vietnam Syndrome". The conflict also had a major impact on American cinema. For example, you can call the movie "Rambo. First blood."
During the course of the war, many war crimes were committed on both sides. However, of course, there was no investigation into the fact. The United States lost in this conflict about 60 thousand dead, more than 300 thousand wounded, South Vietnam lost at least 250 thousand people killed, North Vietnam more than 1 million people killed, the USSR, according to official figures, lost about 16 people killed.
This topic is extensive, and I think it is clear that we could not cover all its facets. However, what has been said is quite enough for you to get an idea about it and not confuse anything on the exam. You can learn all the topics of the History course in our preparation courses.
AT The war in Vietnam began with the shelling of the USS Maddox. This happened on August 2, 1964.
The destroyer was in the Gulf of Tonkin (Vietnamese territorial waters where no one called the US) and was allegedly attacked by Vietnamese torpedo boats. All torpedoes missed, but one boat was sunk by the Americans. The Maddox fired first, explaining it as a warning fire. The event was called the "Tonkin Incident" and was the reason for the start of the Vietnam War. Further, by order of US President Lyndon Johnson, the US Air Force attacked the naval facilities of North Vietnam. It is clear for whom the war was beneficial, he is a provocateur.
The confrontation between Vietnam and the United States began with the recognition of Vietnam as an independent state in 1954. Vietnam was divided into two parts. The South remained under the control of France (Vietnam had been its colony since the 19th century) and the United States, while the North was dominated by the Communists with the support of China and the USSR. The country was supposed to unite after democratic elections, but the elections did not take place, and in South Vietnam began Civil War.
The US feared that communism could spread throughout Asia in a domino fashion.
Representatives of the communist camp led to the territory of the enemy guerrilla war, and its hottest focus was the so-called Iron Triangle, an area of 310 square kilometers northwest of Saigon. Despite this proximity to the strategic locality South, it was actually controlled by communist partisans, and their base was a significantly expanded by that time underground complex near the village of Kuti.
The United States supported the South Vietnamese government, fearing the further expansion of the Communists in Southeast Asia.
The Soviet leadership at the beginning of 1965 decided to provide the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) with large-scale military-technical assistance. According to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Alexei Kosygin, assistance to Vietnam during the war cost Soviet Union 1.5 million rubles a day.
To eliminate the partisan zone in January 1966, the United States decided to conduct Operation Crimp, for which 8,000 US and Australian troops were allocated. Once in the jungle of the Iron Triangle, the allies faced an unexpected surprise: in fact, there was no one to fight with. Snipers, stretch marks on the trails, unexpected ambushes, attacks from behind, from territories that, it would seem, had already (just!) been cleared: something incomprehensible was happening around, and the number of victims was growing.
The Vietnamese sat underground and after the attacks again went underground. In the underground cities, the halls were without additional supports and they were designed for the miniature constitution of the Vietnamese. Below is a plan-scheme of a real underground city explored by the Americans.
Much larger Americans could hardly squeeze through the passages, the height of which was usually in the range of 0.8-1.6 meters, and the width was 0.6-1.2 meters. There was no obvious logic in the organization of the tunnels, they were deliberately built as a chaotic labyrinth, equipped with a large number of false dead-end branches that complicated orientation.
Viet Cong guerrillas throughout the war were supplied through the so-called "Ho Chi Minh trail", which ran through neighboring Laos. The Americans and the army of South Vietnam tried several times to cut the "path", but it did not work out.
In addition to fire and traps of "tunnel rats", snakes and scorpions, which the partisans specially set on, could also wait. Such methods led to the fact that among the "tunnel rats" there was a very high mortality rate.
Only half of the personnel returned from the holes. They were even armed with special pistols with silencers, gas masks and other things.
The Iron Triangle, the area where the catacombs were discovered, was eventually simply destroyed by the Americans with B-52 bombing.
The fighting took place not only underground, but also in the air. The first battle between anti-aircraft gunners of the USSR and American aircraft took place on July 24, 1965. The Soviet MiGs, which the Vietnamese flew, have proven themselves well.
During the years of the war, the Americans lost 58,000 people in the jungle killed, 2,300 went missing and over 150,000 were wounded. At the same time, the list of official losses did not include Puerto Ricans who were hired in American army to obtain United States citizenship. North Vietnamese losses amounted to over a million killed military personnel and over three million civilians.
The Paris ceasefire agreements were signed only in January 1973. It took a few more years to withdraw the troops.
Carpet bombing of cities in North Vietnam, carried out by order of US President Nixon. On December 13, 1972, a North Vietnamese delegation left Paris, where peace talks were being held. In order to force them to return back, it was decided to launch massive bombing attacks on Hanoi and Haiphong.
A South Vietnamese Marine wearing a special bandage among the decomposing corpses of American and Vietnamese soldiers who died during the fighting on a rubber plantation 70 km northeast of Saigon, November 27, 1965.
According to the Soviet side, 34 B-52s were lost during Operation Linebacker II. In addition, 11 aircraft of other types were shot down. North Vietnamese losses were about 1,624 civilians, military casualties are unknown. Aviation losses - 6 MiG 21 aircraft.
"Christmas bombing" is the official title.
During Operation Linebacker II, 100,000 tons were dropped on Vietnam! bombs.
The most famous case of the use of the latter is Operation Popeye, when US transport workers sprayed silver iodite over the strategic territories of Vietnam. From this, the amount of precipitation increased three times, roads were washed away, fields and villages were flooded, communications were destroyed. With the jungle, the US military also acted radically. Bulldozers uprooted trees and upper layer soil, and herbicides and defoliants were sprayed on top of the rebel stronghold ("Agent Orange"). This seriously disrupted the ecosystem, and in the long run led to mass diseases and infant mortality.
The Americans poisoned Vietnam with everything they could. They even used a mixture of defoliants and herbicides. From what freaks are still born there already on genetic level. This is a crime against humanity.
The USSR sent to Vietnam about 2,000 tanks, 700 light and maneuverable aircraft, 7,000 mortars and guns, more than a hundred helicopters, and much more. Almost the entire air defense system of the country, impeccable and impenetrable for fighters, was built by Soviet specialists at Soviet funds. There were also "exit training". Military schools and academies of the USSR trained Vietnamese military personnel.
Vietnamese women and children hide from artillery fire in an overgrown canal 30 km west of Saigon on January 1, 1966.
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.
The Vietnam War also became a drug war. Drug addiction in the troops has become another factor that crippled the combat capability of the United States.
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. Helicopters performed well in this war. Which the Americans lost about 3500 pieces.
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.
Civilian casualties are unknown to date - about 5 million are believed to have died, with 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.
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.
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.
But Vietnam won...
Our crimson flag proudly flies,
And on it - the stars of the victory sign.
Like the surf
Thunderstorm -
The power of friendship is fighting,
To new dawns we go step by step.
This is Lao Dong, our party
Us forward from year to year
Leads!
— Do Ming, "Lao Dong Party Song"
Soviet tanks in Saigon ... this is the end ... The Yankees do not want to remember this war, they no longer openly fight with the radicals and generally revised their methods of fighting the "red plague".
The basis of information and photos (C) is the Internet. Main sources:
