Learn about vietnam war protests, the tet offensive, the my lai massacre, the pentagon papers and more. A short summary of the disastrous and bloody vietnam war. Click on the my lai massacre and describe what happened there. It is also the war that many do not understand fully because the information given by the media and taught in schools is usually limited, incomplete, incorrect and full of bias for both sides in the war. The vietnam war became a proxy war of the cold war. See the fact file below for more information on the vietnam war or alternatively, you can download our 23page vietnam war worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment. Ten years later, south vietnam s capital, saigon, fell to north vietnamese forces.
For a full history of wars in vietnam, see list of wars involving vietnam. North and south vietnam were divided at the 17th parallel. The fall of saigon later renamed ho chi minh city triggered waves of migration out of vietnam. Unlike the first and second world wars new zealands contribution in terms of personnel was not huge. The vietnam war was the longest military battle in the history of the united states.
The pentagon papers, officially titled report of the office of the secretary of defense vietnam task force, was commissioned by secretary of defense robert mcnamara in 1967. The national intelligence council nic commissioned lloyd gardner, the renowned american scholar on the vietnam war, to prepare an introductory essay providing. Children in military families are exposed to stress levels that could be considered toxic according to the american academy of pediatrics. In june of 1971, small portions of the report were leaked to the press and widely distributed. It was part of a larger regional conflict as well as a manifestation of the cold war. The vietnam war or the second war of indochina was formerly americas longest war until it was surpassed by the war in afghanistan. The vietnam war explained in 25 minutes vietnam war documentary duration. The vietnam conflict extract data file of the defense casualty analysis system dcas extract files contains records of 58,220 u. In 1965, the united states officially entered the war in response to north vietnam s attack on a u. The media have reported that suicides among vietnam veterans range from 50,000 to 100,000 6 to 11 times the non vietnam. The vietnam war is one of if not arguably the most devastating and wellknown war happening after the infamous world war i and world war ii. Vietnam war facts, worksheets, history, start, end. Vietnam combat area casualty file the statistics in the combat area casualty file cacf 1193 show an average age of death much higher than that of news reports. The vietnam war files is a collection of documents that unpack the history of u.
Cia and the wars in southeast asia central intelligence agency. Key people ho chi minh, ngo dinh diem,vo nguyen giap, dwight d. This detailed and visuallyappealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising knowledge of the vietnam war. The vietnam war was a military campaign launched by north vietnam against south vietnam. For the documentary television series, see the vietnam war tv series. The war in south vietnam, 19651967, and us intelligence. Michael mannheim this past april marked the 40th anniversary of the fall of saigon to north vietnamese forces, recognized as the official end of u. The vietnam war memorial the vietnam war memorial is a monument that was built in honor of individuals in the american armed services who died during the conflict. The vietnam war, was a cold war era proxy war that occurred in vietnam, laos, and cambodia from 1 november 1955 to the fall of saigon on 30 april 1975. The australian army and the vietnam war in retrospect in the australian army and the vietnam war. The vietnam war is also referred to as the second indochina war, due to the involvement of all three countries previously constituting the french territory of indochina. Vietnam war to produce an illustrated timeline of new zealands experience of the vietnam war.
The commentary and introductions by authoreditor jeffrey kimball are illuminating, though kimball probably overstates the extent to which nixon used a madman strategy to intimidate north vietnam. The earliest casualty record contains a date of death of. Approximately 70% of those killed in vietnam were volunteers. The vietnam war was a cold war military conflict that occurred in vietnam, laos, and cambodia from 1 november 1955 to 15 may 1975 when the mayaguez incident concluded and two weeks after the fall of saigon on 30 april 1975. At its peak in 1968 the new zealand force only numbered 543. The us had backed the south vietnam government against nationalists and communists who were fighting to reunify vietnam. Oct 25, 2017 the anti vietnam war movement in 39 photos. An overview of the vietnam war database of k12 resources. After supplies and weapons were found in a viet cong tunnel network, a soldier burns a nearby hut used for rice storage by the viet cong. A separate topical series will complement the operational histories. The united states supported the government of south vietnam, and sent in the first american ground troops in 1965.
How i will compress four lectures into one because ive. The pentagon papers, officially titled report of the office of the secretary of defense. Jul 01, 20 read cnn s vietnam war fast facts and learn more about the conflict between communistled north vietnam and ussupported south vietnam. To crown it all off, the ha long bay is of such scenic beauty that it was included as one of the new 7 wonders of nature, as well as a unesco world heritage site. The mayaguez incident involving the khmer rouge government in cambodia on 1215 may 1975, marked the last official battle of the united. These records were transferred into the custody of the national archives and records administration in 2008. As of april 14, 2017, there are 1,611 americans still unaccounted for from the vietnam war across vietnam 1,258, laos297, cambodia49, and china7. The vietnam war tells the story of one of the most divisive episodes in modern american history through primary sources, ranging from government documents, news reports, speeches, popular songs to memoirs, writings by vietnam veterans including coauthor john fitzgerald, and poetry by vietnamese and americans on matching themes. The national center for child traumatic stress notes that, military children experience unique challenges related to.
During the french war in indochina the cias involvement grew to encompass a base in hanoi but not much more, since the french did not. It ended with the defeat of south vietnam in april 1975. Pdf the vietnam war was the quintessential cold war conflict between the united states and the sinosoviet supplied. The vietnam war lasted about 40 years and involved several countries. In such cases, if the veteran provides a lay statement that he was involved with perimeter security duty and there is additional credible, then herbicide exposure on a facts found or direct basis can be. Two viet cong prisoners are led to an arvn command outpost at ha tien. The vietnam war is the commonly used name for the second indochina war, 19541975. Please consider splitting content into subarticles, condensing it, or adding subheadings.
Two allies, new zealand and thailand, which had contributed a small military contingent, left south vietnam this year. Usually it refers to the period when the united states and other members of the seato southeast asia treaty organization joined the forces with the republic of south vietnam to contest communist forces, comprised of south vietnamese guerrillas and regular. Fact file the war began in 1954 after the rise to power of ho chi minh and his communist viet minh party in north vietnam, and continued against the backdrop of an intense cold war between two global superpowers. War and health 5 60,000 australian military personnel were sent to vietnam to aid the united states between 1962 and 1972. You might need to define what is meant by all over. The vietnam collection this collection of declassified estimative products is the first such release by the central intelligence agency of documents exclusively on the vietnam war. The vietnam war is also referred to as the second indochina war, due to the involvement of all three countries previously constituting the french territory of. The cias vietnam histories george washington university.
Rand had concluded its work in connection with the vietnam war. Primary sources and activities supported by the library of congress teaching with primary sources program the vietnam war was a conflict that spanned almost two decades, and was ultimately a failure for the united states. An overview of the vietnam war overview the university of. It was fought between the communist democratic republic of vietnam north vietnam and its allies, and the ussupported republic of vietnam in the south. An expanding war, 1966 this is the third volume in a planned 10volume operational and chronological series covering the marine corps participation in the vietnam war. More than 58,000 americans and hundreds of thousands of vietnamese died in the war. Vietnam war 195475, conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam and its allies in south vietnam, the viet cong, against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. Facts about vietnam where snake wine is commonly drunk. Popularly known as the pentagon papers, the history of u. Read cnn s vietnam war fast facts and learn more about the conflict between communistled north vietnam and ussupported south vietnam. Vietnam war simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Think of the war in vietnam and the image in your mind is likely one that was first captured on film, and then in the public imagination.
During the early years of the war in vietnam, before air force security units were fully personnel may have provided perimeter security. The conflict has deep historical roots, most recently the first indochina war between the communist north and the frenchbacked south. The vietnam war began on november 1, 1955, and ended april 30, 1975. Vietnam adopts economic reforms doi moi in 1986 loses aid with collapse of soviet union and eastern bloc 1989. An overview of the vietnam war overview in this lesson, students will be introduced to the vietnam war through a simulation regarding the anxiety of combat and will then receive an overview of the war via a teacher power point presentation or lecture provided, or a text book reading followed by class discussion. Vietnam policy during the presidency of richard nixon. The monument consists of a black marble wall and is located in a 3 acre park area of constitutional gardens in washington, d.
Common belief is that most vietnam veterans were drafted. Click on the primary sources tab on the left side of the page, then click american policy in vietnam. A guide to materials at the british library by jean kemble the eccles centre for american studies. However, the publications of the report that resulted from these leaks were incomplete and suffered from many quality issues. In this lesson, students will be introduced to the vietnam war through a. More insidious, however, yet less wellknown to the general public, was the chemical war waged from 1961 to 1971against south vietnam. The vietnam war was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. Although the bulk of the fighting took place in vietnam, the war also spilled over into neighboring laos and cambodia in the early 1970s. However, the publications of the report that resulted from these leaks were incomplete and suffered from. Read from the beginning of the speech up until the paragraph that ends with and we will do only what is absolutely necessary. Decision making process on vietnam policy is a fortyseven volume, 7,000page, 2. Between june 1964 and december 1972 around 3500 new zealand service personnel served in south vietnam. The vietnam war article 1960s america khan academy. The central intelligence agencys vietnam war history actually begins in 1950, when agency officers moved to french indochina as part of the united states legation in saigon.
Government documents, oral histories, antiwar movements seth kershner. The united states continued to participate in combat, primarily with air power to assist the south vietnamese army, while negotiators in paris tried to hammer out a peace agreement. Vietnam war, 19611975 almanacs, vietnam war, 19611975 chronology publisher. The viet cong were vietnamese rebels in the south who fought against the southern vietnam government and the united states. The vietnam war was a long conflict in southeast asia. Us and vietnam restore diplomatic relations in 1995 7. History, documents and opinions on a major world crisis, ed. The united states supported the south, while china and russia supported the north. It began in 1954, after the country of vietnam was split into two parts, north vietnam and south vietnam. The vietnam war was a military conflict between north vietnam and u. The vietnam war, was a cold war era proxy war that occurred in vietnam, laos, and cambodia from 1 november 1955 to the fall of saigon on 30 april 1975 see the fact file below for more information on the vietnam war or alternatively, you can download our 23page vietnam war worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment. The city of saigon was later renamed to ho chi minh city in his honor. Scott beaton, statistical source 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official vietnam era from august 5, 1964 to may 7, 1975. Active military action was carried out for almost 20 years, from 1 november 1955 to 30 april 1975.
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