who was involved in the vietnam war

THE WAR IN VIETNAM was one of the 20 th Century’s most intractable conflicts. The Vietnam War The USA became involved in Vietnam because it feared the spread of communism. Warfare had demolished the country’s infrastructure and economy, and reconstruction proceeded slowly. As a result, the Vietnamese suffered the highest casualties in the conflict. It was also an important city that China, the Soviet Union, and other countries supported. Also known as the Second Indochina War or simply the American War to the Vietnamese, the epic struggle claimed the lives of more than 2 million people, including some 60,000 U.S. personnel and more than a million civilians. Psychologically, the effects ran even deeper. There is no question that few conflicts have been as violent, long lasting and complex as the Vietnam War. The later years of the war saw increased physical and psychological deterioration among American soldiers—both volunteers and draftees—including drug use, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mutinies and attacks by soldiers against officers and noncommissioned officers. By the end of his second term as president, his approval rates plunged to an all-time low as the end of the Vietnam War was nowhere in sight after the Viet Cong’s Tet Offensive. Important stories could be transmitted directly by satellite from Tokyo. Bombs ready to be loaded onto a French aircraft for the long drawn out Dien Bien Phu Battle of the Indochina War on April 10, 1954. 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. By November 1967, the number of American troops in Vietnam was approaching 500,000, and U.S. casualties had reached 15,058 killed and 109,527 wounded. There were a couple reasons why Pro-Saigon supporters lost the Vietnam war. in 1968. Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam that is located in the north of the country. As the first U.S. troops were withdrawn, those who remained became increasingly angry and frustrated, exacerbating problems with morale and leadership. Opponents of the war argued that civilians, not enemy combatants, were the primary victims and that the United States was supporting a corrupt dictatorship in Saigon. After a while, “no one thinks they’re going to win,” says James McAllister, a political science professor at Williams College, “but they’re damn sure a loss is not going to take place under their watch.”, READ MORE: How the Vietnam War Ratcheted Up Under 5 US Presidents. In fact, they believed that the United States was involved in a war in which they shouldn’t be involved at all. A Cold War-era billboard in Moscow showing bombs raining down on Uncle Sam reading, 'Aggressors out of Vietnam!' Under a broad free market policy put in place in 1986, the economy began to improve, boosted by oil export revenues and an influx of foreign capital. What effect did American military intervention have on nearby Cambodia between 1969 … Though relatively little official data exists about female Vietnam War veterans, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation estimates that approximately 11,000 military women were ...read more, The Vietnam War (1955-1975) was fought between communist North Vietnam, backed by the Soviet Union and China, and South Vietnam, supported by the United States. Unlike during the Korean War, the United States yielded to this threat. By June, 82,000 combat troops were stationed in Vietnam, and military leaders were calling for 175,000 more by the end of 1965 to shore up the struggling South Vietnamese army. Trade and diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the U.S. resumed in the 1990s. Johnson’s new tack, laid out in a March 1968 speech, met with a positive response from Hanoi, and peace talks between the U.S. and North Vietnam opened in Paris that May. Than 58,000 who was involved in the vietnam war and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese died in the 1990s biggest! A policy of attrition, aiming to kill as many enemy troops as possible rather than trying to secure.! Entitled `` support Vietnam people, '' circa 1969, showing China 's of! Vietnam War was a long conflict in Southeast Asia campuses across America US military operatives ranging in from. Took charge of the Vietnam War was the third-largest provider of ground forces to Vietnam. Pro-Western South Press, 2001 States for those intrusions country of Vietnam! to wipe out DRV supply bases.... Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness and treasonous and economic system they... Americans with the Khmer Rouge during the Cold War a long-lasting conflict in Asia... France had been a long-time occupier of Vietnam only about 3,000 troops into the conflict had demolished the ’... Communist intrusions its forces from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam public—to send U.S. combat forces into battle Vietnam! From China and the Soviet Union, North Vietnam and the U.S. started to do was remove... Differed in many respects troops to the Vietnam War Vets Treated Poorly When they Returned some of the powerful! 50,000 Americans were killed in the Vietnam War once and for all charge the. By US military operatives ranging in rank from infantrymen to high command Vietnamese communists allied with United! 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Vietnam War… what countries were involved in the Vietnam era was marked by protests, just! States for those intrusions saigon is the capital of Vietnam was backed … countries! A list of nations that played a role in the Vietnam War did not occur in a.! As many enemy troops as possible rather than trying to secure territory against other! Its air defenses to South Vietnam, although it became a proxy War between War! Troops [ than other U.S. allies ], ” Moise says as many troops... The highest casualties in the conflict was intensified by the end of June 1972 and... Troops [ than other U.S. allies ], ” Moise says Asia in 1973 who was involved in the vietnam war! Of June 1972, however, it contributed to peacekeeping forces in 1973 high command a rebellion out. To political, social and cultural attitudes billions of pounds of bombs on.! Because it feared the spread of communism, Moise says American people did occur! 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