1960s North Vietnamese Soldiers Training, Vietnam War in Co

A Day In The Life of An American Soldier In Vietnam

Logistics In Vietnam

Air War Vietnam

The Bloodiest Air Battle of Vietnam

Vietnamese Ambush Tactics: When the jungle speaks Vietnamese

Helicopter Insertion Tactics for Recon Team Operations

Vietnam Artillery Firebase Tactics

Riverine Warfare & Patrol Boat River

The Deadliest Machines Of The Vietnam War

The Most Horrifying Traps Used In The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War took place in <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Vietnam" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vietnam</a>, <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Laos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Laos</a> and <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Cambodia" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cambodia</a> from November 1 1955, to the fall of Saigon on April 30 1975. It played a role during the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/Cold-War" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cold War</a> period. Was part of the broader Indochina Wars. While it was officially a dispute between North and South Vietnam it evolved into a larger scale conflict with North Vietnam receiving support from countries like the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-the-Soviet-Union" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Soviet Union</a> and <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-China" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">China</a> among others favoring communism. On the side South Vietnam had backing from the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-the-United-States" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">United States</a> and its anti communist allies. This prolonged conflict spanned two decades before direct U.S. Military involvement ended in 1973. The repercussions of this war were felt beyond borders as neighboring countries such as Laos and Cambodia experienced strife leading all three nations to embrace communism by 1976. In the aftermath of <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-France" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">French</a> Indochinas dissolution following the Geneva Conference in July 1954 Vietnam emerged as an entity. Was partitioned into two separate regions; North Vietnam under Viet Minh control and South Vietnam backed by U.S. Military assistance. Subsequently the Viet Cong (VC) an organization operating in South Vietnam with affiliations to ideals initiated guerrilla warfare activities within that region. The Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) also recognized as the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) engaged in combat, against U.S. Forces alongside those of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). In 1958 North Vietnam ventured into Laos. Created the Ho Chi Minh Trail to assist and strengthen the VC. 40,000 soldiers were dispatched from the north to join the fight, in the south by 1963. The U.S. Became more involved during President John F. Kennedys administration with military advisors increasing from than a thousand in 1959 to 23,000 by 1964. Following the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964 a resolution approved by the U.S. Congress granted President Lyndon B. Johnson the power to escalate presence in Vietnam without a declaration of war. Johnson ordered combat units to be sent for the time and significantly boosted troop levels to 184,000. The U.S. And South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and superior firepower for search. Destroy missions involving ground troops, artillery and airstrikes. Moreover there was a bombing campaign against North Vietnam by the U.S., which continued building its forces despite facing progress. The Tet Offensive was initiated by forces in 1968. Although they encountered setbacks initially it eventually proved advantageous as it led to decreased support for the war, in the United States. By the end of that year most of VCs territory had been lost as they were overshadowed by PAVN forces. In 1969 North Vietnam established the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam. Military operations expanded beyond borders involving the U.S. focusing on disrupting supply routes in Laos and Cambodia through airstrikes. The ousting of Cambodian ruler Norodom Sihanouk, in 1970 led to an invasion into Cambodia at the request of the Khmer Rouge countered by U.S. And ARVN forces escalating the Cambodian Civil War. Following Richard Nixons election in 1969 a strategy called "Vietnamization" was launched, transferring combat duties to an ARVN as U.S. Troops gradually withdrew due to growing opposition. By 1972 most U.S. Ground forces had left Vietnam shifting their involvement to air support, advisory roles and equipment provision. The signing of the Paris Peace Accords in January 1973 signaled the departure of U.S. Forces from Vietnam; however violations arose immediately. Hostilities persisted for another two years. The Khmer Rouge seized control of Phnom Penh on April 17 1975 while Saigon fell to PAVN on April 30th marking the end of the conflict. Vietnam was reunified on July 2nd that year. The war resulted in loss of life; estimates indicate that between 966,000 to 3 million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians perished during this period. Additionally 275,000–310,000 Cambodians, 20 62 thousand Laotians and, around 58,220 U.S. Service members lost their lives throughout the duration of the conflict. The conclusion of the Vietnam War triggered a mass exodus of boat people causing a refugee crisis, in Indochina as millions sought safety with a loss of 250,000 lives at sea. Following their rise to power the Khmer Rouge regime orchestrated a genocide. The mounting tensions between them and unified Vietnam eventually escalated into the Vietnamese War resulting in the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge government in 1979 and bringing an end, to the genocide. Subsequently China initiated an invasion into Vietnam which led to prolonged border conflicts until 1991.

Vietnam War 

Visual Timelines

Vietnam War Timeline

Vietnam War Timeline

Prologue

Insurgency in the South

1954 Geneva Conference

Operation Passage to Freedom

North Vietnamese invasion of Laos

Viet Cong

Kennedy's Escalation

Strategic Hamlet Program

Agent Orange

China Involvement

Battle of Ap Bac

Buddhist crisis

1963 South Vietnamese coup

Gulf of Tonkin and Johnson's Escalation

Operation Pierce Arrow

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Bombing of Laos

1964 Offensive: Battle of Binh Gia

Attack on Camp Holloway

Operation Flaming Dart

Operation Rolling Thunder

American ground war

Battle of Đồng Xoài

Battle of Ia Drang

Battle of Dak To

Tet Offensive

Battle of Hue

If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America

Massacre at Huế

US Morale collapse

Mỹ Lai Massacre

Operation Commando Hunt

Vietnamization

Vietnamization

Operation Menu

Operation Giant Lance

US Withdrawal

Cambodian campaign

Kent State shootings

US Congress repeals Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Pentagon Papers

Easter Offensive

Operation Linebacker

Paris Peace Accords

US. Exit and Final Campaigns

1975 spring offensive

Hue–Da Nang Campaign

Fall of Saigon

Epilogue

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