Vietnam War

The Vietnam War grew out of the conflict that followed the end of French colonial rule in Indochina. After France was defeated in 1954, the Geneva Accords temporarily divided Vietnam near the 17th parallel. The communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, controlled the north, while the State of Vietnam and, from 1955, the Republic of Vietnam governed the south.

Elections planned for 1956 were not held. The United States supported South Vietnam, while North Vietnam received major aid from the Soviet Union and China. From the late 1950s, fighting intensified between the South Vietnamese government, communist forces in the south known as the Viet Cong, and North Vietnamese forces. In 1965, the United States sent large numbers of combat troops and expanded its air campaign.

The war also affected Laos and Cambodia. In the United States, opposition grew as casualties rose and television brought the conflict into homes. The Tet Offensive of 1968 weakened confidence in a quick victory, although communist forces suffered heavy losses. The United States later reduced its direct combat role through Vietnamization, while peace talks continued in Paris.

The Paris Peace Accords, signed in January 1973, led to the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces, but fighting continued. In April 1975, North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon and South Vietnam’s government collapsed. Vietnam was formally reunified in 1976 as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The war caused enormous human losses, widespread destruction and lasting environmental damage, with deep political and social consequences.