History 2710
The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was the longest military conflict in U.S.
history. The hostilities in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia claimed the lives of
more than 58,000 Americans. Another 304,000 were wounded. The Vietnam War was a
military struggle fought in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975, involving the North
Vietnamese and the National Liberation Front (NLF) in conflict with United
States forces and the South Vietnamese army. From 1946 until 1954, the
Vietnamese had struggled for their independence from France during the First
Indochina War. At the end of this war, the country was temporarily divided into
North and South Vietnam. North Vietnam came under the control of the Vietnamese
Communists who had opposed France and who aimed for a unified Vietnam under
Communist rule. The South was controlled by Vietnamese who had collaborated with
the French. In 1965 the United States sent in troops to prevent the South
Vietnamese government from collapsing. Ultimately, however, the United States
failed to achieve its goal, and in 1975 Vietnam was reunified under Communist
control; in 1976 it officially became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. During
the conflict, approximately 3 to 4 million Vietnamese on both sides were killed,
in addition to another 1.5 to 2 million Lao and Cambodians who were drawn into
the war.
Reading:
Additional information:
1945-1950 1971-1975 |
1951-1955 1976-1980 |
1956-1960 1981-1985 |
1961-1965 1986-1990 |
1966-1970 1991-1997 |
Discussion Topics:
Project #12: Viet Nam Generation: A Journal of Recent History and
Contemporary Issues was founded in 1988 by
Kalí Tal. It has been the journal of record in Sixties and Viet Nam war
studies since its inception. Do to lack of funds and understaffing there have
been no new issues of the journal produced since 1996. However the issues are
on line as part of The Sixties Project. Read an article, summarize and
comment.