The Vietnam War is one of the deadliest and longest wars in history. It took place from November 1, 1955, to April 30, 1975, in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. It was the second Indochina War. This war was fought between the North Vietnamese, who supported the Soviet Union and their enemies, and the government forces of the South Vietnamese, who supported the Americans and their allies. The war was considered a cold war; it lasted almost 20 years and was ended by NVA tanks. They went through the gate of the presidential palace in Saigon, which effectively ended the war.
Cause of the war:
Travel back to World War II, when the French ended the Indochina War in 1954. One year after that, Vietnam was divided into two parts: the communist government of Ho Chi Minh controlled the south, and the western government of Ngo Dinh Diem controlled the south. Then the US started getting involved in wars, and then communism started spreading to South Vietnam. Then the US saw the war as a chance to support South Vietnam and prevent the spread of communism in the country. And then, in 1955, America started sending supplements to South Vietnam so they could attack it. The situation came in 1964, when the Americans accused North Vietnam of attacking their ship in Tonkin.
Was the Vietnam War so bad?
The Vietnam War was known for how long and deadly it was. It was fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. It was also known for being one of the most conservative wars in US history. The Vietnam War was a disaster from its bad beginning until its tragic end.
How long was the war? : It lasted for the last 20 years, and half of Vietnam's land got demolished because of bombs and nukes. After the Cold War in the United States, it is one of the Vietnam War's most important domestic legacies, and There was also an ongoing war between the Soviet Union and the United States. Taxes: During the war, the world had to raise its taxes so it could spend more money on weapons.
How many people died in the war?
The Vietnam War was a disaster; it killed over four million Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans; millions more Vietnamese and Americans would be wounded by shellshock; and the war was so close to ripping Vietnam asunder. Many more have suffered from physical and psychic trauma, Thailand and China were also involved in the war. Both Laos and Cambodia also got hit by American bombs. And most of it happened in 1963. Most of the Vietnamese soldiers have died at Charles Benjamin "Chuck" Mawhinney's hands.
Charles Benjamin "Chuck"Mawhinney
was an American soldier; he holds the record for the most killed in the Vietnam War. He had killed 103 confirmed kills and 216 probable kills in 16 months in Vietnam.
Graph
As you can see on this graph, between 1959 and 1973, there were over 3,000 US soldiers serving in Vietnam. The year with the most US soldiers serving in Vietnam was 1968, with over 536,100, and the year with the fewest was 760. The year with the most US soldiers serving in Vietnam was 1968, with over 536,100, and the year with the fewest was 760. The reason was because the US thought 760 was enough to steal for the Vietnam War.
What did the soldiers eat to survive in the war?
Food wasn't easy to get during the war, so for the Vietnamese soldiers, they didn’t really have any food because of resources. So here is what they have to eat.
Snake, when the soldiers ran out of food, they had to go to start hunting in the forest. They would mainly hunt for snakes, the reason for that is, When you eat snakes, they will give you a lot of protein, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, B1, and B2. And snakes also help you stay awake so you don’t get tired. But Some soldiers didn’t know how to cook it. So they died of poison.
Dogs-cats, When Both of the Vietnamese - Americans soldiers run out of resources, and can’t find anything to eat, They will start eating their pets. It is Understandable that the soldier had to stay alive to keep fighting and finding food.
Bread-Coffee: for Vietnamese-American soldiers, the most common foods given to them are bread, coffee, and salt pork. But it wasn’t enough for the soldier to stay alive. And some of the food was also poisonous.
Did the Vietnam War impact other countries?
Vietnam has affected the economies in many ways, not only in the US and Vietnam but in other countries in Asia as well, especially in Asia, like America, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, the Soviet Union, and China. The reason for that is that it has a lot of impact on other countries, results in massive loss of lives in other countries, and has a divisive effect on the nation. The war had led to social unrest, particularly among the young generation. It also had a substantial economic impact by contributing to inflation and the national debt.
China: Vietnam also had a really big impact on China, China was also part of the Vietnam war. They were supporting Northern Vietnam. They played a critical role in the Vietnam war. China had several effects during the Vietnam war. Mainly for economic consequence. Vietnam had a big impact on China's economy, China was sending a lot of soldiers, aid, weapons, and resources to help North Vietnam. They had spent a lot of money to help Vietnam until they ran out of money and resources.
America: America had a large loss during and after the war. They were known for sending over 2 million soldiers to the war. Majority of their money was invested into weapons and armory for the troops that were being dispatched. At a certain point (near the end of the war) the American president refused to raise the country’s taxes in order to fund the war. Because they were constantly losing a lot of money, this was one of the only options for them. America was impacted heavily especially citizen wise as well because the country had lost over 50,000 men.
Laos-Cambodia: Laos and Cambodia are both neighbors with Vietnam. So they had a lot of impact during the Vietnam war. During the war, Both of them got hit by heavy bombs by the United States and Vietnam. It caused a lot of destruction and a lot of people got hit by it. And a lot of soldiers from both countries had to be part of the war.
Conclusion
Overall, In conclusion, the Vietnam War was difficult and drawn-out, there was a lot of blood and tears, and a lot of civilians and soldiers had passed away. Well , lucky the war ended after 20 years. If the war keeps on going until today, I can't imagine how bad it is.