✦ History

Vietnam War

November 1, 1955 – April 30, 1975

North Vietnam, backed by the Soviet Union and China, fought South Vietnam, backed by the U.S. and its allies, in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, 1955-1975. U.S. involvement escalated from 1965 until the 1973 Paris Peace Accords withdrawal; the 1975 Spring Offensive and fall of Saigon ended the war, and the two Vietnams reunified in 1976. 970,000-3 million Vietnamese and 58,220 American dead.

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Battles 12

January 2, 1963
Battle of Ap Bac Battle of Ap Bac
November 14–18, 1965
Battle of Ia Drang Battle of Ia Drang
August 18, 1966
Battle of Long Tan Battle of Long Tan
November 3–23, 1967
Battle of Dak To Battle of Dak To
January 21 – July 9, 1968
Siege of Khe Sanh Siege of Khe Sanh
January 31 – March 2, 1968
Battle of Huế Battle of Huế
March 16, 1968
Mỹ Lai massacre Mỹ Lai, Quảng Ngãi William Calley, Ernest Medina
May 10–20, 1969
Battle of Hamburger Hill Battle of Hamburger Hill
April 29 – July 22, 1970
Cambodian campaign Cambodian campaign
April 13 – July 20, 1972
Battle of An Lộc Battle of An Lộc
June 28 – September 16, 1972
Second Battle of Quảng Trị Second Battle of Quảng Trị
April 9–21, 1975
Battle of Xuân Lộc Battle of Xuân Lộc

Key commanders

South Vietnam and allies 15

John F. Kennedy President, United States · 1917–1963 Lyndon B. Johnson President, United States · 1908–1973 Richard Nixon President, United States · 1913–1994 Robert McNamara Secretary of Defense · 1916–2009 Clark Clifford Secretary of Defense · 1906–1998 Melvin Laird Secretary of Defense, Oversaw Vietnamization · 1922–2016 James R. Schlesinger Secretary of Defense · 1929–2014 Ngo Dinh Diem President of South Vietnam · 1901–1963 Nguyễn Văn Thiệu President of South Vietnam · 1923–2001 Dwight D. Eisenhower President, United States · 1890–1969 Gerald Ford President, United States · 1913–2006 Henry Kissinger National Security Advisor, Negotiated the 1973 Paris Peace Accords · 1923–2023 William Westmoreland Commander, MACV · 1914–2005 Creighton Abrams Commander, MACV · 1914–1974 Dean Rusk Secretary of State · 1909–1994

North Vietnam and allies 7

Lê Duẩn First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Vietnam · 1907–1986 Ho Chi Minh President of North Vietnam · 1890–1969 Mao Zedong belligerent leader, China sent aid and support troops to North Vietnam · 1893–1976 Leonid Brezhnev General Secretary of the CPSU, Soviet Union armed North Vietnam · 1906–1982 Võ Nguyên Giáp Commander of the People's Army of Vietnam · 1911–2013 Phạm Văn Đồng Prime Minister of North Vietnam · 1906–2000 Lê Đức Thọ Chief negotiator, Negotiated the 1973 Paris Peace Accords · 1911–1990

Other 2

William Calley perpetrator · 1943–2024 Ernest Medina perpetrator · 1936–2018