The Vietnam War briefly the most important thing. Main events and stages of the war in Vietnam

“I just tremble for my country when I think that God is just,”
US President Thomas Jefferson

In the second half of the 19th century, Vietnam became a colony of France. The growth of national consciousness after the First World War led to the creation in 1941 in China of the League for the Independence of Vietnam or Viet Minh, a military-political organization that united all opponents of French power.

The main positions were occupied by supporters of communist views under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. During World War II, he actively collaborated with the United States, which helped the Viet Minh with weapons and ammunition to fight the Japanese. After the surrender of Japan, Ho Chi Minh captured Hanoi and other major cities of the country, proclaiming the formation of the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam. However, France did not agree with this and transferred an expeditionary force to Indochina, starting a colonial war in December 1946. The French army could not cope with the partisans alone, and since 1950 the United States came to their aid. The main reason for their intervention was the strategic importance of the region, guarding the Japanese Islands and the Philippines from the southwest. The Americans felt that it would be easier to control these territories if they were under the rule of the French allies.

The war continued for the next four years and by 1954, after the defeat of the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, the situation became almost hopeless. By this time, the United States had already paid more than 80% of the costs of this war. Vice President Richard Nixon recommended the use of tactical nuclear bombing. But in July 1954, the Geneva Agreement was concluded, according to which the territory of Vietnam was temporarily divided along the 17th parallel (where there was a demilitarized zone) into North Vietnam (under the control of the Viet Minh) and South Vietnam (under the rule of the French, who almost immediately granted it independence ).

In 1960, John Kennedy and Richard Nixon took part in the battle for the White House in the United States. At this time, the fight against communism was considered good form, and therefore the candidate whose program to combat the “Red Menace” was more decisive won. Following the adoption of communism in China, the US government viewed any developments in Vietnam as part of communist expansion. This could not be allowed, and therefore, after the Geneva agreements, the United States decided to completely replace France in Vietnam. With American support, South Vietnamese Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem proclaimed himself the first president of the Republic of Vietnam. His reign represented tyranny in one of its worst forms. Only relatives were appointed to government positions, whom the people hated even more than the president himself. Those who opposed the regime were put in prison, freedom of speech was prohibited. It’s unlikely that America would have liked this, but you can’t close your eyes to anything for the sake of your only ally in Vietnam.

As one American diplomat said: “Ngo Dinh Diem is certainly a son of a bitch, but he is OUR son of a bitch!”

It was only a matter of time before underground resistance units, even those not supported by the North, appeared on the territory of South Vietnam. However, the United States saw only the machinations of the communists in everything. Further tightening of measures only led to the fact that in December 1960, all South Vietnamese underground groups united into the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, called the Viet Cong in the West. Now North Vietnam began to support the partisans. In response, the US increased military assistance to Diem. In December 1961, the first regular units of the US Armed Forces arrived in the country - two helicopter companies designed to increase the mobility of government troops. American advisers trained South Vietnamese soldiers and planned combat operations. The John Kennedy administration wanted to demonstrate to Khrushchev its determination to destroy the “communist infection” and its readiness to protect its allies. The conflict grew and soon became one of the hottest flashpoints of the Cold War between the two powers. For the US, the loss of South Vietnam meant the loss of Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, posing a threat to Australia. When it became clear that Diem was not able to effectively fight the partisans, the American intelligence services, with the help of South Vietnamese generals, organized a coup. On November 2, 1963, Ngo Dinh Diem was killed along with his brother. Over the next two years, as a result of the struggle for power, another coup occurred every few months, which allowed the partisans to expand the captured territories. At the same time, US President John Kennedy was assassinated, and many fans of “conspiracy theories” see this as his desire to end the war in Vietnam peacefully, which someone really didn’t like. This version is plausible, in light of the fact that the first document that Lyndon Johnson signed as the new president was sending additional troops to Vietnam. Although on the eve of the presidential elections he was nominated as a “peace candidate,” which influenced his landslide victory. The number of American soldiers in South Vietnam rose from 760 in 1959 to 23,300 in 1964.

On August 2, 1964, two American destroyers, Maddox and Turner Joy, were attacked by North Vietnamese forces in the Gulf of Tonkin. A couple of days later, in the midst of confusion among the Yankee command, the destroyer Maddox announced a second attack. And although the ship's crew soon denied the information, intelligence announced the interception of messages in which the North Vietnamese admitted to the attack. The US Congress, with 466 votes in favor and no votes against, passed the Tonkin Resolution, giving the President the right to respond to this attack by any means. This marked the beginning of the war. Lyndon Johnson ordered airstrikes against North Vietnamese naval installations (Operation Pierce Arrow). Surprisingly, the decision to invade Vietnam was made only by civilian leadership: Congress, the President, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. The Pentagon responded with little enthusiasm to the decision to “resolve the conflict” in Southeast Asia.

Colin Powell, a young officer at the time, said: “Our military was afraid to tell the civilian leadership that this method of war led to a guaranteed loss.”
American analyst Michael Desch wrote: “Unconditional obedience of the military to civilian authorities leads, firstly, to the loss of their authority, and secondly, it frees the hands of official Washington for further adventures, similar to the Vietnam one.”

Most recently, a statement was made public in the United States by independent researcher Matthew Eid, who specializes in the history of the National Security Agency (the US intelligence agency for electronic intelligence and counterintelligence), that key intelligence about the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, which served as the reason for the US invasion of Vietnam, was falsified. The basis was a report by NSA staff historian Robert Hayniock, compiled in 2001 and declassified under the Freedom of Information Act (passed by Congress in 1966). The report suggests that NSA officers made an unintentional mistake in translating information obtained as a result of radio interception. Senior officers, who almost immediately discovered the mistake, decided to hide it by correcting all the necessary documents so that they indicated the reality of the attack on the Americans. High-ranking officials repeatedly referred to these false data in their speeches.

Robert McNamara said: “I think it is wrong to think that Johnson wanted war. However, we believed that we had evidence that North Vietnam was escalating the conflict.”

And this is not the last falsification of intelligence data by the leadership of the NSA. The war in Iraq was based on unconfirmed information on the “uranium dossier”. However, many historians believe that even without the incident in the Gulf of Tonkin, the United States would still have found a reason to take military action. Lyndon Johnson believed that America was obliged to defend its honor, impose a new round of the arms race on our country, unite the nation, and distract its citizens from internal problems.

When new presidential elections were held in the United States in 1969, Richard Nixon declared that the foreign policy of the United States would change dramatically. The United States will no longer pretend to be the overseer and try to solve problems in all corners of the planet. He reported a secret plan to end the battles in Vietnam. This was well received by the war-weary American public, and Nixon won the election. However, in reality, the secret plan consisted of the massive use of aviation and navy. In 1970 alone, American bombers dropped more bombs on Vietnam than in the last five years combined.

And here we should mention another party interested in the war - US corporations that manufacture ammunition. More than 14 million tons of explosives were detonated in the Vietnam War, which is several times more than during World War II in all theaters of combat. Bombs, including high-tonnage and now banned fragment bombs, leveled entire villages, and the fire of napalm and phosphorus burned hectares of forest. Dioxin, the most toxic substance ever created by man, was sprayed over Vietnam in an amount of more than 400 kilograms. Chemists believe that 80 grams added to New York's water supply is enough to turn it into a dead city. These weapons have continued to kill for forty years, affecting the modern generation of Vietnamese. The profits of US military corporations amounted to many billions of dollars. And they were not at all interested in a quick victory for the American army. It is no coincidence that the most developed state in the world, using the latest technologies, large masses of soldiers, winning all its battles, still could not win the war.

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul said this: “We are moving toward a softer fascism, not a Hitler-type fascism—a loss of civil liberties where corporations are in charge and the government is in bed with big business.”

In 1967, the International War Crimes Tribunal held two sessions to hear evidence about the conduct of the Vietnam War. It follows from their verdict that the United States bears full responsibility for the use of force and for the crime against peace, violating the established provisions of international law.

“In front of the huts,” recalls a former US soldier, “old men stood or squatted in the dust at the threshold. Their life was so simple, it was all spent in this village and the fields surrounding it. What do they think about strangers invading their village? How can they understand the constant movement of helicopters cutting through their blue sky; tanks and half-tracks, armed patrols padding through their rice paddies where they till the soil?

US Armed Forces Vietnam War

The "Vietnam War" or "Vietnam War" is the Second Indochina War between Vietnam and the United States. It began around 1961 and ended on April 30, 1975. In Vietnam itself, this war is called the Liberation War, and sometimes the American War. The Vietnam War is often seen as the peak of the Cold War between the Soviet bloc and China, on the one hand, and the United States and some of its allies, on the other. In America, the Vietnam War is considered the darkest spot in its history. In the history of Vietnam, this war is perhaps the most heroic and tragic page.
The Vietnam War was both a civil war between various political forces in Vietnam and an armed struggle against American occupation.

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It became one of the most important events of the Cold War period. Its course and results largely predetermined the further development of events throughout Southeast Asia.

The armed struggle in Indochina lasted more than 14 years, from the end of 1960 to April 30, 1975. Direct US military intervention in the affairs of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam continued for more than eight years. Military operations also took place in a number of areas of Laos and Cambodia.

In March 1965, 3,500 Marines were landed in Da Nang, and in February 1968, US troops in Vietnam already numbered 543 thousand people and a large amount of military equipment, accounting for 30% of the combat strength of the US Army, 30% of Army aviation helicopters, about 40% tactical aircraft, almost 13% of attack aircraft carriers and 66% of the Marine Corps. After the conference in Honolulu in February 1966, the heads of the US allied countries in the SEATO bloc sent troops to South Vietnam: South Korea - 49 thousand people, Thailand - 13.5 thousand, Australia - 8 thousand, Philippines - 2 thousand and New Zealand - 350 people.

The USSR and China took the side of North Vietnam, providing it with extensive economic, technical and military assistance. By 1965, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam had received 340 million rubles free of charge or in the form of loans from the Soviet Union alone. Weapons, ammunition and other materiel were supplied to the VNA. Soviet military specialists helped VNA soldiers master military equipment.

In 1965-1666, American-Saigon troops (over 650 thousand people) launched a major offensive with the goal of capturing the cities of Pleiku and Kontum, cutting up the NLF forces, pressing them to the borders of Laos and Cambodia and destroying them. At the same time, they widely used incendiary agents, chemical and biological weapons. However, JSC SE thwarted the enemy's offensive by launching active operations in various areas of South Vietnam, including those adjacent to Saigon.

With the beginning of the dry season of 1966-1967, the American command launched a second major offensive. Units of the SE JSC, skillfully maneuvering, avoided attacks and suddenly attacked the enemy from the flanks and rear, making extensive use of night operations, underground tunnels, communication passages and shelters. Under the attacks of the SE JSC, the American-Saigon troops were forced to go on the defensive, although by the end of 1967 their total number already exceeded 1.3 million people. At the end of January 1968, the armed forces of the NLF themselves launched a general offensive. It involved 10 infantry divisions, several separate regiments, a large number of battalions and companies of regular troops, partisan detachments (up to 300 thousand people), as well as the local population - in total about one million fighters. 43 of the largest cities in South Vietnam, including Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), and 30 most important air bases and airfields were attacked simultaneously. As a result of the 45-day offensive, the enemy lost more than 150 thousand people, 2,200 aircraft and helicopters, 5,250 military vehicles, and 233 ships were sunk and damaged.

During the same period, the American command launched a large-scale “air war” against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Up to one thousand combat aircraft carried out massive attacks on DRV targets. In 1964-1973, over two million aircraft sorties were flown over its territory, and 7.7 million tons of bombs were dropped. But the bet on an “air war” failed. The government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam carried out a massive evacuation of the population of cities to the jungle and shelters created in the mountains. The DRV Armed Forces, having mastered supersonic fighters, anti-aircraft missile systems, and radio equipment received from the USSR, created a reliable air defense system for the country, which destroyed up to four thousand American aircraft by the end of 1972.

In June 1969, the People's Congress of South Vietnam proclaimed the formation of the Republic of South Vietnam (RSV). In February 1968, the SE Defense Army was transformed into the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of South Vietnam (PVLS SE).

Major defeats in South Vietnam and the failure of the “air war” forced the US government in May 1968 to begin negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the Vietnam problem and agree to stop bombing and shelling of the territory of the South Vietnam.

Since the summer of 1969, the US administration has set a course for the “Vietnamization” or “de-Americanization” of the war in South Vietnam. By the end of 1970, 210 thousand American soldiers and officers were withdrawn from South Vietnam, and the size of the Saigon army was increased to 1.1 million people. The United States transferred to it almost all the heavy weapons of the withdrawn American troops.

In January 1973, the US government signed an agreement to end the war in Vietnam (Paris Agreement), which provided for the complete withdrawal of US and allied troops and military personnel from South Vietnam, the dismantling of US military bases, and the mutual return of prisoners of war and held foreign civilians.

Up to 2.6 million American soldiers and officers, equipped with a large amount of the most modern military equipment, participated in the Vietnam War. US spending on the war reached $352 billion. During its course, the American army lost 60 thousand people killed and over 300 thousand wounded, about 9 thousand planes and helicopters, and a large amount of other military equipment. After the withdrawal of American troops from South Vietnam, over 10 thousand American military advisers remained in Saigon under the guise of “civilians.” US military aid to the Saigon regime in 1974-1975 amounted to more than four billion dollars.

In 1973-1974, the Saigon army intensified its fighting. Its troops regularly carried out a large number of so-called “pacification operations”; the Air Force systematically bombed areas in the zone of control of the South East government. At the end of March 1975, the command of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam concentrated all remaining forces for the defense of Saigon. In April 1975, as a result of the lightning-fast operation Ho Chi Minh, North Vietnamese troops defeated the South Vietnamese army, which was left without allies, and captured all of South Vietnam.

The successful completion of the war in Vietnam made it possible in 1976 to unite the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and South Vietnam into a single state - the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

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The history of our civilization is full of bloody wars and tragedies. People do not yet know how to live in peace on one small planet, lost in cold space. War is increasingly becoming a tool for the enrichment of some at the expense of the grief and misfortune of others. In the twentieth century, the assertion that power rules the world was once again confirmed.

In early September, in the year of the final surrender of fascism, the creation of the second people's state in Asia, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, was proclaimed. Power in the country was in the hands of the communist leader Ho Chi Minh, which radically changed the geopolitical situation in the region. However, the Europeans did not intend to leave their colonies, and a new bloody war soon broke out. British troops under the leadership of General Gracie created favorable conditions for the return of French colonists instead of the promised assistance in expelling the Japanese aggressors. The Allies openly violated the provisions of the Atlantic Charter, which stated that all countries that fought against fascism would receive the long-awaited freedom. Soon, French troops landed on Vietnamese territory in order to restore their former influence in the region. However, Vietnam by this time was experiencing an incredible rise in national spirit, and the French met fierce resistance.

At the initiative of the Soviet Union, at the end of April 1954, a document was signed in Geneva recognizing the independence of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as restoring peace in the region. As a result, two parts of the country were formed, separated by a conventional border: Northern Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, and Southern, headed by Ngo Dinh Diem. If Ho Chi Minh was a leader with real authority among the local population, supported by the countries of the socialist camp, then Diem turned out to be an ordinary puppet of the West. Soon Diem lost even the semblance of popularity among the people, and a guerrilla war broke out in South Vietnam. The democratic elections planned by the Geneva Act turned out to be completely disadvantageous for the Europeans, since it became clear that Ho Chi Minh’s victory was predetermined. It should be noted that the communists from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam played an important role in the development of the partisan movement. Soon the United States intervened in the conflict, but the lightning-fast conquest of the country did not take place.

The southern part of Vietnam was almost completely covered with impenetrable jungle, in which the partisans successfully hid. Military actions, customary and effective in Europe, were inapplicable here; the communist North provided significant support to the rebels. After the Tonkin Incident, the US Air Force bombed North Vietnam. Black phantoms were sent to Hanoi and, exerting a psychological effect on the population, destroyed mainly military targets. The air defense system in the underdeveloped country was almost completely absent, and the Americans quickly felt their impunity.

Help from the USSR followed immediately. To be more precise, Soviet support for the young people's state was carried out a year before the famous meeting in 1965, but large-scale deliveries of military equipment began after the official decision was made and the issues of transportation through China were resolved. In addition to weapons, Soviet military and civilian specialists, as well as correspondents, went to Vietnam. In the famous movie “Rambo”, American directors highlight the fierce battles between the “hero” and notorious thugs from the “Russian special forces”. This work concentrates all the fear of Soviet soldiers who, according to US politicians, fought against their valiant army of half a million. So, if you consider that the number of military personnel from the USSR who arrived in Hanoi was only a little over six thousand officers and about four thousand privates, it becomes clear how exaggerated such stories are.

In reality, only officers and privates were present on the territory of North Vietnam, called up to train the local military in the management of Soviet equipment and weapons. Contrary to the expectations of the Americans, who predicted that the first results of such training would appear only after a year, the Vietnamese entered into confrontation within two months. Perhaps such an unexpected and unpleasant circumstance for the American command gave rise to suspicions that Soviet pilots, and not local soldiers, were on the enemy’s side. Legends about Bolsheviks with machine guns hiding in impenetrable jungles and attacking American civilians in Vietnam are still popular in the States today. If you believe these stories, then you can conclude that only ten or eleven thousand Soviet soldiers were able to defeat the half-million American army, and this is truly incredible. The role of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese with this approach is not at all clear.

However, it cannot be denied that the Americans had reason not to trust the USSR’s assurances about the exclusively advisory mission of military specialists. The fact is that the majority of the population of North Vietnam was illiterate. The overwhelming majority were starving, people were exhausted, so ordinary fighters did not have even a minimum reserve of stamina and strength. Young men could only withstand ten minutes of combat with the enemy. There was no need to talk about mastery in the field of piloting modern machines. Despite all of the above factors, during the first year of the confrontation with North Vietnam, a significant portion of American military aircraft were destroyed. MiGs outperformed the legendary phantoms in maneuverability, so they successfully evaded pursuit after an attack. The anti-aircraft systems, thanks to which most of the American bombers were shot down, were difficult to eliminate, since they were located under the cover of dense tropical forests. In addition, reconnaissance worked successfully, reporting fighter flights in advance.

The first months of work of the Soviet rocket scientists turned out to be extremely tense. Completely different climatic conditions, unfamiliar diseases, and annoying insects became far from the most important problem in completing the task. The training of Vietnamese comrades, who did not understand the Russian language at all, was carried out through demonstration, with the involvement of translators, who were often in short supply. However, Soviet specialists did not directly participate in the battles, since there were very few of them and they were too valuable. According to the testimony of direct participants, they did not even have their own weapons.

North Vietnamese PT-76, shot down in the battle near the Benhet special forces camp. March 1969

The American command strictly forbade shelling Soviet ships and transport, since such actions could provoke the outbreak of the Third World War, however, it was the Soviet military-economic machine that was opposed to the Americans. Two thousand tanks, seven hundred light and maneuverable aircraft, seven thousand mortars and guns, more than a hundred helicopters and much more were supplied by the USSR as free friendly assistance to Vietnam. Almost the entire air defense system of the country, which was later assessed by the enemy as impassable for any type of fighter, was built at the expense of the USSR, by Soviet specialists. The armament of the warring state took place under the most difficult conditions of constant bombing and open robbery by China. Over ten thousand Vietnamese were sent to the Union to undergo military training and learn how to use Soviet modern technology. According to various estimates, supporting friendly Vietnam cost the USSR budget from one and a half to two million dollars daily.

There is an opinion that the Soviets sent obsolete weapons to help the warring forces. In refutation, one can cite an interview with the Chairman of the Ministry of OR of Vietnam Veterans Nikolai Kolesnik, a direct participant and eyewitness to the events under study. According to him, modern MiG-21 vehicles were supplied, as well as Dvina anti-aircraft guns, the shells of which, according to the Americans, turned out to be the deadliest on earth at that time. Kolesnik notes the high qualifications of military specialists and the incredible tenacity of the Vietnamese in learning and striving to master the science of management as quickly as possible.

Despite the fact that the US authorities were well aware of the provision of military assistance to North Vietnam, all specialists, including military personnel, were required to wear exclusively civilian clothes, their documents were kept at the embassy, ​​and they learned about the final destination of their business trip at the last moment. Requirements of secrecy were maintained until the withdrawal of the Soviet contingent from the country, and the exact numbers and names of participants are not known to this day.

Relations between the USSR and Vietnam were built on the terms of “unequal friendship.” The Union was interested in spreading its influence in the region, which is why it provided such generous and selfless assistance. Vietnam collaborated with the Soviets solely for reasons of profit, successfully speculating on the position of the country fighting for independence and freedom. Sometimes they didn’t ask for help, but demanded it. In addition, direct participants often describe cases of provocations by the Vietnamese authorities.

International relations with this tropical country are still being built today by Russia as the direct successor of the Union. The political situation is developing differently, but the local population retains a feeling of gratitude to the Russian soldiers, and the heroes of that secret war are still proud of their participation in it.

Documentary investigation. Russian secrets of the Vietnam War

About 6,360 Soviet officers worked in Vietnam as military advisers - they allegedly only helped repel American air raids with the support of air defense missile systems. 13 people were officially recognized as dead. Every day of this nine-year war cost the USSR 2 million dollars.

The Americans knew very well where the Soviet camps were located, so while there were no active hostilities, they were tolerant of the Russians. Occasionally, flying planes dropped leaflets indicating the time of the bombing and inviting the Russians to leave the danger zone. The Americans' sense of complete impunity ended with a shock on July 25, 1964. This was the first battle between Soviet anti-aircraft gunners and American aircraft. On this day, three planes were destroyed by three missiles near Hanoi. The Americans experienced such horror that they did not fly for two weeks. The Vietnamese shamelessly speculated on help from the USSR and even exposed Soviet ships to attack.

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Vietnam War- one of the largest military conflicts of the second half of the 20th century, which left a noticeable mark on culture and occupies a significant place in the modern history of the United States and Vietnam.

The war began as a civil war in South Vietnam; later they interfered with it Northern Vietnam and the United States with the support of several other countries. Thus, on the one hand, the war was fought for the reunification of the two parts of Vietnam and the creation of a single state with communist ideology, and on the other, for maintaining the division of the country and the independence of South Vietnam. As events unfolded, the Vietnam War became intertwined with the parallel civil wars in Laos and Cambodia. All fighting in Southeast Asia from the late 1950s until 1975 is known as the Second Indochina War.

Chronology of the Vietnam War.

1954
May 7, 1954 - occupation of the French command post of Dien Bien Phu by Vietnamese troops; The French side gives the order for a ceasefire. As a result of the battle that lasted for 55 days, the French lost 3 thousand people killed and 8 thousand wounded. Significantly greater damage was inflicted on the Viet Minh forces: 8 and 12 thousand wounded and killed, respectively, but regardless of this, the French decision to continue the war was shaken.
1959
The creation of a special unit of the North Vietnamese Army (559th Group) specifically to organize a supply route from North Vietnam to Viet Cong forces in the south. With the consent of the Cambodian prince, the 559th group developed the simplest route along the Vietnamese-Cambodian border with forays into Vietnamese territory along its entire length (Ho Chi Minh Trail).
1961
Second floor. 1961 - Kennedy orders increased assistance to the South Vietnamese government in the fight against guerrillas. This implied the supply of new equipment, as well as the arrival of more than 3 thousand military advisers and service personnel.
December 11, 1961 - About 4 hundred Americans arrived in South Vietnam: pilots and various aviation specialists.
1962
January 12, 1962 - helicopters piloted by American pilots transferred 1 thousand soldiers to the south of Vietnam to destroy the NLF stronghold near Saigon (Operation Chopper). This was the beginning of hostilities by the Americans.
Beginning of 1962 - Operation Ranchhand began, the purpose of which was to clear vegetation adjacent to roads to reduce the risk of enemy ambushes. As hostilities progressed, the scope of the operation increased. The dioxin-containing herbicide Agent Orange was sprayed over vast forested areas. Guerrilla trails were revealed and crops were destroyed.
1963
January 2, 1963 - in one of the villages, the 514th Viet Cong battalion and local guerrilla forces ambushed the South Vietnamese 7th Division. At first, the Viet Cong were not inferior to the enemy's technical advantage - about 400 southerners were killed or wounded, and three American advisers also died.
1964
April - June 1964: Massive reinforcement of US air forces in Southeast Asia. The departure of two aircraft carriers from the Vietnamese coast in connection with the enemy offensive in Laos.
June 30, 1964 - on the evening of this day, South Vietnamese saboteurs attacked two small northern islands located in the Gulf of Tonkin. The American destroyer Maddox (a small vessel crammed with electronics) was 123 miles to the south with orders to electronically misinform the enemy about a false air attack so that he would divert his ships from the target.
04 August 1964 - Captain Maddox's report states that his ship has come under fire and an attack cannot be avoided in the near future. Despite his subsequent statement that there was no attack at all, six hours after the initial information was received, Johnson orders a retaliation operation. American bombers strike two naval bases and destroy most of the fuel supplies. During this attack, the Americans lost two aircraft.
August 7, 1964 - The American Congress passes the Tonkin Resolution, which gives the President the authority to take any action to protect Southeast Asia.
October 1964: China, North Vietnam's neighbor and ally, conducts a successful atomic bomb test.
November 1, 1964 - two days before the US presidential election, Viet Cong artillery shelled the Bien Ho air base near Saigon. 4 Americans were killed and 76 more were wounded; 5 B-57 bombers were also destroyed and 15 more were damaged.
1965
01 January - 07 February 1965: North Vietnamese troops launched a series of attacks on the southern border, temporarily capturing the village of Binh Gi, located only 40 miles from Saigon. As a result, two hundred South Vietnamese soldiers died, as well as five American advisers.
February 07, 1965 - the main US air force, located in the central foothills of South Vietnam, was attacked by an NLF sabotage landing, as a result of which 9 people were killed and over 70 were injured. This incident was followed by the immediate reaction of the American President, who ordered the US Navy to strike military targets in North Vietnam.
February 10, 1965 - A bomb explodes at the Khi Non hotel by the Viet Cong. As a result, 23 American-born employees died.
February 13, 1965 - Presidential approval of Operation Rolling Thunder - an offensive accompanied by a long bombardment of the enemy. Its goal was to end support for the Viet Cong in the southern territories.
02 March 1965 - the first bomb raids of the Operation, following a series of numerous delays.
April 3, 1965 - the beginning of the American campaign against the North Vietnamese transport system: within a month, bridges, roads and railway junctions, vehicle depots and base warehouses were systematically destroyed by the US Navy and Air Force.
April 7, 1965 - The United States made an offer of economic assistance to S. Vietnam in exchange for peace, but this offer was rejected. Two weeks later, the American president increased the US military presence in Vietnam to 60 thousand people. Troops from Korea and Australia arrived in Vietnam as international support.
May 11, 1965 - Two and a half thousand Viet Cong soldiers attack Song Bi, the South Vietnamese provincial capital and, after two days of bloody fighting both inside and around the city, retreat.
June 10, 1965 - Viet Cong expelled from Dong Xai (South Vietnamese headquarters and military camp of US Special Forces) after American air attacks.
June 27, 1965 - General Westmoreland begins an offensive ground operation northwest of Saigon.
August 17, 1965 - according to a soldier who deserted from the 1st Viet Cong regiment, it becomes obvious that an attack on the US naval base at Chu Lai cannot be avoided - so, the Americans implement Operation Starlite, which became the first large-scale battle of the Vietnam War. Using various types of troops - ground, naval and air forces - the Americans won a landslide victory, losing 45 killed and over 200 wounded, while enemy losses amounted to about 700 people.
September-October 1965: Following an attack on Play Mei (a special forces camp) by the North Vietnamese, the 1st Air Brigade "deploys formation" against enemy forces located in the immediate vicinity of the camp. As a result of this, the Battle of La Dranga took place. For 35 days, US troops pursued and engaged the 32nd, 33rd and 66th North Vietnamese regiments until the enemy returned to their bases in Cambodia.
November 17, 1965 - The remnants of the 66th North Vietnamese Regiment advance east of Play Mei and ambush an American battalion, which was not helped by either reinforcements or the competent distribution of firepower. By the end of the battle, American casualties amounted to 60% wounded, while every third soldier was killed.
1966
January 8, 1966 - Operation Crimp begins. About 8,000 people took part in this - the largest - Vietnamese military operation by the United States. The goal of the campaign was to capture the Viet Cong headquarters in the Saigon area, which was believed to be in the Chhu Chhi area. Despite the fact that the mentioned territory was virtually wiped off the face of the earth and was subject to constant patrolling, the operation was a failure, because... there was not the slightest hint of the presence of any Viet Cong base in the area at all.
February 1966 - throughout the month, US troops conducted four operations with the goal of finding and destroying the enemy during a direct collision with him.
March 05, 1966 - The 272nd Regiment of the Viet Cong 9th Division attacked the battalion of the 3rd American Brigade in Lo Que. Successful US air strikes forced the attackers to retreat. Two days later, a Viet Cong unit attacked the US 1st Brigade and a battalion of the 173rd Airborne Regiment; but the attack failed thanks to American artillery.
April - May 1966: Operation Birmingham, during which the Americans, supported by an impressive amount of air and ground equipment, cleared the area north of Saigon. A series of small-scale skirmishes with the enemy resulted in only 100 Viet Cong deaths. Most of the battles were provoked by the North Vietnamese side, which proved its elusiveness based on the results of the battles.
Late May - June 1966: In late May, the North Vietnamese 324th Division crossed the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and encountered an American naval battalion. At Dong Ha, the North Vietnamese army took on the largest battle of the entire war. Most of the 3rd Naval Division (about 5 thousand people from five battalions) moved north. In Operation Hastings, the sailors were supported by South Vietnamese troops, US Navy heavy artillery, and military aircraft, which resulted in pushing the enemy out of the DMZ within three weeks.
June 30, 1966 - on Route 13, which connected Vietnam with the Cambodian border, American troops were attacked by the Viet Cong: only air support and artillery helped the Americans avoid complete defeat.
July 1966 - About 1,300 North Vietnamese soldiers were killed in the bloody battle of Con Tien.
October 1966 - The 9th North Vietnamese Division, having recovered from the events of July, prepares for another offensive. Losses in manpower and equipment were compensated for by reinforcements and supplies from North Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
September 14, 1966 - a new operation codenamed Attleboro, in which the US 196th Brigade, together with 22 thousand South Vietnamese soldiers, began an active search and destruction of the enemy in the territory of Tay Ninh province. At the same time, the location of the supplies of the 9th North Vietnamese Division was revealed, but open conflict did not follow again. The operation ended six weeks later; The American side lost 150 people, while the Viet Cong lost over 1,000 soldiers killed.
End of 1966 - by the end of 1966, the American presence in Vietnam reached 385 thousand people, as well as 60 thousand sailors based on the shore. Over the course of the year, over 6 thousand people were killed and about 30 thousand wounded. For comparison, the enemy suffered manpower losses of 61 thousand people; however, be that as it may, by the end of the year the number of his troops exceeded 280 thousand people.
1967
January - May 1967: two North Vietnamese divisions, operating from the territory of the DMZ, dividing North and South Vietnam, began to bomb American bases located south of the DMZ, incl. Khe San, Cam Lo, Dong Ha, Con Tien and Gio Lin.
January 08, 1967 - Operation Cedar Falls begins, the goal of which was to oust North Vietnamese forces from the Iron Triangle (an area of ​​60 square miles located between the Saigon River and Route 13. About 16 thousand American soldiers and 14 thousand soldiers The South Vietnamese Army was brought into the Triangle without encountering the expected large-scale resistance, enemy supplies were captured, and a total of 72 people were killed during the 19-day operation (mostly due to numerous booby traps and snipers appearing literally out of nowhere). The Viet Cong lost about 720 people killed.
February 21, 1967 - 240 helicopters operating over Tai Ning province took part in the largest air assault (Operation Junction City); This operation set itself the task of destroying enemy bases and headquarters on the territory of South Vietnam, stationed in Combat Zone “C” north of Saigon. About 30 thousand American soldiers took part in the operation, as well as about 5 thousand South Vietnamese soldiers. The duration of the operation was 72 days. The Americans again succeeded in capturing large quantities of supplies, equipment and weapons without any large-scale battles with the enemy.
April 24, 1967 - attacks on North Vietnamese airfields begin; The Americans caused enormous damage to enemy roads and structures. By the end of the year, all northern MIG bases were hit, with the exception of just one.
May 1967 - desperate air battles over Hanoi and Hai Phong. The Americans' successes included 26 downed bombers, which reduced the enemy's air power by about half.
Late May 1967 - in the mountains of South Vietnam, the Americans intercepted enemy units moving inland from Cambodian territory. Hundreds of northern soldiers were killed over nine days of prolonged fighting.
Autumn 1967 - the development of the “Tet strategy” takes place in Hanoi. Arrest of 200 officials opposing this strategy.
1968
Mid-January 1968 - a grouping of units of three Viet Cong divisions near the naval base in Khe San (a small territory in the north-west of South Vietnam). The feared enemy forces forced the US command to assume the threat of a large-scale offensive in the northern provinces.
January 21, 1968 - at 5.30 a.m. a fire attack began on the naval base located in Khe San, immediately killing 18 people and injuring 40. The attack lasted two days.
January 30-31, 1968 - on the day of the Vietnamese New Year (Tet holiday), the Americans launched a series of attacks throughout South Vietnam: in more than 100 cities, subversive saboteurs, supported by troops, intensified. By the end of the urban fighting, some 37,000 Viet Cong had been killed and many more had been wounded or captured. The result of these events was more than half a million civilian refugees. Most of the battle-hardened Viet Cong, political figures and secret service representatives were wounded; As for the partisans, for them the holiday completely turned into a disaster. This event seriously shook public opinion in the States, despite the fact that the Americans themselves lost only 2.5 thousand people killed.
February 23, 1968 - shelling of the naval base and its outposts in Khe San; the number of shells used was unprecedentedly high (over 1300 units). Local shelters were fortified to counter the 82mm used by the enemy. shells.
March 06, 1968 - while naval forces were preparing to repel a massive enemy assault, the North Vietnamese retreated into the jungle surrounding Khe San and did not show themselves for the next three weeks.
March 11, 1968 - Americans carried out large-scale cleansing operations around Saigon and other territories of South Vietnam.
March 16, 1968 - massacre of civilians in the village of My Lai (about two hundred people). Despite the fact that only one of the participants in that massacre was actually found guilty of war crimes, the entire American army fully experienced the “recoil” of that terrible tragedy. Although extremely rare, cases such as this serve the army disservice, nullifying all civic activity carried out by army units and individual soldiers, and also raise age-old questions about the code of conduct in war.
March 22, 1968 - massive fire attack on Khe San. Over a thousand shells hit the territory of the base - about a hundred per hour; At the same time, local electronic devices noted the movements of North Vietnamese troops in the surrounding area. The American response to the attack was a massive bombing of the enemy.
April 8, 1968 - The result of Operation Pegasus carried out by the Americans was the final capture of Route 9, which put an end to the siege of Khe San. Lasting for 77 days, the Battle of Khe San became the largest battle of the Vietnam War. The official death toll on the North Vietnamese side was over 1,600 people, incl. two completely destroyed divisions. However, beyond those officially stated, there may have been thousands of enemy soldiers wounded or killed as a result of air raids.
June 1968 - the presence of a powerful, highly mobile American army on the territory of Khe San and the absence of any threat to the local base from the enemy prompted General Westmoreland to decide to dismantle it.
November 01, 1968 - After three and a half years, Operation Rolling Thunder came to an end. Its implementation cost the United States 900 downed aircraft, 818 missing or dead pilots, and hundreds of captured pilots. About 120 Vietnamese aircraft were damaged in air battles (including those shot down by mistake). According to American estimates, 180 thousand North Vietnamese civilians were killed. There were also casualties among the Chinese participants in the conflict - among them, about 20 thousand people were injured or killed.
1969
January 1969 - Richard Nixon assumed the presidency of the United States. Speaking about the “Vietnamese problem,” he promised to achieve “a peace worthy of [the American nation]” and intended to conduct successful negotiations on the withdrawal of American troops (numbering about half a million soldiers) from the conflict territory in the interests of South Vietnam.
February 1969 - Despite government restrictions, Nixon approved Operation Menu, which consisted of bombing North Vietnamese Viet Cong bases in Cambodia. Over the next four years, American aircraft dropped over half a million tons of bombs on the territory of this country.
February 22, 1969 - During a large-scale attack by enemy assault groups and artillery on American bases throughout South Vietnam, 1,140 Americans were killed. At the same time, South Vietnamese cities were attacked. Despite the fact that all of South Vietnam was engulfed in the flames of war, the most brutal battle took place near Saigon. Be that as it may, American artillery, operating in conjunction with aviation, managed to suppress the offensive launched by the enemy.
April 1969 - the number of deaths during the Vietnam conflict exceeded the same figure (33,629 people) during the Korean War.
June 08, 1969 - Nixon met with the President of South Vietnam (Nguyen Van Thieu) on the Coral Islands (Midway); During the meeting, the American president made a statement calling for the immediate withdrawal of 25,000 soldiers in Vietnam.
1970
April 29, 1970 - South Vietnamese forces attack and dislodge Viet Cong bases from Cambodia. Two days later, an attack by American troops took place (numbering 30 thousand people, including three divisions). The "cleansing" of Cambodia took 60 days: the location of Viet Cong bases in the North Vietnamese jungle was revealed. The Americans “requisitioned” 28,500 weapons, over 16 million small ammunition and 14 million pounds of rice. Despite the fact that the enemy managed to retreat across the Mekong River, he suffered significant losses (over 10 thousand people).
1971
08 February 1971 - Operation Lam Son 719: Three South Vietnamese divisions arrived in Laos to attack two main enemy bases and were caught in a trap. Over the next month, more than 9,000 South Vietnamese were killed or wounded; Over 2/3 of ground combat equipment, as well as hundreds of American aircraft and helicopters, were disabled.
Summer 1971 - despite the ban on the use of dioxin by the US Department of Agriculture back in 1968. Spraying of dioxin-containing substances (Agent Orange) in Vietnam continued until 1971. In South Vietnam, Operation Ranchhand used 11 million gallons of Agent Orange, containing a total of 240 pounds of dioxin, effectively turning over 1/7 of the country into desert.
1972
January 1, 1972 - Over the previous two years, two-thirds of US troops were withdrawn from Vietnam. At the beginning of 1972 There were only 133 thousand Americans left in the country (South Vietnam). The burdens of the ground war now lay almost entirely on the shoulders of the southerners, whose armed forces numbered over 1 million people.
March 30, 1972 - massive artillery shelling of South Vietnamese positions across the DMZ. More than 20 thousand Viet Cong crossed the DMZ, forcing the retreat of South Vietnamese units who tried unsuccessfully to defend themselves. According to intelligence data, an attack on the positions of Southeast Asia was expected from the north, but not from the demilitarized territories.
April 1, 1972 - North Vietnamese soldiers advance towards the city of Hue, defended by a South Vietnamese division and a US naval division. However, by April 9, the attackers were forced to suspend the assault and replenish their strength.
April 13, 1972 - Thanks to the support of tanks, North Vietnamese troops took control of the northern part of the city. But, despite this, 4 thousand soldiers of Southeast Asia, supported by elite aviation units, continued to defend themselves and fiercely counterattack. The power of the American B-52 bombers was also on their side. A month later, Viet Cong troops left the city.
April 27, 1972 - Two weeks after their first attack, NVA fighters advanced towards the city of Quang Tri, forcing the South Vietnamese division to retreat. By the 29th, the Viet Cong captured Dong Ha and, by May 1, Quang Tri.
July 19, 1972 - Thanks to US air support, the South Vietnamese began attempting to retake Binh Dinh Province and its cities. The battles lasted until September 15, by which time Quang Tri had turned into shapeless ruins. One way or another, the NVA fighters retained control of the northern part of the province.
December 13, 1972 - failure of peace negotiations between the North Vietnamese and American sides in Paris.
December 18, 1972 - by order of the president, a new “bombing campaign” began against the NVA. Operation Linebacker Two lasted 12 days, including a three-day period of continuous bombing by 120 B-52 aircraft. The attacks were carried out on military airfields, transport targets and warehouses located in Hanoi, Hai Phong and their environs. The bomb tonnage used by the Americans in this operation exceeded 20 thousand tons; They lost 26 aircraft, the loss in manpower amounted to 93 people (killed, missing or captured). Acknowledged North Vietnamese casualties range between 1,300 and 1,600 dead.
1973
January 8, 1973 - resumption of the "Paris" peace negotiations between North Vietnam and the United States.
January 27, 1973 - a ceasefire was signed by the warring parties participating in the Vietnam War.
March 1973 - The last American soldiers left Vietnamese lands, although military advisers and sailors who were protecting local American installations remained. The official end of the war for the United States. Of the more than 3 million Americans who took part in the war, almost 58 thousand died and over 1 thousand people were missing. About 150 thousand Americans were seriously injured.
1974
January 1974 - Despite the fact that the NVA lacked the capabilities to carry out a large-scale offensive, it captured key southern territories.
August 9, 1974 - Nixon's resignation - South Vietnam lost the main representative of its interests in the highest political circles of the United States.
December 26, 1974 - capture of Dong Xai by the 7th North Vietnamese Army Division
1975
January 6, 1975 - NVA captured the city of Hok Long and the entire surrounding province, which was, in fact, a disaster for their southern neighbors, as well as a violation of the Paris Peace Agreement. However, there was no proper reaction from the United States.
March 01, 1975 - a powerful offensive on the territory of the central mountain range of South Vietnam; the losses of the southerners during their chaotic retreat amounted to 60 thousand soldiers.
All of March 1975 - during its next attack on the cities of Quang Tri, Hue and Da Nang, the NVA deployed 100 thousand soldiers. The support of eight fully equipped regiments ensured her success in capturing Quang Tri Province.
March 25, 1972 - The third largest South Vietnamese city of Quang Tri is captured by the NVA.
Beginning of April 1972 - in five weeks of its military campaign, the NVA achieved impressive successes, capturing twelve provinces (over 8 million inhabitants). The Southerners lost their best units, more than a third of their personnel and approximately half of their weapons.
April 29, 1972 - the beginning of mass airlifts: in 18 hours, over 1 thousand American citizens and almost 7 thousand refugees left Saigon on US planes.
April 30, 1972 - at 4.30 in the morning, two American sailors were killed during a missile attack at Saigon's Tan Son Nhut Airport - these were the last US casualties of the war. At dawn, the last representatives of the naval forces from the security of the American embassy left the country. Just a few hours later, the embassy was searched; NVA tanks entered Saigon, marking the end of the war.
Chairman of the Presidium of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation N.N. Kolesnik

During the war years, the Americans rained down 14 million tons of bombs and shells on the long-suffering land of Vietnam, poured thousands of tons of toxic substances, burned tens of thousands of hectares of jungle and thousands of villages with napalm and herbicides. More than 3 million Vietnamese died in the war, more than half of them were civilians, 9 million
Vietnamese became refugees. The enormous human and material losses caused by this war are irreparable; the demographic, genetic and environmental consequences are irreparable.
On the American side, more than 56.7 thousand people senselessly died in Vietnam, approximately 2,300 military personnel went missing, more than 800 thousand returned wounded, maimed and sick, more than half of the 2.4 million people. who went through Vietnam, returned home spiritually broken and morally devastated and are still experiencing the so-called “post-Vietnam syndrome”. Studies conducted in the United States among Vietnam War veterans showed that for every physical loss in a combat situation, there were at least five casualties in the post-war period.
From August 1964 to December 1972, 4,118 American aircraft were shot down over North Vietnam by Vietnamese air defense and air forces, incl. 1293 sold by Soviet missiles.
In total, the United States spent 352 billion dollars on waging this shameful war.
According to the former Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR A.N. Kosygin, our assistance to Vietnam during the war cost 1.5 million rubles. in a day.
For the period from 1953 to 1991. USSR assistance to Vietnam amounted to 15.7 billion dollars.
From April 1965 to December 1974 The Soviet Union supplied Vietnam with 95 SA-75M anti-aircraft missile systems, 7,658 missiles for them, over 500 aircraft, 120 helicopters, more than 5 thousand anti-aircraft guns and 2 thousand tanks.
During this period, 6,359 Soviet officers and generals and more than 4.5 thousand soldiers and sergeants of conscript service took part in hostilities in Vietnam, while 13 people (according to some sources, 16 people) were killed or died from their wounds and illnesses.
For courage and heroism shown in the battles in Vietnam, 2,190 military personnel were awarded Soviet military orders and medals, incl. 7 people were nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but for reasons of the political situation of that time, the Order of Lenin was awarded to them without the gold stars of the Hero. In addition, more than 7 thousand Soviet military specialists were awarded Vietnamese orders and medals.
(Chairman of the Presidium of the Association of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation N.N. Kolesnik)

Combat during the Vietnam War

In the spring of 1954, a meeting was convened in Geneva to discuss the conditions for ending the war in Indochina (1946–1954), which was attended, on the one hand, by representatives of the national liberation forces and communists of Vietnam, and on the other, by the French colonial government and its supporters. The meeting opened on May 7, the day the French military base at Dien Bien Phu fell. The meeting was attended by representatives of France, Great Britain, the USA, the USSR, China, Cambodia, Laos, as well as the Vietnamese government of Bao Dai, supported by the French, and the government of the Viet Minh (Vietnam Independence League) led by Ho Chi Minh. On July 21, a ceasefire agreement was reached, which provided for the withdrawal of French troops from Indochina.

The main points of the agreement on Vietnam provided for: 1) the temporary division of the country into two parts approximately along the 17th parallel and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between them; 2) a ban on the build-up of weapons in both parts of the country; 3) creation of an international control commission consisting of representatives of India, Poland and Canada; 4) holding general elections to the parliament of a united Vietnam on July 20, 1956. The United States and Bao Dai's government refused to sign the agreement, but the American side assured that it would not resort to force to disrupt it. Bao Dai claimed that the Western powers had betrayed his interests, but it was clear that, under pressure from the USSR and China, the Viet Minh had made far greater concessions than could have been expected from them, given their military victory.

After the French left, the Ho Chi Minh government quickly consolidated its power in North Vietnam. In South Vietnam, the French were replaced by the United States, which viewed South Vietnam as the main link in the security system in the region. The American domino doctrine assumed that if South Vietnam became communist, then all neighboring states of Southeast Asia would fall under communist control.

Indochina. War and Peace

Ngo Dinh Diem, a well-known nationalist figure with a high reputation in the United States, became the Prime Minister of South Vietnam. At first, Ngo Dinh Diem's ​​position was very precarious due to infighting among his supporters, due to clashes of interests of the religious and political sects that dominated in various regions of the country, as well as because of the long-standing antagonism between the southerners, residents of Central Vietnam and, as a rule, more educated and politically active northerners. Diem managed to consolidate his power by the end of 1955, splitting his opponents by force, suppressing the resistance of various sects, developing a public works program and beginning limited land reform. After this, the prime minister held a referendum, removed Bao Dai from power and proclaimed himself head of state. However, starting from the late 1950s, economic stagnation began to increase in the country, repression, corruption, and discrimination against Buddhists and southerners intensified. Nevertheless, the United States continued to provide full support to the Ngo Dinh Diem government.

In 1956, Ngo Dinh Diem, with the tacit support of the United States, refused to hold a national referendum on the issue of reunification of the country. Convinced that the peaceful unification of the country had no prospects, Vietnamese nationalist and communist forces launched an insurgency in the rural areas of South Vietnam. The political leadership of the movement was carried out from North Vietnam, and practically the rebels were led by former members of the Viet Minh, who remained in South Vietnam after the division of the country and went underground. After the start of the uprising, it was joined by southerners who fled to the north after 1954 and underwent political and military training there. Well-versed in local conditions, knowledgeable of people and even linguistic dialects, the rebels tried to enlist the support of the peasants by promising them land (Ngo Dinh Diem's ​​limited land reform did not have the desired effect) and appealing to their national feelings.

Vietnamese guerrillas on the march

In December 1960, as it became apparent that Ngo Dinh Diem's ​​regime was gradually losing control of the countryside, North Vietnam announced the unification of the rebels into the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NSLV), a Communist-led coalition that included various religious, nationalist and social groups . The armed wing of the NLF, known as the National Liberation Army, consisted of local militia, provincial military units and elite shock battalions. The South Vietnamese government called these forces the Viet Cong (using this term to refer to all Vietnamese communists). The political program of the NLF provided for the replacement of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime with a democratic government, the implementation of agrarian reform, the implementation by South Vietnam of a policy of neutrality in the international arena, and, finally, the unification of the country through the negotiation process.

In 1961, the Viet Cong controlled a significant territory of South Vietnam and could block traffic on the country's roads at almost any time. American military advisers were convinced that a large-scale invasion from the north should be expected, as was the case in Korea, and recommended that Ngo Dinh Diem create a regular army with an extensive command and control system, equip it with heavy weapons and artillery. But such an army turned out to be unable to effectively withstand the rapid attacks of the partisans. Thus, maintaining security in rural areas fell on the shoulders of an undertrained and poorly armed national police force, which was also often infiltrated by guerrillas. Another serious problem was the massive flow of weapons into the hands of the Viet Cong, either during the fighting or through defectors.

D.F. Kennedy holds a meeting on the situation in Southeast Asia. March 1961

The rapid weakening of the position of the South Vietnamese government forced the United States to provide it with additional military assistance in 1961, which made it possible to temporarily improve the situation in 1962. To support military operations, Ngo Dinh Diem began a program to create “strategic villages”, which included building defensive structures in the villages, training local self-defense units in tactics to repel Viet Cong attacks before the arrival of government troops, and turning them into centers for health care, secondary education and agricultural training. . It was assumed that eventually the peasants would stop supplying the partisans with food and supplying them with recruits and information. However, the social situation of the peasants hardly changed for the better, so the government was unable to protect the “strategic villages” from partisan attacks, and corrupt officials often robbed the rural population.

In 1963, in the face of intensified militant Buddhist opposition and under American pressure demanding a change in political course, Ngo Dinh Diem was removed as a result of the first of a series of military coups. His successors focused on strengthening security, primarily in the Saigon area, but by 1964 the central government more or less controlled only 8 of the 45 South Vietnamese provinces, and the Viet Cong were pushing back government troops in almost every other area of ​​the country. Although it was officially reported that thousands of Viet Cong were killed, the number of guerrillas, taking into account only their permanent contingent, was estimated at 35 thousand people. In addition, it was believed that these regular guerrilla forces were supported by armed detachments numbering approx. 80 thousand people, whose members worked on the land during the day and fought at night. Moreover, there were approx. 100 thousand active supporters of the Viet Cong, who carried out important reconnaissance missions and organized the supply of military units with food and weapons. Among the population of South Vietnam as a whole, there was an increase in sentiment in favor of ending the war, but there was also growing dissatisfaction with the corruption of the regime, its inability to provide security and a basic set of services.

On August 2, 1964, the USS Maddox, a destroyer patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin, approached the coast of North Vietnam and was allegedly attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Two days later, under unclear circumstances, another attack was carried out. In response, President L. Johnson ordered the American air force to strike North Vietnamese naval installations. Johnson used these attacks as a pretext to get Congress to pass a resolution in support of his actions, which later served as a mandate for an undeclared war.