The Vietnam War is one of the largest military conflicts taking place in the second half of the 20th century. In the culture of the USA and Vietnam, he left a noticeable mark and took a significant place in the recent history of these countries.
The war in southern Vietnam began as a civil war. Then North Vietnam intervened in it, with the support of China and the USSR, the USA and a number of other countries. So, on the one hand, there was a struggle for the reunification of the two parts of Vietnam itself to create an indivisible state, and on the other, to maintain the independence of the southern part of the country.
As events unfolded, the war intertwined with the parallel civil wars in Cambodia and Laos. All military operations that took place in 1950-1975 in Southeast Asia are called the Second Indochina War.
The reasons for the Vietnam War were quite simple. The communist regime of the president of North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union. In turn, the United States was afraid that in the future the influence of the USSR would spread and military bases would emerge in the immediate vicinity of the United States.
In addition, there were geopolitical reasons. The presence of a naval base on the territory of Vietnam would make it possible to control the sea route to Japan and China from the Indian Ocean, as well as the main sea route Europe-Far East.
Control (military, economic, or at least political) of the whole of Vietnam would give the possibility of confident influence on the neighboring countries - Laos and Cambodia, and through them - on Malaysia, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), and also guarantee a number of additional opportunities in case of confrontation with By China.
The war in Vietnam among the inhabitants of this country was called the American or the Liberation. At the same time, it became civilian, during which the political opposing parties of the country fought among themselves, and such, when there was a struggle with the American invaders who seized power in the southern part.
In 1955, when Vietnam was liberated from the power of France and ceased to be its colony, it split into two parts. The northern part was supported by the USSR, since it was under the control of the Communist Party, and the southern was actually controlled by the United States. According to the Geneva Agreement, the country was subject to unification, and therefore, the further holding of the presidential election.
This decision was rejected by the president of the southern part - Ngo Din Zyem. As a response, the organization of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, one of the leaders of the country's Communist Party, followed. Accordingly, Ngo Dean Zyem secured the support of the United States, which introduced troops in the early 60s into the territory of South Vietnam.
It was here that the war in Vietnam took place until August 1964, and then the northern part of the country was drawn into it. All this has become protracted. The American side had the power of modern technology, and for the Vietnamese, this struggle was fought for the freedom and independence of their own country. This is precisely what gave them confidence, desperate courage and the will to win.
And only in 1973, on January 27, the parties signed the Paris Peace Agreement, which prescribed a ceasefire throughout Vietnam. Although the Vietnam War completely ended in fact in 1975, when the South Vietnamese troops surrendered the city of Saigon on April 30.
It was only in 1976 that the constitution of the new state was adopted, now called the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh became its first president.
Over the years, the Vietnamese have lost a huge amount of equipment, ammunition and the population, including the civilian. But the losses of the US Air Force in Vietnam were very significant: 2,255 planes and helicopters, including from enemy fire 1737. But the most severe were the losses from anti-aircraft missile systems delivered from the USSR.