The Vietnam War was one of the longest Wars in the history of America (1959-1975) and the only war that America has ever lost. This War was between the North and South of Vietnam. North Vietnam was in control of the Vietnamese communists who didn't agree with France, while South Vietnam was governed by Vietnamese who worked with the French. By 1965, the United States wanted to help so they sent troops to South Vietnam to keep it from falling apart. It was not successful, in 1976 Vietnam was under communist control. War between these two sides broke out which led to the death toll of about 58 thousand Americans and the death of about 1.5 to 2 million Lao and Cambodians in the war. The United States had got involved in the war because policy makers believed that if the entire country became communists and the government followed communism then South Asia would follow the same. This belief was known as the "domino theory." Because America was losing so much troops they turned to a chemical weapon to help them out. They used Agent Orange. They used this chemical weapon to attack the Viet Cong. Its primary use was to kill all living plants and all foliage because the Viet Cong would often use this as coverage and they would hide behind and in plants and ambush the American troops, When it hit the Viet Cong, it killed thousands of Vietnamese and most of the % of Vietnam's forest and vegetation. 
The end of the Vietnam War. In 1973, the Americans and North Vietnamese signed a peace deal which saw the withdrawal of the majority of American troops from South Vietnam. The war between North and South Vietnam continued, Without American support, the South Vietnamese government could not hold back the forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnam. In April 1975 the world watched in horror as Saigon was captured by the communists and thousands of South Vietnamese people fought to get on the last US helicopters to leave the city. The Vietnam War was over and the country had been reunited under communist rule - something America had spent 20 years, billions of dollars and 55 000 dead soldiers trying to stop. http://www.stonesoup.coop/peace/vietnam_moratorium.htm |
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