Battlefield Vietnam: Ep 1 "Dien Bien Phu - The Legacy" (2/6)

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975. The war was fought between the communist North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other member nations of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO).

The Vietcong, the lightly armed South Vietnamese communist insurgency, largely fought a guerrilla war against anti-communist forces in the region. The North Vietnamese Army engaged in a more conventional war, at times committing large-sized units into battle. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search-and-destroy operations, involving ground forces, artillery and air strikes.

The United States entered the war to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam as part of a wider strategy called containment. Military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s and combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive. Under a policy called Vietnamization, U.S. forces withdrew as South Vietnamese troops were trained and armed. Despite a peace treaty signed by all parties in January 1973, fighting continued. In response to the anti-war movement, the U.S. Congress passed the Case-Church Amendment in June 1973 prohibiting further U.S. military intervention. In April 1975, North Vietnam captured Saigon. North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year.
Battlefield Vietnam explores some of the most important battles fought during the Vietnam War. There are detailed battlefield descriptions and graphics, accompanied by actual combat footage. The narrator speaks throughout the series, without interviews of actual battle veterans. Detailed analysis of the battle including leaders, commanders, soldiers and weapons is presented. Events preceding the featured battle are included, as well as some aftermath details.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Battlefield
• Vietnam
• Second
• Indochina
• War
• Conflict
• Laos
• Cambodia
• North
• South
• Vietcong
• Army
• NVA
• guerrilla
• communist
• US
• United
• States
• Hanoi
• Saigon
• America
• campaign
• France
• French
• Dien
• Bien
• Phu
• Soviet
• Ho
• Chi
• Minh
• Trail
• Johnson
• Westmoreland
• Operation
• Tet
• Offensive
• Air
• Force
• helicopter
• Vietnamization
• combat
• search
• destroy
• Vietnamese
• Asia
• China
• Khe
• Sahn
• Rolling
• Thunder
• DMZ

[impalabeeper]

@schueaj

He's fricking 100 years old!!

[schueaj]

I believe General Giap is still alive. He must have some amazing stories to tell.

[colt35]

the only brave army are the dead body, not the surrending army.

[PhilWigg]

the french haven't had a very good run lately, but anyone of an unbiased opinion would concede that that have fought well and bravely for the last 100 years. some, or much, of their leadership has lacked modern understanding, and many of their policies have been flawed. but to think that any of the Soldiers at Dien Bien Phu (minus some leadership) were less than outstanding is a crazy notion.

[TheSteffen1223]

there should be a korean war documentary like this.

[funkeemon]

@vladimir2147 The French can not fight at all.

[vladimir2147]

well i posted those comment because of anti french comments i could read which is very disgreasfull for them ( and im not french) , in history we should allways be fair to each parts, thats my point

[GreenGeckoStudios]

@Vladimir2147

I notice you have been putting these kind of comments on most of these Battlefield Vietnam videos... Would you stop? No one cares about French bravery, we just wanna watch a tv show telling us about the Indochina war!

[Johnnyonthespot516]

I used to watch this series when I was fourteen. It had a profound impact on me.

That song they use in background sometimes comes to mind when I least expect it.

[vladimir2147]

french army fought with an amazing bravour in this war, sadistic ho chi minh army torture and starved to death the prisonners after the extraordinary fight they did in dienbien phu for months without supply and outnombered ( 15 000 french agaisnt 90 000 communists)