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

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

[PhilipDK5800]

The soundtrack to this episode is really great :D

[toadster058]

Good documentary. I can only respect the Vietminh, the NLF guerillas, and the North Vietnamese: they fought two wars, one against the French, and won that fight, and then against the Americans and the South Vietnamese, and won that too against a massive enemy. They fought and fought and never surrendered. The Vietminh, NLF guerillas, and North Vietnamese showed immense resolve, discipline, endurance, and courage against enormously powerful enemies.

[reggiegulle]

the vietnamese people were only looking for a government that would give them more opportunities to enjoy better lives. the French government failed them. the American-backed South Vietnam republic also failed to reach that goal. it is only understandable that the Vietnamese would be forced to rely on another ally to help them reach their objectives. China and Russia came along.

[CharlieDoan]

@airsoftguy85rocks YOU WISH

[mitsubishidiamante]

so this was the begining of American and Veatnam War

[mitsubishidiamante]

@gdx32

lol youre funny

[airsoftguy85rocks]

@airsoftguy85rocks damn, really? I gotta go check the news again! last time I saw the news was a couple weeks ago

[Magni56]

@airsoftguy85rocks

A border conflict ending with more than 40,000 dead and 70,000 wounded on both sides. That's one hell of a border incident. And I don't see the Vietnamese apologising for a war started by China. (Also, the US economy is hardly "going lower". Neither is that of Vietnam, which is in fact growing nicely and is expected to continue that trend for decades to come.)

[airsoftguy85rocks]

@Magni56

it wasn't really a war, more like a border conflict, but when Vietnam's economy falls low enough, Vietnam will probably apologize for the incident.

[Magni56]

@airsoftguy85rocks

Newsflash: Vietnam and China aren't exactly buddies these days. Haven't been since the war they had in 1979.

[airsoftguy85rocks]

@CharlieDoan

Look at USA's Economy; going lower and lower while China's economy goes up! When Vietnam's economy is low enough, China will help it's former ally.