BERLIN WALL AROUND THE WORLD!!!!

After the Berlin Wall was destroyed in 1989, segments of the wall were preserved to remind us of this series of historical events. Here are some segments of the walls preserved around the world. Enjoy! =)

In Belgium, BrusselsIn London, outside the Imperial War MuseunIn South Korea, SeoulIn USA, SpartanburgIn USA, New York

In USA, Los Angeles, Wendes MuseumIn Germany, Berlin, Potsdamer PlatzIn Taiwan, TaipeiIn South Africa, Cape TownIn Singapore, Bedok resevoir

For a list of Berlin wall segments, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Berlin_Wall_segments (all the segments of the wall may not be listed there)

Berlin Wall Topic Inquiry

Berlin Wall Topic Inquiry

Why did the communists initiate the Berlin Wall/Inner German Border?

The communist mainly did this in defense of securing a part of Germany to itself. As mentioned in the previous post, Germany was seen by both US and USSR as an important asset in determining the fate of recovering Europe. Whoever had control of Germany, would set a trend for Europe. Hence it was important for both communist and capitalist to prevent German reunification under the hands of the other party. The communist were thus very strong-headed and would turn to all means to secure East Germany. Their economy were virtually on the edge of collapse with so many intellectual youths migrating to West Germany and many East Germans who were in search of freedom were defecting and seeking West Germany for help. If too many East Germans defected, very soon the whole of Germany would be in favor of the capitalist way of ruling their country and the Soviets would lose an important foothold in their quest to spread communism around the world. Hence the best solution was to prevent this migration of civilians by building a wall to restrict them.

How did the West react to this?

President John F. Kennedy was virtually helpless. He did not really did much and simply accepted this as a fact of international events. This was mainly because he wanted to avoid a conflict. All he could do was to defend the West Germans in Berlin by sending troops to West Berlin. He did not want to try and defend the East Germans as he knew that some of them prefered the Soviets and knew that by doing so would result in a humiliating failure. Furthermore, Kennedy knew that West Germany was practically far from the Soviets grasps as he knew many East Germans who migrated over before the wall had allowed West Germans to perceive a bad impression of the Soviets. Kennedy even made use of this fact to produce propaganda posters that showed how the Wall was a form of restriction method adopted by the Soviets.

Post By Poh Yu Quan

The Berlin Wall + the Inner German Border

Who?

Joseph Stalin – Leader of USSR from 1922 to 1953

John F. Kennedy – President of USA from 1961 to 1963

Nikita Khruschev – Leader of USSR from 1953 to 1964

German People – Mainly the citizens of defeated Germany which was split into 4 occupation zones to help it recover after WWII

The erection of the Berlin Wall and the Inner German Border was a result of the tension caused after WWII during the Cold War and not during the WWII. During this period, civilians of Germany were affected as they stood and watched their country divided into 2 between the external powers (Allies – US, Britain and France, Communist – USSR)

What?

After WWII, Germany was split into 4 occupation zones (US, Britain, France and USSR) to help Germany recover. As tension built up in Germany and also from the Cold War, the US merged with British and French occupation zones in an attempt to prevent communist reunification of Germany. Hence West Germany (Allies) and East Germany (USSR) was formed.

Until 1952, clear borders of East and West Germany were not very clear and people could cross over, so East German leaders met up with Joseph Stalin who advised them to draw the line. Hence, the Inner German Border was erected and civilians from East Germany were prevented to enter the West and vice versa. However there was a loophole which was exploited. East Germans who resented the Soviets entered West Germany through West Berlin. When the numbers became larger and more obvious, the Soviets decided erect a wall around West Germany, hence the construction of the Berlin Wall began.

When?

The Berlin Wall lasted from 1961 to 1989.

The Inner German Border was established in 1945 and lasted to 1989 as well

How?

The Inner German border between the two German states was closed, and a barbed-wire fence erected. The border between the Western and Eastern sectors of Berlin, however, remained open, although traffic between the Soviet and the Western sectors was somewhat restricted. Hence Berlin was a place of escape for many East Germans to enter West Germany.

On August 13^th, 1961, the police and units of the East German army began to close the border with West Berlin was closed. East German troops and workers had begun to tear up streets running alongside the border to make them impassable to most vehicles, and to install barbed wire entanglements and fences along the 156km around the three western sectors, and the 43km that divided West and East Berlin.

To prevent ‘conflicts’ about USSR invading West Berlin, the border was built just inside East Berlin. Later it was built up into the Wall proper, the first concrete elements and large blocks being put in place on August 15. During the construction of the Wall, National People's Army and Combat Groups of the Working Class soldiers stood in front of it with orders to shoot anyone who attempted to resist. Additionally, chain fences, walls, minefields, and other obstacles were installed along the length of the inner-German border between East and West Germany.

Why?

In the early 1950s, civilians of the Eastern Bloc wanted to defect to other countries as they were much less restricted and economically better than the Soviet system, hence many East Germans wanted to cross the borders to West Germany, especially when there were no clear borders as to where West Germany separated from East Germany.

Up until 1952, the lines between East Germany and the western occupied zones could be easily crossed in most places. On April 1, 1952, East German leaders met Joseph Stalin in Moscow. Stalin's foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov proposed that the East Germans should set up borders around East Germany to restrict movement and prevent West German agents from entering East Germany.

In 1955, the Soviets gave East Germany authority over civilian movement in Berlin, passing control to a regime not recognized in the West. Initially, East Germany granted visits to allow its residents some access to West Germany. However many people who travelled to West Germany never returned and hence East Germany abolished this system to prevent any more defections.

The border in Berlin remained considerably more accessible than because it was administered by all four occupying powers. Hence, Berlin became the main route by which East Germans left for the West. When East Germany passed a law that restricted the number of refugees leaving East Germany, it unintentionally increased the number of people leaving through West Berlin by 1958. By 1958, almost a total of 20% of the East German population had escaped East Germany through West Berlin.

Also many emigrants were young and well-educated, leading to the "brain drain" feared by officials in East Germany. Yuri Andropov reported there were many young intelligent scholars in East Germany and although the East German leadership stated that they were leaving for economic reasons, further investigation has shown that it was more for political reasons. Hence there was this fear of immigration of intelligence from East Germany.

By 1960, the number of workers had decreased drastically. The direct cost of manpower losses has been estimated at $7 billion to $9 billion. In addition, the drain of East Germany's young population potentially cost it over 22.5 billion marks in lost educational investment. The brain drain of professionals had become so damaging to the political credibility and economic viability of East Germany that the re-securing of the German communist frontier by erecting the Berlin wall was imperative.

Results of the Berlin Wall

Germans could no longer travel or immigrate to West Germany. Many families were split, while East Berliners employed in the West were cut off from their jobs. West Berliners demonstrated against the wall but nothing was achieved. President John F. Kennedy who was trying to avoid a war or conflict, recognised this wall and said it that he would not challenge it. US troops were then deployed in West Berlin day by day to protect and defend the citizens as according to the Potsdam Conference, the powers of the occupation zones were allowed to cross over the borders.

Personal Reflections

Germany had been seen by both US and the USSR as a strong foothold in the recovery of Europe after WWII; hence neither superpower was willing to allow the reunification of Germany under the hands of the other party. So inevitably, Germany was dragged into the ‘crossfire’ and the lives of the civilians were greatly affected. Through this event, a war was avoided but both parties managed keep part of Germany to themselves so that it would not fall into the hands of the other party. Although USSR had violated several portions of the Potsdam agreement, the Allies practically did nothing but complained.

Superpowers

Soviets

- managed to secure East Germany and prevent many civilians from crossing over to West Germany

- prevented the reunification of Germany under the hands of the US

USA

- managed to gain the support of the Germans by not confronting the Soviets and using this event in propaganda to show the Soviets restrictions on them

- avoided a war with USSR by acknowledging the wall but also sending troops to West Berlin to defend the citizens

Civilians

Over the years, civilians of East German were restricted and confined to East Germany alone. During the years of the Wall, around 5,000 people successfully defected to West Berlin. Many people had died trying to cross over the wall but figures were not available.

Early successful escapes involved people jumping the initial barbed wire or leaping out of apartment windows along the line, but these ended as the wall was fortified. East German authorities no longer permitted apartments near the wall to be occupied, and any building near the wall had its windows boarded and later bricked up.

One case of escape was carried out on April 1963 by Wolfgang Engels, a 19-year-old civilian employee of the Nationale Volksarmee. Engels stole a Soviet armored personnel carrier from a base where he was deployed and drove it right into the wall. He was fired at and seriously wounded by border guards. But a West German policeman intervened, firing his weapon at the East German border guards. The policeman removed Engels from the vehicle, which had become entangled in the barbed wire.

Methods of escape included digging long tunnels under the wall, waiting for favourable winds and taking a hot air balloon, sliding along aerial wires, flying ultra lights, and in one instance, simply driving a car at full speed through weaker part of the fortifications. Many also tried escaping through the sewers.

By 1989, a law was passed that East Berliners were once again allowed to cross the wall. Many people gathered at the wall protesting to the guards to open the gates. Soon after people were tearing and destroying down the wall. On December 25, 1989, Leonard Bernstein gave a concert in Berlin celebrating the end of the Wall. The orchestra and choir were drawn from East and West Germany, as well as the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States.

Roger Waters performed the 21 July 1990, with guests including Bon Jovi, Scorpions, Bryan Adams, Sinéad O'Connor, Thomas Dolby, Joni Mitchell, Marianne Faithfull, Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Van Morrison. David Hasselhoff performed his song "Looking for Freedom", which was very popular in Germany at that time, standing on the Berlin wall.

Vietnam War- Topic inquiry

Why did the communists initiate the Vietnam War?

An argument for the communists would be that the people in the South were unhappy with their leaders for not implementing reforms. However, it was evident to Ho Chi Minh that he had to initiate the insurgency in the South in order to reunite the country. Furthermore, Ho Chi Minh, who led the forces to chase out the Japanese during World War II, had already declared Vietnam an independent country shortly after the Japanese surrender, but yet, the United Nations did not recognise it and instead allowed the World War II Allied forces to split the country into two parts. Even after the French returned, Ho Chi Minh's forces still chased them out with the help of the PRC, and with the fear that Ho Chi Minh, under the direction of the Soviet Union, would take over Vietnam, and subsequently the whole of Indochina, as predicted by the Domino Theory.

In another point of view, this is also seen as nationalistic rather than communist as following many revolutions in the early 20th century, many nationalists in Southeast Asia, such as Ho Chi Minh, have stood up and fought for their independence. The Vietnam War, was inevitable if Vietnam were to be reunified and free from foreign occupation/intervention.

How did the West react to this?

America, fearing that the domino theory might be true after all, installed a pro-American government in South Vietnam and brought some military aid over following the insurgency in the South.

Gradually, as the years went on and with a change in Presidents back in the United States, the military sent to Vietnam became more and the United States got more involved in the North-South Vietnam "quarrels" and sent in more troops to expand the war.

Initially, the people were supportive of Kennedy & Johnson sending troops in to assist the South Vietnamese as after all, if communism spread, the whole of Asia might fall into communist hands. America and her allies from SEATO brought troops in, but it did not help as the North Vietnamese were better trained despite the Americans having the numerical and technological advantage.

Following a series of defeats and ill-trained troops from South Vietnam and other incidents, the Americans back in America protested against US involvement in the Vietnam War, and during Nixon's presidency, the Congress of the United States banned military aid to Vietnam after 1973. Without America, South Vietnam was doomed to die, while Nixon could only stand and watch.

Vietnam, similar to Korea, maybe small, but it did have an influence on surrounding countries after the North communists took over the country as Laos overthrew their royalist government and Cambodia who did likewise. This shows that a small country may pale in size to the United States, but yet, with the success of the Vietnam War, the communists have inspired and helped two other communist regimes in Southeast Asia (SEA).

Post By Ivan Tee

Vietnam War

Who?

US Presidents: Dwight Eisenhower, John F Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson, Richard Nixon

Other US personnel: General Westmoreland (Johnson administration), Henry Kissinger (Nixon-Ford administration, National Security adviser and Secretary of State)

South Vietnam leaders: Ngo Dinh Diem (Prime Minister: 1960-1963), Nguyen Van Thieu (President: 1967-1971)

North Vietnam leaders: Ho Chi Minh, Tran Van Tra (Leading commander in Vietcong), Ton Duc Thrang (First president of Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Unified Vietnam))

What?

Vietnam, like Korea, was split into North and South. However, initially, the North was under the Nationalist Chinese while the South was under the British. It was only after the communists gained victory in China, that the North started to be more inclined towards communism. And it was once again the ideology differences and the same intention to unify the country that started the war.

When?

26 September 1959 to 30 April 1970

How?

Prelude

Before World War II, Vietnam was part of the French Indochina, which consisted of present day Laos and Cambodia as well. However, since the French was a defeated power in World War II, the British and the Nationalist Chinese split Vietnam into two charges. (Initially however, Ho Chi Minh, leader of Viet Minh, the communist movement, had declared Vietnam independent) However, after the communists took over China, they began supplying weapons to the Viet Minh to fight against the French, which sparked the First Indochina War.

(French exit)

With the French exit and declaration of independence to its former colonies at the 1954 Geneva conference, Vietnam was split into North and South Vietnam, with a demilitarized zone between the two states along the 17^th parallel. A socialist state was established in North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh, while a monarchy, non-communist state under Emperor Bao Dai, who was used as a puppet emperor during the French and Japanese occupation, was established in the South.

1954 Geneva Conference

Diem era

Ngo Dinh Diem, South Vietnam’s Prime Minister, had rejected the proposal of the UN at the Geneva Conference to hold free elections in Vietnam. While he publicly criticized the North for not being able to hold “free” elections, he knew himself that if these elections were held, he and Emperor Bao Dai would be ousted from power as Ho Chi Minh would gain a landslide victory.

Diem gradually rose to power, from being named as premier by Emperor Bao Dai to being President of the new Republic of Vietnam (The polls were rigged in his favour), and he initiated the “Denounce the Communists” campaign, during which communists and suspected communists were arrested, imprisoned, tortured or executed.

From 1956 to 1960, there were insurgents in the South, assassinating government officials initially, then gradually expanded to school teachers, healthcare workers, village heads, etc. who were mainly symbols of the current Republic. Ho Chi Minh had also mentioned to his insurgents, that they should “not engage in military operations; that will lead to defeat. Do not take land from a peasant. Emphasize nationalism rather than communism. Do not antagonize anyone if you can avoid it. Be selective in your violence. If an assassination is necessary, use a knife, not a rifle or grenade. It is too easy to kill innocent bystanders with guns and bombs, and accidental killing of the innocent bystanders will alienate peasants from the revolution. Once an assassination has taken place, make sure peasants know why the killing occurred." This strategy became known as armed propaganda.

A report from US officials, during this period, had also shown that majority of the population in the South in fact support Ho Chi Minh, which was why the four year insurgency was somewhat a success.

Kennedy’s administration

During John F Kennedy’s administration, he paid little attention to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam despite Eisenhower’s warnings about it as to Kennedy, Europe and Latin America were more important. He however, was interested in sending counterinsurgency forces to Third World countries such as Vietnam.

Kennedy also believed that Diem would ultimately defeat the guerillas on his own, and that American intervention would only lead to adverse consequences. Yet, Kennedy, upon the advice of his advisers, decided to increase military presence in Vietnam.

Also, the military was corrupt and had bad leadership, which led to the downfall of the Army of Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), and helped the guerilla insurgency gain momentum.

In response, the South Vietnam government initiated the Strategic Hamlet Programme in 1961, which aimed to resettle the rural population into fortified camps so that they were isolated from the insurgents, and were provided education and healthcare. This programme, even though it was to help the government strengthen its hold over the countryside, failed badly as the programme was soon infiltrated by the guerillas. Furthermore, the peasants hated being taken away from their villages, and paying high rents to landlords. (Government refused to implement land reforms) With increased corruption and opposition towards the programme, government officials were targeted for assassination.

The Army was evidently weak by now, and the discontent of population was starting to show. On Vesak Day, the Buddha’s birthday, Buddhists protesting against the ban of the Buddhist flag were shot down, and more protests arose, protesting over government-implemented policies which favoured the Catholics but not the Buddhists. (N.B. Almost 80% of Vietnamese are Buddhists)

By 1963, a coup to overthrow Diem was initiated and Diem, together with his brother who was a hated figure in South Vietnam already, was overthrown and executed. Following the coup, South Vietnam entered a period of political instability, as one military government toppled after the other, and North Vietnam took advantage of this to increase support to the insurgents.

Diem after executed in 1963

The US government aimed to pacify and “win over the hearts and minds” of the population, while the military, with differing views, supported fighting, and was confident of a victory by 1963.

Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration

Johnson, similar to Kennedy, was unconcerned about Vietnam initially; however, after realizing the threat a communist, unified Vietnam could bring to the region, Johnson reversed Kennedy’s disengagement policy and increased the troop number to expand the war.

President Johnson's speech on Vietnam

Both sides were rapidly expanding their armies. The Viet Cong’s army strength rose from 850000 to about a million men, while the number of US troops deployed to Vietnam rose from 2000 to 16500 in three years.

The National Security Council recommended bombing North Vietnam and the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NLF) to force North Vietnam to cease their support for the NLF in the South. However, the operations, which lasted for three years, failed badly as it killed many innocent lives while bombing the ground from an airplane.

In 1965, the expansion of the war was confirmed, and by sending US Marines to South Vietnam, it marked the beginning of the American ground war, and the US public strongly supported this as they felt that US involvement was to stop the expansion of communism. Ho Chi Minh had also warned the Americans that if they “want to make war for twenty years then we shall make war for twenty years. If they want to make peace, we shall make peace and invite them to afternoon tea.” However, it was noted by a South Vietnamese Cabinet minister that the primary goal of the war to the South Vietnamese was to reunify Vietnam and secure its independence. On the other hand, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) had a policy not to topple other non-communist government in South East Asia.

General William Westmoreland made use of the aggressive nature of the marines who were sent for defensive purposes to outline a three-point plan to win the war:

§Phase 1. Commitment of US (and other free world) forces necessary to halt the losing trend by the end of 1965.

§Phase 2. US and allied forces mount major offensive actions to seize the initiative to destroy guerrilla and organized enemy forces. This phase would be concluded when the enemy had been worn down, thrown on the defensive, and driven back from major populated areas.

§Phase 3. If the enemy persisted, a period of twelve to eighteen months following Phase 2 would be required for the final destruction of enemy forces remaining in remote base areas.

By now, the US had changed its policy from allowing the South Vietnam government to manage its own affairs to military intervention to stop the continuing loss of the AVRN. However, with the change in policy, there was a huge surge in corruption in Saigon (capital of South Vietnam, present day Ho Chi Minh City)

America had also encouraged its Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) members to bring military aid in. Despite the military escalation, the guerilla insurgents were still tactically flexible and remained elusive. In 1967, the political situation in South Vietnam was rather stabilised with the coming to power of President Nguyen Van Thieu. This long-awaited calm since Diem’s execution helped the ARVN to collaborate with its allies and become a better a better fighting force.

Back in America, however, the Johnson administration’s “policy of minimum candor” damaged public trust in official announcements, which led to the development of a credibility gap between the public and the Pentagon. Some protesters chanted phrases like “Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh! The NLF is going to win!” and, “hey, LBJ! How many boys did you kill today?” during a large anti-war demonstration in 1967.

In 1968, the NLF broke the supposed truce on Tet (Lunar New Year), and launched surprise offensives in over 100 cities, with the hope of sparking a national uprising. Though the Americans and South Vietnamese were taken aback initially, they responded quickly and effectively, and a notable example would be the Battle of Hue, where the American forces used massive firepower, which left 80% of the city in ruins. After the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese officials had acknowledged that the Tet Offensive was a failure to them and caused damage to NLF forces. Yet, the offensive had another unintended consequence…

The Tet Offensive

American man fleeing in Battle of Hue

General Westmoreland spearheaded a public relations drive for President Lyndon B. Johnson to gather public support, and in one of his speeches, he said that the war had reached a point “where the end comes into view.” With the Tet offensive, Westmoreland’s predictions were contradicted, and the credibility gap was getting wider, which effectively ended Johnson’s political career. This turn of events helped the North Vietnamese, as they had won the Americans back in America.

Vietnamization

In 1969, newly installed US President Richard Nixon began troop withdrawals due to severe communist losses in the Tet offensive. This plan, known as the Nixon Doctrine or “Vietnamization” was to build up the ARVN so that they could take over the defense of South Vietnam.

The ARVN in a training exercise

Nixon had also pursued negotiations with the North Vietnamese, détente (easing of strained relations) with the Soviet Union and rapprochement with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The détente had helped in reducing nuclear arms on both sides, though Nixon was still disappointed that the PRC and the Soviet Union continued to supply the North Vietnamese with aid.

Though Cambodia had been proclaimed neutral since 1955, the communists still used Cambodian soil as a base and Prince Norodom Sihanouk tolerated this as he did not want to be drawn into a regional conflict. Even though the US had promised him Cambodian neutrality, they still bombed the Cambodia-Vietnam border and deposed of him via Lon Nol, the prince’s pro-American prime minister.

The ARVN launched an operation aimed at cutting the Ho Chi Ming trail in Laos, however, after encountering resistance, they fled confusedly and the Americans had to help them destroy the abandoned equipment. This showed that Vietnamization was a huge failure, as these soldiers, educated by Americans for ten to fifteen years, but yet learnt very little.

By 1972, American ground troops completely withdrawn from South Vietnam, but yet, through various battles, it was evident that the ARVN was unable to defend South Vietnam, and as such the Americans kept their airpower there.

In October that year, Nixon’s National Security Adviser, Henry Kissinger, ended secret negotiations with North Vietnam’s leader Le Duc Tho after reaching an agreement. However, when South Vietnamese president Thieu demanded massive changes to the peace accord, North Vietnam went public with the agreement details, and the negotiations became deadlocked.

To show his support for South Vietnam and force North Vietnam back to the negotiating table, Nixon ordered bombings of North Vietnam and pressured Thieu to accept the agreement. In 1973, the Paris Peace Accords on “Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam” was signed and direct US involvement was ended, with a cease-fire declared across North and South Vietnam.

US bombings of North Vietnam

Exit of Americans

Under the Paris Peace Accord:

§ Beginning on 27 January 1973 at midnight, Greenwich Mean Time — in Saigon time, 08:00 on 28 January — there would be an in-place ceasefire. North and South Vietnamese forces were to hold their locations. They were permitted to resupply military materials to the extent necessary to replace items consumed in the course of the truce.

§ As soon as the ceasefire is in effect, U.S. troops (along with other foreign soldiers) would begin to withdraw, with withdrawal to be complete within sixty days. Simultaneously, U.S.prisoners of war would be released and allowed to return home. The parties to the agreement agreed to assist in repatriating the remains of the dead.

§ There would be negotiations between the two South Vietnamese parties — Saigon and the Vietcong — towards a political settlement that would allow the South Vietnamese people to "decide themselves the political future of South Viet-Nam through genuinely free and democratic general elections under international supervision."

§ Reunification of Vietnam was to be "carried out step by step through peaceful means."

As the Americans exited South Vietnam, the Vietcong was preparing to recapture the lost territories, and a massive invasion of the South, in the 1975-1976 dry season. Vietcong’s top commander, Tran Van Tra, calculated that this was the best date to launch an offensive before the ARVN could be fully trained. Even though US had completely pulled out of South Vietnam, President Nixon implied that they would intervene militarily if the communist side violated the ceasefire. However, the Congress were against it an passed the Case-Church Amendment to prohibit intervention.

South Vietnam’s economy was greatly damaged in 1973, and the Vietcong took this advantage to recapture their lost territories. It was then President Thieu announced that the Vietnam War had restarted and the Paris Peace Accord was no longer in effect. The following year, Gerald Ford took over as US President after the resignation of Richard Nixon.

Meanwhile, Tra was pushing for an offensive on South Vietnam, and the North Vietnamese launched a limited offensive on Phuoc Binh, the provisional capital of Phuoc Long province, and Ford desperately asked the Congress for funds to help the South, which the Congress refused. The fall of Phuoc Binh demoralized the South Vietnamese greatly and boosted the morale of the North Vietnamese. Even though in 1975, the South Vietnamese were more militarily capable than the North, the North were well-organised, highly determined and well-funded, and this gave the North the edge they needed over the South.

Campaign 275 was then launched by the North Vietnamese, and captured their target- Ban Me Thuot in Daklak province. In just one day, the North Vietnamese overran the ARVN. President Nguyen Van Thieu was fearful of a huge defeat to prepare for the defence of Saigon, but due to irresponsible leadership and the poor conditions of retreating paths, many ARVN troops were lost and captured by the North Vietnamese. On 20 March, Thieu contradicted his orders and ordered Hue to be held at all costs. His contradictory orders confused his officers and when the North Vietnamese launched their attack, panic overcame the ARVN forces and they retreated in a panicky manner. After just 3 days, Hue fell, and 100,000 ARVN troops without their leaders surrendered to the North.

The North then launched the final offensive against Saigon. On 7 April, they attacked Xuan Loc, and even though the North met fierce resistance at Xuan Loc, the ARVN defenders gave in and surrendered. After the loss of Xuan Loc, President Thieu resigned on the same day, declaring that the US had betrayed South Vietnam: “At the time of the peace agreement the United States agreed to replace equipment on a one-by-one basis.But the United States did not keep its word. Is an American's word reliable these days?...The United States did not keep its promise to help us fight for freedom and it was in the same fight that the United States lost 50,000 of its young men.”

By April end, the North Vietnamese troops had defeated the ARVN and encircled Saigon. The US then brought in helicopters to evacuate civilians in what was known as Operation Frequent Wind. President Gerald Ford then declared the end of the Vietnam War and all US aid.

Finally, the communists overran the city, and toppled the Saigon regime and 116 years of foreign occupation and involvement.

Why?

The communist North was determined to reunify the country and made use of peasants unhappiness with the government in the South to do so, starting with insurgencies. Furthermore, Vietnam had been under 116 years of foreign occupation and involvement, starting from the French, then the Japanese, then the British and Chinese, and finally the Americans. If the war was a success, they would be able to break free from pro-American leaders in the South and be an independent nation. Furthermore, Ho Chi Minh had already declared Vietnam independent immediately after the Japanese surrendered, which was not recognized by the US.

Results of the Vietnam War

Casualties

About one-tenth of the population was dead or injured, with the casualty count at 3.58 million civilians and 1.4 million injured on both sides.

Southeast Asia

Cambodia fell to Khmer Rouge, Laos fell to the Pathet Lao, and more than 3 million refugees from Indochina were resettled to other parts of the country, mostly United States.

Vietnam refugees escaping via Operation Frequent Wind

Personal reflections

We feel that the North had indeed made use of advantageous situations, especially when launching the final offensive. A good example was how the Tet Offensive, though a huge loss militarily to the North, had helped destabilise the American support back in America which actually helped them in the closing stages of the war.

Protest in Boston wanting American forces out of Vietnam

Also, the war is a good lesson for everyone that we should never be complacent and look down on others. The Americans had looked down on the North Vietnamese and felt that they were easy to pressure, which was proved wrong before the Paris Peace Accord was signed. As Ho Chi Minh once said: “You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours…But even at these odds you will lose and I will win.” The people the Americans were dealing with were hardcore nationalists and communists who had fought out the French just for independence.

In anything, we should always know thy enemy. Only then can we gain a huge victory.

Superpowers

Soviet Union:

Had a communist ally in Southeast Asia, a strategic place to establish a presence in.

Did not interfere much, just supplied the North with military and monetary aid.

United States:

Learnt important lessons from this war that would model their future military activities.

Civilians

Most civilians were happy that the pro-American government was ousted and that the country was reunified. They were unhappy with the previous South Vietnamese government over the fact that the government was a Catholic one, while majority of the populations were Buddhists. Also, the South Vietnamese government did not care much about the peasants, leaving them to suffer under landlords despite them continuously calling for land reforms.

Physically however, the civilians were affected by the use of chemical defoliants in the war. Some notable ones were the “Rainbow Herbicides”- which included the famous Agent Orange, which by-product is dioxin. Dioxin had caused children to be born with defects and some ill-effects on war veterans.

Post By Ivan Tee

H-1D helicopter from the 336th Aviation Company sprays a defoliation agent on a dense jungle area in the Mekong delta

Video: Sun Tzu's Art of War (孙子兵法) deployed in Vietnam