Vietnam at war

At the conclusion of the Second World War, Vietnamese communist and nationalist forces led by Ho Chi Minh, and known as the Viet Minh, declared independence from the country’s French colonial masters. France fought a protracted but ultimately unsuccessful campaign to retain control, finally acknowledging defeat after a disastrous reversal at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The subsequent peace agreement led to what was intended to be a temporary division of the country, which left North Vietnam under Viet Minh control, whereas South Vietnam was home to France’s ex-allies in the country. Soon, communist guerrillas known as Viet Cong began waging an armed insurrection in South Vietnam, which the regime struggled to deal with.

Concerned about the spread of communism, the US offered increasing amounts of aid to South Vietnam, which developed into a major military commit- ment by the mid-1960s, with hundreds of thousands of American troops serving in the country. Meanwhile, the North Vietnamese received aid from China and the Soviet Union. Despite US military might, the insurgency continued and in January 1968 the major Tet Offensive by communist forces revealed the continued strength of the Viet Cong and North Vietnam.

Growing American domestic opposition to the conflict, which had extended into neighbouring Cambodia and Laos, prompted peace talks between the US and North Vietnam, eventually resulting in a 1973 ceasefire and US withdrawal. However, the communist forces continued their campaign against South Vietnam, reunifying the country in 1976. In a conflict studded with brutality by all sides, more than 2 million Vietnamese lost their lives, alongside 55,000 American servicemen.