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World at War

Vietnam War

1955–1975 Southeast Asia Status: ended Casualties: ~3 million

Cold War proxy conflict. U.S. escalation peaked at 500,000 troops. The Tet Offensive (1968) turned American public opinion. Ended with the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975 and reunification of Vietnam.

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Belligerents

  • North Vietnam / NLF
  • South Vietnam / USA

Casualties

~3 million

Key events

  • 1964 — Gulf of Tonkin
  • 1968 — Tet Offensive
  • 1973 — Paris Peace Accords
  • 1975 — Fall of Saigon

Aftermath

First major US military defeat. 'Vietnam syndrome' constrained US military intervention for ~15 years (until Gulf War). Created refugee crisis (boat people, ~2M displaced). Cambodia's destabilization enabled Khmer Rouge genocide. Reshaped American politics — counterculture, distrust of government, all-volunteer force.

Weapons & matériel

  • M16 vs AK-47
  • B-52 strategic bombing (3× total tonnage of WWII)
  • Helicopter air-mobility (Huey)
  • Agent Orange (defoliant)
  • Napalm
  • F-4 Phantom
  • Booby traps & punji stakes (PAVN/VC)

Technology

Helicopter assault doctrine, smart bombs (1972), electronic warfare; trauma care advances saved many lives

Economy

War spending fueled US inflation of late 1960s–70s; collapsed Bretton Woods

Cost

~$168B (1975 dollars) ≈ ~$1 trillion in 2025; war debt drove US off gold standard (1971)

Sources

  • Stanley Karnow, Vietnam: A History
  • Pentagon Papers
  • Christian Appy
From World at War, an interactive atlas by Jairus Pereira. Figures are approximate, drawn from Wikipedia, UCDP, ACLED and academic sources — a design artefact, not an authoritative register. Contact.