South Vietnam | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia See also: Geneva Conference (1954) , Operation Passage to Freedom , and 1955 State of Vietnam referendum Before World War II, the southern third of Vietnam was the colony of Cochinchina, which was administered as part of French Indochina by a governor in Hanoi. The northern two-thirds of Vietnam was the protectorate of Annam , which had a Vietnamese emperor as well as parallel French and Vietnamese systems of administration. Cochinchina had been annexed by France in 1862 and even elected a deputy to the French National Assembly . It was more "evolved" , and French interests were stronger than in other parts of Indochina , notably in the form of French-owned rubber plantations . During World War II, Indochina was administered by Vichy France and occupied by Japan. When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, Emperor Bảo Đại abdicated, and Viet Cong leader Hồ Chí Minh proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) in Hanoi. French administration was restored in the South in September 1945.

In June 1946, France declared Cochinchina a republic within French Indochina . Hồ purged non-communist politicians from the DRV. The French Indochina War began in 19 December 1946, with the French regaining control of Hanoi and other northern cities. The State of Vietnam was created through co-operation between anti-communist Vietnamese and the French government on 14 June 1949. Former emperor Bảo Đại accepted the position of chief of state (quoc truong). This was known as the "Bảo Đại Solution." The colonial struggle in Vietnam became part of the global Cold War in October 1949 when a victorious Chinese communist army arrived on Vietnam's northern border. In 1950, China, the Soviet Union and other communist nations recognized the DRV while the United States and other non-communist states recognized the Bảo Đại government. In July 1954, France and the Viet Minh (later the Viet Cong) agreed at the Geneva Conference that the State of Vietnam would rule the territory south of the 17th parallel , pending unification on the basis of supervised elections in 1956.

At the time of the conference, it was expected that the South would continue to be a French dependency. However, South Vietnamese Premier Ngô Đình Diệm , who preferred American sponsorship to French, rejected the agreement. When Vietnam was divided, 800,000 to 1 million North Vietnamese, mainly (but not exclusively) Roman Catholics, sailed south as part of Operation Passage to Freedom due to a fear of religious persecution in the North. 1955–1963 See also: 1955 State of Vietnam referendum and Battle for Saigon In July 1955, Diệm announced in a broadcast that South Vietnam would not participate in the elections specified in the Geneva accords. [2] As Saigon's delegation did not sign the Geneva accords, it was not bound by it. [2] He also said the communist government in the North created conditions that made a fair election impossible in that region. This view was confirmed by independent observers from Canada, India, and Poland. [3] Diệm held a referendum on 23 October 1955 to determine the future of the country. He asked voters to approve a republic, thus removing Bảo Ðại as head of state.

The poll was supervised by his younger brother, Ngô Ðình Nhu . Diệm was credited with 98 percent of the votes. In many districts, there were more votes to remove Bảo Ðại than there were registered voters. In Saigon, 133 percent of the registered population reportedly voted to remove Bảo Ðại. On 26 October 1955, Diệm declared himself the president of the newly proclaimed Republic of Vietnam. [4] The French, who needed troops to fight in Algeria , completely withdrew from Vietnam by April 1956. [5] Diệm attempted to stabilize South Vietnam by defending against Viet Cong activities. He launched an anti-communist denunciation campaign (To Cong) against remnants of the communist Viet Cong. He acted against criminal factions by launching military campaigns against three powerful main sects; the Cao Dai , Hoa Hao and the Binh Xuyen organised crime syndicate whose military strength combined amounted to approximately 350,000 soldiers. Throughout this period, the level of U.S. aid and political support increased.

1963–1973 Edit Scene of a Việt Cộng bombing in a residential area of Saigon, 1965. In accordance with the Paris Peace Accords signed with North Vietnam on 27 January 1973, U.S. military forces withdrew from South Vietnam. North Vietnam was allowed to continue supplying communist troops in the South, but only to the extent of replacing materials that were consumed. The communist leaders had expected that the ceasefire terms would favour their side. But as Saigon began to roll back the Viet Cong, they found it necessary to adopt a new strategy, hammered out at a series of meetings in Hanoi in March 1973, according to the memoirs of Trần Văn Trà . As the Vietcong's top commander, Trà participated in several of these meetings. A plan to improve logistics was prepared so that the North Vietnamese Army would be able to launch a massive invasion of the South, projected for 1976, before Saigon's army could be fully trained. A gas pipeline would be built from North Vietnam to Vietcong headquarters in Loc Ninh, about 60 miles (97 km) north of Saigon.

On 15 March 1973, U.S. President Richard Nixon implied that the U.S. would intervene militarily if the communist side violated the ceasefire. Public reaction was unfavourable and on 4 June 1973 the U.S. Senate passed the Case-Church Amendment to prohibit such intervention. The oil price shock of October 1973 caused significant damage to the South Vietnamese economy. The Vietcong resumed offensive operations and by January 1974 it had recaptured the territory that it had lost earlier. After two clashes that left 55 South Vietnamese soldiers dead, President Thieu announced on 4 January that the war had restarted and that the Paris Peace Accord was no longer in effect. There were over 25,000 South Vietnamese casualties during the ceasefire period. [6] In August 1974, Nixon was forced to resign as a result of the Watergate scandal and the U.S. Congress voted to reduce assistance to South Vietnam from $1 billion a year to $700 million. By this time, the Ho Chi Minh Trail , once an arduous mountain trek, had been upgraded into a drivable highway with gasoline stations.

In 1975, the communists of North Vietnam launched an offensive in the South, which became known as the Ho Chi Minh Campaign . The Army of the Republic of Vietnam unsuccessfully attempted a defense and a counterattack. It had few remaining operational tanks and artillery pieces, as well as a shortage of spare parts, and ammunition. The NVA had a vastly greater supply of new equipment and ammunition. As a consequence, South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was forced to withdraw key army units from the Central Highlands , which exacerbated an already-perilous military situation and undercut the confidence of the ARVN soldiers in their leadership. The retreat became a rout. The cities of Huế, Da Nang and Da Lat in central Vietnam quickly fell, and the North Vietnamese advanced southwards. As the military situation deteriorated, ARVN troops started deserting. Thieu requested aid from U.S. President Gerald Ford , but the U.S. Senate would not release extra money to provide aid to South Vietnam, and had already passed laws to prevent further involvement in Vietnam. In desperation, Thieu called back Nguyen Cao Ky from retirement as a military commander, but resisted calls to name his old rival prime minister.

Fall of Saigon: April 1975 Edit Nguyễn Văn Thiệu resigned on 21 April 1975, and fled to Taiwan. He nominated his Vice President Tran Van Huong as his successor. A last-ditch defense was made by the ARVN 18th Division at the Battle of Xuan Loc led by Major General Lê Minh Đảo . After only one week in office, Tran Van Huong handed over the presidency to General Duong Van Minh ("Big Minh"). Minh was seen as a more conciliatory figure toward the North, and it was hoped he might be able to negotiate a more favourable settlement to end the war. The North was not interested in negotiations, however, and its tanks rolled into Saigon largely unopposed which led to the fall of Saigon . Acting President Minh unconditionally surrendered the capital city of Saigon and the rest of South Vietnam to North Vietnam on 30 April 1975. [7] During the hours leading up to the surrender, the United States undertook a massive evacuation of its embassy in Saigon, Operation Frequent Wind . The evacuees included U.S.

government personnel as well as high-ranking members of the ARVN and other South Vietnamese who were seen as potential targets for persecution by the Communists. Many of the evacuees were taken directly by helicopter to multiple aircraft carriers waiting off the coast. An iconic image of the evacuation is the widely seen footage of empty Huey helicopters being jettisoned over the side of the carriers, to provide more room on the ship's deck for more evacuees to land. The evacuation was forced to stop by the U.S. Navy . All the marines and diplomats were evacuated, but thousands of South Vietnamese waited vainly atop the U.S. Embassy on 22 Gia Long Street for helicopters that never came. Relationship with the United States See also: 1955 South Vietnamese election , 1960 South Vietnamese coup attempt , 1962 South Vietnamese Independence Palace bombing , Buddhist crisis , Huế Vesak shootings , Xa Loi Pagoda raids , 1963 South Vietnamese coup , Arrest and assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem , and 1964 South Vietnamese coup South Vietnam went through many political changes during its short life.

Initially, the nation was a republic with former Emperor Bảo Đại as Head of State. He was unpopular however, largely because monarchical leaders were considered collaborators during French rule and because he had spent his reign absent in France. In 1955, Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem rigged a referendum , which ended with a 98% vote in favour of deposing Bao Dai. In Saigon, Diem was credited with 133% of the vote and he went on to proclaim himself the president of the newly formed Republic of Vietnam. Despite successes in politics, economics, and social change in the first 5 years, Diem quickly became a dictatorial leader. With the support of the United States government and the CIA , ARVN officers led by General Duong Van Minh staged a coup and killed him in 1963. The military held a brief interim military government until General Nguyen Khanh deposed Minh in a January 1964 coup. Until late 1965, multiple coups and changes of government occurred, with some civilians being allowed to give a semblance of civil rule overseen by a military junta.

In 1965, the feuding civilian government voluntarily resigned and handed power back to the nation's military, in the hope this would bring stability and unity to the nation. An elected constituent assembly including presentatives of all the branches of the military decided to switch the nation's system of government to a parliamentary system with a strong President. There was a bicameral National Assembly consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives , which came into being in 1967. Military rule initially failed to provide much stability however, as internal conflicts and political inexperience caused various factions of the army to launch coups and counter-coups against one another, making leadership very tumultuous. The situation stabilised in mid-1965 when the Vietnam Air Force chief Nguyen Cao Ky became Prime Minister, with General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu as the figurehead chief of state. In 1967, South Vietnam held its first elections under the new system. Following the elections, however, it switched back to a presidential system. The military nominated Nguyễn Văn Thiệu as their candidate, and he was elected with a plurality of the popular vote. Thieu quickly consolidated power much to the dismay of those who hoped for an era of more political openness.

He was re-elected unopposed in 1971, receiving a suspiciously high 94% of the vote on an 87% turn-out. Thieu ruled until the final days of the war, resigning in April 1975. Duong Van Minh was the nation's last president and unconditionally surrendered to the Communist forces a few days after assuming office. South Vietnam was formerly a member of ACCT , Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), International Finance Corporation (IFC), IMF, International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (Intelsat), Interpol , IOC, ITU , League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS), UNESCO and Universal Postal Union (UPU). In terms of human rights, Diem's regime "compared favorably with other Asian governments of the same period in its respect for the person and property of citizens." [12] A summary of human rights under the Thieu regime was provided by Congressman Leo Ryan , who was a strong critic of U.S. policy in Vietnam: "Although South Vietnam is no bastion of democratic principles, the worst charges of widespread repression of fundamental human rights are overblown.

There is a vocal, operative political opposition and press. It is not doubted that there are some political prisoners, but neither the populace as a whole nor the opposition political leaders appear to be living in fear of government repression." [13] Political prisoners in South Vietnam numbered only in the thousands. [14] According to Robert F. Turner, "In terms of physical characteristics, the so-called "tiger cages" compared favorably with some isolation facilities in this country. Designed for one prisoner, but, because of overcrowded conditions, often used to imprison three, they measured roughly five by ten feet at the ground and were just under ten feet high. The "pits" were above ground and were protected from the elements by a normal roof ten feet above the ceiling bars. They weren’t good—few prison cells are—but they were far less horrible than we were led to believe by the critics." [15] Provisional Revolutionary Government Main article: Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam Following the surrender of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces on 30 April 1975, the Vietcong , or Provisional Revolutionary Government , established itself in Saigon as the government of South Vietnam.

However, it had no real autonomy and was under the control of North Vietnam, and was largely seen as a puppet government. The PRG was dissolved in July 1976 when it merged with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) to become the current Socialist Republic of Vietnam . Army Main article: Army of the Republic of Vietnam On 26 October 1956, the military was reorganised by the administration of President Ngo Dinh Diem who established the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN, pronounced "arvin"). Early on, the focus of the army was combating the guerrilla fighters of the Vietcong , or National Liberation Front, an insurgent movement supplied by North Vietnam. The United States, under President Kennedy sent advisors and a great deal of financial support to aid ARVN in combating the Vietcong. ARVN and President Diem began to be criticised by the foreign press when the troops were used to crush southern religious groups like the Cao Dai and Hoa Hao as well as to raid Buddhist temples , which Diem claimed were harboring Communist guerrillas.

In 1963, Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated in a coup d'état carried out by ARVN officers led by Duong Van Minh ('Big Minh'), supported by the CIA. In the confusion that followed Big Minh took power, but was only the first in a succession of ARVN generals to assume the presidency of South Vietnam in a period of intense political instability. During these years, the United States began taking full control of the war against the NLF and the role of the ARVN became less and less significant. They were also plagued by continuing problems of severe corruption among the officer corps. Although the U.S. was highly critical of them, the ARVN continued to be entirely U.S. armed and funded. CIDG Unit training The value of the ARVN was highly questionable in this period. In 1963, at the Battle of Ap Bac , some 1,400 ARVN troops were defeated by only 350 Vietcong guerrillas. The battle of Dong Xoai in 1965 was another humiliating ARVN defeat. Generals tended to be political appointees and corruption was rampant.

Starting in 1969, President Nixon started the process of so-called "Vietnamization", withdrawing American forces and leaving the ARVN to fight the war against the North Vietnamese. Slowly, ARVN began to expand from its counter-insurgency role to become the primary ground defense against the Vietcong and North Vietnamese. From 1969 to 1971 there were about 22,000 ARVN combat deaths per year. Starting in 1968, South Vietnam began calling up every available man for service in the ARVN, reaching a strength of a million soldiers by 1972. In 1970 they performed well in Cambodia and were executing 3 times as many operations as they had during the American war period. However, the officer corps was still the biggest problem, and after the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, the ARVN lacked necessary military supplies and weapons as a result of a cutback of U.S. financial aid and assistance. Relations with the public also remained poor as their only counter to Vietcong organising was to resurrect the Strategic Hamlet Program , which many peasants resented.

However, forced to carry the burden left by the Americans, the South Vietnamese army actually started to perform rather well, and in 1970 was winning the war against the Communists, though with continued American air support. The exhaustion of the North was becoming evident, and the Paris talks gave some hope of a negotiated peace, if not a victory for the North Vietnamese. Since 1973, the war shifted in favor of the Viet Cong, who were well-equipped, funded and aided by their communist allies, the USSR and the China , than the South was by the Americans. The most crucial moment of truth for the ARVN came with General Vo Nguyen Giap 's 1972 Easter Offensive , the first all-out invasion of South Vietnam by the communists. It was code-named Nguyễn Huệ after the Vietnamese emperor who defeated the Chinese in 1789. The assault combined infantry wave assaults, artillery and the first massive use of tanks by the North Vietnamese. ARVN took heavy losses, but to the surprise of many, managed to hold their ground. South Vietnamese Self-Defense Force of Kien Dien on patrol U.S.

President Richard Nixon dispatched more bombers to provide air support for ARVN when it seemed that South Vietnam was about to be overrun. In desperation, President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu fired the incompetent General Hoàng Xuân Lãm and replaced him with ARVN's best commander, General Ngo Quang Truong . He gave the order that all deserters would be executed and pulled enough forces together so that the North Vietnamese army failed to take Huế. Finally, largely as a result of U.S. air and naval support , as well as determination by ARVN soldiers, the Easter Offensive was halted. After the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973, all U.S. military forces withdrew from South Vietnam and theoretically the war officially ended, however clashes between ARVN and Vietcong forces continued. In 1975, the North Vietnamese again invaded the South. Lacking U.S. air support, the ARVN could not hold them back. City after city fell to the Communists with ARVN soldiers joining the civilians trying to flee south. The North called this the " Ho Chi Minh Campaign ". All resistance crumbled.

Faced with few viable options, the South tried to form a coalition government that would be palatable to the Communists, one that favored negotiated peace and neutrality. The new coalition government was headed by General Duong Van Minh (Big Minh), one of the organisers of the coup in November 1963, with the full support of the CIA and President Kennedy, that killed President Ngo Dinh Diem. General Cao Van Vien , then Colonel and Commander of the Airborne Brigade, had been captured and held by the Big Minh faction and threatened with execution unless he ordered his troops to join the coup. He refused and was held captive until the end of the coup and was released only because of his close friendship with one of the coup leaders. Because the new coalition government would be headed by Big Minh, General Vien immediately submitted his resignation to then President of South Vietnam Tran Van Huong , who succeeded President Thieu as President. President Huong, knowing the 1963 coup history, granted General Vien's resignation request, (Vien had submitted his resignation to President Thieu many times and had always been turned down). General Vien then escaped to the U.S. as a civilian once his resignation was effective and formalised.

The situation in South Vietnam further deteriorated. The ARVN tried to defend Xuan Loc , their last line of defense before Saigon. The ARVN forces were greatly outnumbered by the advancing North Vietnamese army. Xuan Loc was taken and on 30 April 1975, initiated the Fall of Saigon . The North Vietnamese army captured the city, placing the Vietcong flag over the Independence Palace. General Duong Van Minh , recently appointed president by Tran Van Huong , unconditionally surrendered the city and government bringing the Republic of Vietnam and also the Army of the Republic of Vietnam to an end. Media Edit There were four AM and one FM radio stations, all of them owned by government (VTVN), named Radio Vietnam. One of them was designated as a nationwide civilian broadcast, another was for military service and the other two stations included a French language broadcast station and foreign language station broadcasting in Chinese, English, Khmer and Thai. Radio Vietnam started its operation in 1955. Television Edit Television was introduced to South Vietnam on 7 February 1966 with black-and-white FCC system.

Covering major cities in South Vietnam, started with a one-hour broadcast per day then increased to six hours in the evening during the 1970s. There were two main channels: THVN-TV (Truyền hình Việt Nam-TV) on channel 9, featuring Vietnamese-language shows, news, and special announcements from Saigon. This entirely Vietnamese-language channel catered to the Vietnamese populace. NWB-TV on channel 11, broadcasting entirely in English, which relayed popular American-made shows like the The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , and various sports games like the World Series. It also broadcast news and special announcements from the American government and military commanders. This channel catered to American troops in South Vietnam. Both channels used an airborne transmission relay system from airplanes flying at high altitudes, called Stratovision .

Newspapers Edit Christian Science Monitor Saigon correspondent Dan Sutherland observed in 1970 that "Under its new press law, South Vietnam now has one of the freest presses in Southeast Asia, and the daily paper with the biggest circulation here happens to be sharply critical of President Thieu....Since the new press law was promulgated nine months ago, the government has not been able to close down Tin Sang or any other newspaper among the more than 30 now being published in Saigon." [16] Provinces Edit Map of South Vietnam. South Vietnam's capital was Saigon which was renamed Hồ Chí Minh City on 1 May 1975 after unconditionally surrendering to the North. Before surrendering, the South was divided into forty-four provinces (tỉnh, singular and plural). Geography Edit The South was divided into coastal lowlands, the mountainous Central Highlands (Cao-nguyen Trung-phan), and the Mekong River Delta . South Vietnam's time zone was one hour ahead of North Vietnam, belonging to the UTC+8 time zone with the same time as the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia , Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao , China, Taiwan, and the Australian state of Western Australia.

Economy Main article: Economy of the Republic of Vietnam South Vietnam maintained a free-market economy and ties to the west. It established an airline under Head of State Bảo Đại named Air Vietnam . The economy was greatly assisted by American aid and the presence of large numbers of Americans in the country between 1961 and 1973. Electrical production increased fourteen-fold between 1954 and 1973 while industrial output increase by an average of 6.9 percent annually. [17] During the same period, rice output increased by 203 percent and the number of students in university increased from 2,000 to 90,000. [17] U.S. aid peaked at $2.3 billion in 1973, but dropped to $1.1 billion in 1974. [18] Inflation rose to 200 percent as the country suffered economic shock due the decrease of American aid as well as the oil price shock of October 1973. [18] The unification of Vietnam in 1976 led to the imposition of North Vietnam's centrally planned economy into the South.

The country made no significant economic progress for the next twenty years. After the break-up of the Soviet Union and the end of Soviet aid, the leadership of Vietnam accepted the need for change. Their occupation armies were withdrawn from Laos and Cambodia . Afterward, the country introduced economic reforms that created a market economy in the mid-1990s. The government remains a collective dictatorship under the close control of the . Demographics About 90% of population was Kinh , and 10% was Hoa , Montagnard , French, Khmer , Cham , Eurasians and others. (1970). The Vietnamese language was the primary official language and was spoken by the majority of the population. Despite the end of French colonial rule, the French language still maintained a strong presence in South Vietnam where it was used in administration, education (especially at the secondary and higher levels), trade and diplomacy. The ruling elite population of South Vietnam was known to speak French as its primary language. [19] With U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, the English language was also later introduced to the military and became a secondary diplomatic language.

Languages spoken by minority groups included Chinese, Khmer, and other languages spoken by Montagnard groups. [20] The religion of the majority of the population was Buddhism influenced by Confucian philosophy, which was practiced by about 80% of the population. [21] A significant Roman Catholic minority included many ruling members of the state and during the Ngo administration, the government was often biased towards Catholics in public service and military promotions, as well as in the allocation of land, business favors and tax concessions. [22] Many civilians also converted to Catholicism to avoid discrimination by the government or to receive special government benefits. [23] Tensions between the Buddhist majority and pro-Catholic administration and the Catholic population escalated into the Buddhist Crisis in which civil unrest severely weakened the government and led to U.S. opposition of the Ngo administration. The crisis ended with the arrest and assassination of President Ngô Đình Diệm in November 1963. The Catholic population was then discriminated in turn by the Buddhist majority in following administrations and declined as many converted to Buddhism. [24] Other minority religions included Cao Dai , Hoa Hao and animism practiced by hill tribes.

Culture Edit Cultural life was strongly influenced by China until French domination in the 18th century. At that time, the traditional culture began to acquire an overlay of western characteristics. Many families had three generations living under one roof. The emerging South Vietnamese middle class and youth in the 1960s became increasingly more Westernised, and followed American cultural and social trends, especially in music, fashion and social attitudes in major cities like Saigon. See also Chill Skybar Saigon - YouTube Chill Skybar Saigon Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Aug 30, 2014 Chill Skybar Saigon 76A Le Lai, District 1 | Rooftop of AB Tower, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam Follow me on Twitter Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh; About this sound listen, formerly named Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn; About this sound listen, French: Saïgon), is the largest city in Vietnam. Under the name Saigon, it was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina and later of the independent republic of South Vietnam from 1955--75. South Vietnam was a capitalist and anti-communist state which fought against the communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, with the assistance of the United States and other countries. On 30 April 1975, Saigon fell and the war ended with a Communist victory.

On 2 July 1976, Saigon merged with the surrounding Gia Định Province and was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City after Hồ Chí Minh (although the name Sài Gòn is still commonly used).[3] The metropolitan area, which consists of the Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area, Thủ Dầu Một, Dĩ An, Biên Hòa and surrounding towns, is populated by more than 9,000,000 people,[nb 1] making it the most populous metropolitan area[4] in Vietnam. The city's population is expected to grow to 13.9 million in 2025.[5] The Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area, a metropolitan area covering most parts of the Southeast region plus Tiền Giang Province and Long An Province under planning, will have an area of 30,000 square kilometres (11,583 sq mi) with a population of 20 million inhabitants by 2020.[6] According to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Economist Intelligence Unit and ECA International, Ho Chi Minh City is ranked 132 on the list of world's most expensive cities for expatriate employees.

Vietnam War History - Vietnam War - HISTORY.com Vietnam War History A+E Networks Introduction The Vietnam War was a long, costly armed conflict that pitted the communist regime of North Vietnam and its southern allies, known as the Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The war began in 1954 (though conflict in the region stretched back to the mid-1940s), after the rise to power of Ho Chi Minh and his communist Viet Minh party in North Vietnam, and continued against the backdrop of an intense Cold War between two global superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union. More than 3 million people (including 58,000 Americans) were killed in the Vietnam War; more than half were Vietnamese civilians. By 1969, at the peak of U.S. involvement in the war, more than 500,000 U.S. military personnel were involved in the Vietnam conflict. Growing opposition to the war in the United States led to bitter divisions among Americans, both before and after President Richard Nixon ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973.

In 1975, communist forces seized control of Saigon, ending the Vietnam War, and the country was unified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam the following year. Google Roots of the Vietnam War During World War II , Japan invaded and occupied Vietnam, a nation on the eastern edge of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia that had been under French administration since the late 19th century. Inspired by Chinese and Soviet communism, Ho Chi Minh formed the Viet Minh, or the League for the Independence of Vietnam, to fight both Japan and the French colonial administration. Japan withdrew its forces in 1945, leaving the French-educated Emperor Bao Dai in control of an independent Vietnam. Ho’s Viet Minh forces rose up immediately, seizing the northern city of Hanoi and declaring a Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) with Ho as president. Did You Know? According to a survey by the Veterans Administration, some 500,000 of the 3 million troops who served in Vietnam suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and rates of divorce, suicide, alcoholism and drug addiction were markedly higher among veterans.

Seeking to regain control of the region, France backed Bao and set up the state of Vietnam (South Vietnam) in July 1949, with Saigon as its capital. Armed conflict continued until a decisive battle at Dien Bien Phu in May 1954 ended in French defeat by Viet Minh forces. The subsequent treaty negotiations at Geneva split Vietnam along the latitude known as the 17th parallel (with Ho in control in the North and Bao in the South) and called for nationwide elections for reunification to be held in 1956. In 1955, however, the strongly anti-communist Ngo Dinh Diem pushed Bao aside to become president of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam (GVN). Vietnam War: U.S. Intervention Begins With the Cold War intensifying, the United States hardened its policies against any allies of the Soviet Union, and by 1955 President Dwight D. Eisenhower had pledged his firm support to Diem and South Vietnam.

With training and equipment from American military and police, Diem’s security forces cracked down on Viet Minh sympathizers in the south, whom he derisively called Viet Cong (or Vietnamese Communist), arresting some 100,000 people, many of whom were tortured and executed. By 1957, the Viet Cong and other opponents of Diem’s repressive regime began fighting back with attacks on government officials and other targets, and by 1959 they had begun engaging South Vietnamese Army forces in firefights. In December 1960, Diem’s opponents within South Vietnam–both communist and non-communist–formed the National Liberation Front (NLF) to organize resistance to the regime. Though the NLF claimed to be autonomous and that most of its members were non-Communist, many in Washington assumed it was a puppet of Hanoi. A team sent by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to report on conditions in South Vietnam advised a build-up of American military, economic and technical aid in order to help confront the Viet Cong threat. Working under the “domino theory,” which held that if one Southeast Asian country fell to communism, many would follow, Kennedy increased U.S.

aid, though he stopped short of committing to a large-scale military intervention. By 1962, the U.S. military presence in South Vietnam had reached some 9,000 troops, compared with fewer than 800 during the 1950s. Vietnam War Escalates A coup by some of his own generals succeeded in toppling and killing Diem and his brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, in November 1963, three weeks before Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas . The ensuing political instability in South Vietnam persuaded Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon B. Johnson , and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to further increase U.S. military and economic support. The following August, after DRV torpedo boats attacked two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin, Johnson ordered the retaliatory bombing of military targets in North Vietnam. Congress soon passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution , which gave Johnson broad war-making powers, and U.S. planes began regular bombing raids, codenamed Operation Rolling Thunder , the following February. In March 1965, Johnson made the decision–with solid support from the American public–to send U.S.

combat forces into battle in Vietnam. By June, 82,000 combat troops were stationed in Vietnam, and General William Westmoreland was calling for 175,000 more by the end of 1965 to shore up the struggling South Vietnamese army. Despite the concerns of some of his advisers about this escalation, and about the entire war effort as well as a growing anti-war movement in the U.S., Johnson authorized the immediate dispatch of 100,000 troops at the end of July 1965 and another 100,000 in 1966. In addition to the United States, South Korea, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand also committed troops to fight in South Vietnam (albeit on a much smaller scale). Strategy of Attrition in Vietnam In contrast to the air attacks on North Vietnam, the U.S.-South Vietnamese war effort in the south was fought on the ground, largely under the command of General Westmoreland, in coordination with the government of General Nguyen Van Thieu in Saigon. In general, U.S.

military forces in the region pursued a policy of attrition, aiming to kill as many enemy troops as possible rather than trying to secure territory. By 1966, large areas of South Vietnam had been designated as “free-fire zones,” from which all innocent civilians were supposed to have evacuated and only enemy remained. Heavy bombing by B-52 aircraft or shelling made these zones uninhabitable, as refugees poured into camps in designated safe areas near Saigon and other cities. Even as the body count (at times exaggerated by U.S. and South Vietnamese authorities) mounted steadily, DRV and Viet Cong troops refused to stop fighting, encouraged by the fact that they could easily reoccupy lost territory. Meanwhile, supported by aid from China and the Soviet Union, North Vietnam strengthened its air defenses. By November 1967, the number of American troops in Vietnam was approaching 500,000, and U.S. casualties had reached 15,058 killed and 109,527 wounded. As the war stretched on, some soldiers came to mistrust their government’s reasons for keeping them there, as well as Washington’s claims that the war was being won.

The later years of the war saw increased physical and psychological deterioration among American soldiers, including drug use, mutinies and attacks by soldiers against officers and noncommissioned officers. Bombarded by horrific images of the war on their televisions, Americans on the home front turned against the war as well: In October 1967, some 35,000 demonstrators staged a mass antiwar protest outside the Pentagon . Opponents of the war argued that civilians, not enemy combatants, were the primary victims and that the United States was supporting a corrupt dictatorship in Saigon. Impact of the Tet Offensive on Vietnam War By the end of 1967, Hanoi’s communist leadership was growing impatient as well, and sought to strike a decisive blow aimed at forcing the better-supplied United States to give up hopes of success. On January 31, 1968, some 70,000 DRV forces under General Vo Nguyen Giap launched the Tet offensive (named for the lunar new year), a coordinated series of fierce attacks on more than 100 cities and towns in South Vietnam. Though taken by surprise, U.S.

and South Vietnamese forces managed to strike back quickly, and the communists were unable to hold any of the targets for more than a day or two. Reports of the attacks stunned the U.S. public, however, especially after news broke that Westmoreland had requested an additional 200,000 troops. With his approval ratings dropping in an election year, Johnson called a halt to bombing in much of North Vietnam in March (though bombings continued in the south) and promised to dedicate the rest of his term to seeking peace rather than reelection. Johnson’s new tack, laid out in a March 1968 speech, met with a positive response from Hanoi, and peace talks between the U.S. and North Vietnam opened in Paris that May. Despite the later inclusion of the South Vietnamese and the National Liberation Front (the political arm of the Viet Cong) the dialogue soon reached an impasse, and after an election campaign marred by violence, Republican Richard M. Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey to win the White House. Vietnam War Ends: From Vietnamization to Withdrawal Nixon sought to deflate the antiwar movement by appealing to a “silent majority” of Americans who he believed supported the war effort.

In an attempt to limit the volume of American casualties, he announced a program of withdrawing troops, increasing aerial and artillery bombardment and giving South Vietnamese control over ground operations. In addition to this policy, which he called “ Vietnamization ,” Nixon continued public peace talks in Paris, adding higher-level secret talks conducted by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger beginning in the spring of 1968. The North Vietnamese continued to insist on complete U.S. withdrawal as a condition of peace, however, and the next few years would bring even more carnage, including the horrifying revelation that U.S. soldiers had massacred more than 400 unarmed civilians in the village of My Lai in March 1968. Anti-war protests continued to build as the conflict wore on. In 1968 and 1969, there were hundreds of anti-war marches and gatherings throughout the country. On November 15, 1969, the largest anti-war protest in American history took place in Washington, D.C. , as over 250,000 Americans gathered peacefully, calling for withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam. The anti-war movement, which was particularly strong on college campuses, divided Americans bitterly.

For some young people, the war symbolized a form of unchecked authority they had come to resent. For other Americans, opposing the government was considered unpatriotic and treasonous. As the first U.S. troops were withdrawn, those who remained became increasingly angry and frustrated, exacerbating problems with morale and leadership. Tens of thousands of soldiers received dishonorable discharges for desertion, and about 500,000 American men from 1965-73 became “draft dodgers,” with many fleeing to Canada to evade conscription. Nixon ended draft calls in 1972, and instituted an all-volunteer army the following year. In 1970, a joint U.S-South Vietnamese operation invaded Cambodia, hoping to wipe out DRV supply bases there. The South Vietnamese then led their own invasion of Laos, which was pushed back by North Vietnam. The invasion of these countries, in violation of international law, sparked a new wave of protests on college campuses across America, including two at Kent State in Ohio and Jackson State in Mississippi during which National Guardsmen and police killed a total of six student protesters.

By the end of June 1972, however, after another failed offensive into South Vietnam, Hanoi was finally willing to compromise. Kissinger and North Vietnamese representatives drafted a peace agreement by early fall, but leaders in Saigon rejected it, and in December Nixon authorized a number of bombing raids against targets in Hanoi and Haiphong. Known as the Christmas Bombings, the raids drew international condemnation. Legacy of the Vietnam War In January 1973, the United States and North Korea concluded a final peace agreement, ending open hostilities between the two nations. War between North and South Vietnam continued, however, until April 30, 1975, when DRV forces captured Saigon, renaming it Ho Chi Minh City (Ho himself died in 1969). The long conflict had affected an immense majority of the country’s population; in eight years of warfare, an estimated 2 million Vietnamese died, while 3 million were wounded and another 12 million became refugees. War had decimated the country’s infrastructure and economy, and reconstruction proceeded slowly.

In 1976, Vietnam was unified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, though sporadic violence continued over the next 15 years, including conflicts with neighboring China and Cambodia. Under a broad free market policy put in place in 1986, the economy began to improve, boosted by oil export revenues and an influx of foreign capital. Trade and diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the U.S. were resumed in the 1990s. In the United States, the effects of the Vietnam War would linger long after the last troops returned home in 1973. The nation spent more than $120 billion on the conflict in Vietnam from 1965-73; this massive spending led to widespread inflation, exacerbated by a worldwide oil crisis in 1973 and skyrocketing fuel prices. Psychologically, the effects ran even deeper. The war had pierced the myth of American invincibility, and had bitterly divided the nation.

Many returning veterans faced negative reactions from both opponents of the war (who viewed them as having killed innocent civilians) and its supporters (who saw them as having lost the war), along with physical damage including the effects of exposure to the harmful chemical herbicide Agent Orange , millions of gallons of which had been dumped by U.S. planes on the dense forests of Vietnam. In 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was unveiled in Washington, D.C. On it were inscribed the names of 57,939 American armed forces killed or missing during the war; later additions brought that total to 58,200. Tags Dai Co Viet - definition of Dai Co Viet by The Free Dictionary Dai Co Viet - definition of Dai Co Viet by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . Related to Dai Co Viet: Dai Viet Vietnam Vi·et·nam (vē-ĕt′näm′, -năm′, vē′ĭt-, vyĕt′-) A country of southeast Asia in eastern Indochina on the South China Sea.

It comprises the historical regions of Tonkin, Annam, and Cochin China, much of which was under Chinese control from the 3rd century bc to the 15th century ad. Portuguese traders arrived in 1535, and the area came under French influence in the mid-19th century as part of French Indochina. After the fall of the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, it was partitioned into North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The Vietnam War (1959-1975) grew out of the attempt by Communist Vietcong guerrillas backed by North Vietnam to overthrow the US-supported regime in the south. The South Vietnamese government collapsed in 1975, and the country was reunited in 1976. Hanoi is the capital and Ho Chi Minh City the largest city. Vietnam Viet Nam n (Placename) a republic in SE Asia: an ancient empire, conquered by France in the 19th century; occupied by Japan (1940–45) when the Communist-led Vietminh began resistance operations that were continued against restored French rule after 1945.

In 1954 the country was divided along the 17th parallel, establishing North Vietnam (under the Vietminh) and South Vietnam (under French control), the latter becoming the independent Republic of Vietnam in 1955. From 1959 the country was dominated by war between the Communist Vietcong, supported by North Vietnam, and the South Vietnamese government; increasing numbers of US forces were brought to the aid of the South Vietnamese army until a peace agreement (1973) led to the withdrawal of US troops; further fighting led to the eventual defeat of the South Vietnamese government in March 1975 and in 1976 an elected National Assembly proclaimed the reunification of the country. Official language: Vietnamese. Religion: Buddhist majority. Currency: dong. Capital: Hanoi. Pop: 92 477 857 (2013 est). Area: 331 041 sq km (127 816 sq miles). Official name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vi•et•nam (viˌɛtˈnɑm, -ˈnæm, ˌvi ɪt-) n.

a country in SE Asia, comprising the former states of Annam, Tonkin, and Cochin-China: formerly in French Indochina; divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam in 1954 and reunified in 1976. 77,311,210; 127,246 sq. mi. (329,565 sq. km). Cap.: Hanoi. Official name, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Compare North Vietnam , South Vietnam. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Noun 1.

Vietnam - a communist state in Indochina on the South China Sea; achieved independence from France in 1945 Annam , Socialist Republic of Vietnam , Viet Nam Dien Bien Phu - the French military base fell after a siege by Vietnam troops that lasted 56 days; ended the involvement of France in Indochina in 1954 Vietnam War , Vietnam - a prolonged war (1954-1975) between the communist armies of North Vietnam who were supported by the Chinese and the armies of South Vietnam who were supported by the United States ASEAN , Association of Southeast Asian Nations - an association of nations dedicated to economic and political cooperation in southeastern Asia and who joined with the United States to fight against global terrorism Indochina , Indochinese peninsula - a peninsula of southeastern Asia that includes Myanmar and Cambodia and Laos and Malaysia and Thailand and Vietnam North Vietnam - a former country in southeastern Asia that existed from 1954 (after the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu) until 1975 when South Vietnam collapsed at the end of the Vietnam War South Vietnam - a former country in southeastern Asia that existed from 1954 (after the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu

) until 1975 when it was defeated and annexed by North Vietnam capital of Vietnam , Hanoi - the capital city of Vietnam; located in North Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City , Saigon - a city in South Vietnam; formerly (as Saigon) it was the capital of French Indochina Haiphong - a port city in northern Vietnam; industrial center Annamese , Vietnamese - a native or inhabitant of Vietnam 2.

Vietnam - a prolonged war (1954-1975) between the communist armies of North Vietnam who were supported by the Chinese and the armies of South Vietnam who were supported by the United States Hoàng Yến Buffet Restaurant - Ngô Đức Kế Street - Saigon - YouTube Hoàng Yến Buffet Restaurant - Ngô Đức Kế Street - Saigon Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Aug 29, 2014 Hoàng Yến Buffet Restaurant - Ngô Đức Kế Street - Saigon Hoàng Yến Buffet - Melinh Point Ngô Đức Kế Hoang Yen Buffet - Melinh Punkt Level 1, 2 Ngo Duc Ke Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1 Follow me on Twitter Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh; About this sound listen, formerly named Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn; About this sound listen, French: Saïgon), is the largest city in Vietnam.

Under the name Saigon, it was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina and later of the independent republic of South Vietnam from 1955--75. South Vietnam was a capitalist and anti-communist state which fought against the communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, with the assistance of the United States and other countries. On 30 April 1975, Saigon fell and the war ended with a Communist victory. On 2 July 1976, Saigon merged with the surrounding Gia Định Province and was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City after Hồ Chí Minh (although the name Sài Gòn is still commonly used).[3] The metropolitan area, which consists of the Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area, Thủ Dầu Một, Dĩ An, Biên Hòa and surrounding towns, is populated by more than 9,000,000 people,[nb 1] making it the most populous metropolitan area[4] in Vietnam.

The city's population is expected to grow to 13.9 million in 2025.[5] The Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area, a metropolitan area covering most parts of the Southeast region plus Tiền Giang Province and Long An Province under planning, will have an area of 30,000 square kilometres (11,583 sq mi) with a population of 20 million inhabitants by 2020.[6] According to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Economist Intelligence Unit and ECA International, Ho Chi Minh City is ranked 132 on the list of world's most expensive cities for expatriate employees. Vietnam | Define Vietnam at Dictionary.com Vietnam [vee-et-nahm, -nam, vyet-, vee-it-] /viˌɛtˈnɑm, -ˈnæm, ˌvyɛt-, ˌvi ɪt-/ Spell noun 1. Official name Socialist Republic of Vietnam. a country in SE Asia, comprising the former states of Annam, Tonkin, and Cochin-China: formerly part of French Indochina; divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War but now reunified.

126,104 sq. mi. (326,609 sq. km). Capital: Hanoi. Examples from the Web for Vietnam Expand Contemporary Examples More than a decade after she left her mother behind in Saigon, Carina returned to Vietnam to help bring her parents to America. Remembering the Fall of Saigon and Vietnam’s Mass ‘Boat People’ Exodus Katie Baker April 29, 2014 I was taken into one by Maurice, a gnarled old Vietnam vet in a wooly hat. When a Picture Is Too Powerful Jeff Greenfield September 14, 2014 Historical Examples Americans, I believe, are united in the hope that the Paris talks will bring an early peace to Vietnam. British Dictionary definitions for Vietnam Expand noun 1. a republic in SE Asia: an ancient empire, conquered by France in the 19th century; occupied by Japan (1940–45) when the Communist-led Vietminh began resistance operations that were continued against restored French rule after 1945.

In 1954 the country was divided along the 17th parallel, establishing North Vietnam (under the Vietminh) and South Vietnam (under French control), the latter becoming the independent Republic of Vietnam in 1955. From 1959 the country was dominated by war between the Communist Vietcong, supported by North Vietnam, and the South Vietnamese government; increasing numbers of US forces were brought to the aid of the South Vietnamese army until a peace agreement (1973) led to the withdrawal of US troops; further fighting led to the eventual defeat of the South Vietnamese government in March 1975 and in 1976 an elected National Assembly proclaimed the reunification of the country. Official language: Vietnamese. Religion: Buddhist majority. Currency: dong. Capital: Hanoi. Pop: 92 477 857 (2013 est). Area: 331 041 sq km (127 816 sq miles) Official name Socialist Republic of Vietnam Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for Vietnam Expand from Vietnamese Viet, the people's name + nam "south." Vietnam War attested by 1963. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper Expand Vietnam [(vee-et-nahm, vee-et-nam)] Republic in Southeast Asia , bordered by Cambodia and Laos to the west, China to the north, and the South China Sea (an arm of the Pacific Ocean ) to the east and south. Note: Vietnam was under the control of France from the second half of the nineteenth century until World War II , when it was occupied by the Japanese. The country became an autonomous state in 1946. France's attempts to reassert control resulted in the French Indochina War (1946–1954), in which the French were defeated.

Note: The Geneva Conference of 1954 divided Vietnam into North Vietnam, controlled by communists , and South Vietnam, controlled by noncommunists. Note: In the Vietnam War of 1954–1975, South Vietnam, which was aided by the United States, fought communist insurgents, who were aided by North Vietnam. The war ended when the communists overran the south in 1975. The country was reunified in 1976. Note: American involvement in the Vietnam War was strongly protested in the United States. Note: Great numbers of Vietnamese refugees, known as boat people, fled the country in the aftermath of the war. Note: Between 1978 and 1979, Vietnam invaded Cambodia and installed a puppet government. The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Vietnam - definition of Vietnam by The Free Dictionary Vietnam - definition of Vietnam by The Free Dictionary Related to Vietnam: Vietnam War Vietnam Vi·et·nam (vē-ĕt′näm′, -năm′, vē′ĭt-, vyĕt′-) A country of southeast Asia in eastern Indochina on the South China Sea. It comprises the historical regions of Tonkin, Annam, and Cochin China, much of which was under Chinese control from the 3rd century bc to the 15th century ad. Portuguese traders arrived in 1535, and the area came under French influence in the mid-19th century as part of French Indochina. After the fall of the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, it was partitioned into North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The Vietnam War (1959-1975) grew out of the attempt by Communist Vietcong guerrillas backed by North Vietnam to overthrow the US-supported regime in the south. The South Vietnamese government collapsed in 1975, and the country was reunited in 1976.

Hanoi is the capital and Ho Chi Minh City the largest city. Vietnam Viet Nam n (Placename) a republic in SE Asia: an ancient empire, conquered by France in the 19th century; occupied by Japan (1940–45) when the Communist-led Vietminh began resistance operations that were continued against restored French rule after 1945. In 1954 the country was divided along the 17th parallel, establishing North Vietnam (under the Vietminh) and South Vietnam (under French control), the latter becoming the independent Republic of Vietnam in 1955. From 1959 the country was dominated by war between the Communist Vietcong, supported by North Vietnam, and the South Vietnamese government; increasing numbers of US forces were brought to the aid of the South Vietnamese army until a peace agreement (1973) led to the withdrawal of US troops; further fighting led to the eventual defeat of the South Vietnamese government in March 1975 and in 1976 an elected National Assembly proclaimed the reunification of the country. Official language: Vietnamese. Religion: Buddhist majority. Currency: dong. Capital: Hanoi.

Pop: 92 477 857 (2013 est). Area: 331 041 sq km (127 816 sq miles). Official name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vi•et•nam (viˌɛtˈnɑm, -ˈnæm, ˌvi ɪt-) n. a country in SE Asia, comprising the former states of Annam, Tonkin, and Cochin-China: formerly in French Indochina; divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam in 1954 and reunified in 1976. 77,311,210; 127,246 sq. mi. (329,565 sq. km). Cap.: Hanoi. Official name, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Compare North Vietnam , South Vietnam. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Noun 1.

Vietnam - a communist state in Indochina on the South China Sea; achieved independence from France in 1945 Annam , Socialist Republic of Vietnam , Viet Nam Dien Bien Phu - the French military base fell after a siege by Vietnam troops that lasted 56 days; ended the involvement of France in Indochina in 1954 Vietnam War , Vietnam - a prolonged war (1954-1975) between the communist armies of North Vietnam who were supported by the Chinese and the armies of South Vietnam who were supported by the United States ASEAN , Association of Southeast Asian Nations - an association of nations dedicated to economic and political cooperation in southeastern Asia and who joined with the United States to fight against global terrorism Indochina , Indochinese peninsula - a peninsula of southeastern Asia that includes Myanmar and Cambodia and Laos and Malaysia and Thailand and Vietnam North Vietnam - a former country in southeastern Asia that existed from 1954 (after the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu) until 1975 when South Vietnam collapsed at the end of the Vietnam War South Vietnam - a former country in southeastern Asia that existed from 1954 (after the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu

) until 1975 when it was defeated and annexed by North Vietnam capital of Vietnam , Hanoi - the capital city of Vietnam; located in North Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City , Saigon - a city in South Vietnam; formerly (as Saigon) it was the capital of French Indochina Haiphong - a port city in northern Vietnam; industrial center Annamese , Vietnamese - a native or inhabitant of Vietnam 2.

Vietnam - a prolonged war (1954-1975) between the communist armies of North Vietnam who were supported by the Chinese and the armies of South Vietnam who were supported by the United States

Question: What was the capital of the independent republic of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1975?
Answer: Saigon