The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War also known as the Second Indochina War was fought out from 1959 to April 30, 1975 between the North and South. The Vietnam War was devastating as the Americans launched many relentless assaults on North Vietnam which killed many civilians. The Americans used many new and deadly weapons throughout the War which has changed the way at how we look at biological warfare. The people who were especially hit hard we're the Vietnamese civilians who had to flee as refugees in either direction and overseas to protect themselves. These refugees also make up much of the present day Australian culture. The Indo-Chinese (which include Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) refugees were forced to find protection in many countries including Australia, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia. However the matter cannot be fully understood without delving into the history of the pre-war period in Vietnam.

The was instigated by the Communist guerrillas (Vietcong) forces in the South, backed by the Communist North to overthrow the government in the South.

Rizières inondées à la frontière entre le Viet...

Propaganda leaflet urging the defection of NLF and...

The body of Diem in the back of the APC, having be...

The situation greatly deteriorated when the USSR and the People's Republic of China started providing munitions for the North and the United States and some 40 other countries backed the South. According to the Geneva accords, Vietnam was to be split temporarily along the 17th parallel. The agreement also stipulated that an election of the reunification of the country was to be held in 1956. However, neither the USA nor the Saigon government agreed with this agreement and once when the French had withdrawn from Vietnam, the United States bolstered its military presence in South Vietnam. On October 24, 1954 President Eisenhower offered direct economic aid to the South and dispatched military advisers to train South Vietnamese forces. Almost a year later, South Vietnam was made a republic with...