"I just tremble for my country when I think that God is just" -
US President Thomas Jefferson
In the second half of the 19th century, Vietnam became a French colony. The growth of national consciousness after the First World War led to the creation in 1941 in China of the League for the Independence of Vietnam or Viet Minh - a military-political organization that united all opponents of French power.
The main positions were occupied by supporters of communist views under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. During the Second World War, he actively cooperated with the United States, which helped the Viet Minh with weapons and ammunition to fight the Japanese. After the surrender of Japan, Ho Chi Minh captured Hanoi and other big cities country, proclaiming the formation of an independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam. However, France did not agree with this and transferred an expeditionary force to Indochina, starting a colonial war in December 1946. The French army could not cope with the partisans alone, and since 1950 the United States came to their aid. The main reason for their intervention was the strategic importance of the region, guarding the Japanese islands and the Philippines from the southwest. The Americans considered that it would be easier to control these territories if they were under the rule of the French allies.
The war went on for the next four years and by 1954, after the defeat of the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, the situation became almost hopeless. The United States by this time already paid more than 80% of the costs of this war. Vice President Richard Nixon recommended tactical nuclear bombing. But in July 1954, the Geneva Agreement was concluded, according to which the territory of Vietnam was temporarily divided along the 17th parallel (where there was a demilitarized zone) into North Vietnam (under the control of the Viet Minh) and South Vietnam (under the rule of the French, who almost immediately granted her independence ).
In 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon fought for the White House in the United States. At that time, the fight against communism was considered good form, and therefore the winner was the applicant whose program to combat the "red threat" was more decisive. After the adoption of communism in China, the US government viewed any developments in Vietnam as part of communist expansion. This could not be allowed, and therefore, after the Geneva Accords, the United States decided to completely replace France in Vietnam. With American support, South Vietnamese Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem proclaimed himself the first President of the Republic of Vietnam. His rule was tyranny in one of its worst forms. Only relatives were appointed to government positions, whom the people hated even more than the president himself. Those who opposed the regime were locked up in prisons, and freedom of speech was forbidden. It was hardly to the liking of America, but you can’t close your eyes to anything, for the sake of the only ally in Vietnam.
As one US diplomat said, "Ngo Dinh Diem is certainly a son of a bitch, but he is OUR son of a bitch!"
The appearance on the territory of South Vietnam of underground resistance groups, not even supported from the North, was only a matter of time. However, the United States saw only the intrigues of the Communists in everything. Further tightening of measures only led to the fact that in December 1960, all South Vietnamese underground groups united in the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, called the Viet Cong in the West. Now North Vietnam began to support the partisans. In response, the US stepped up its military aid to Diem. In December 1961, the first regular units arrived in the country. armed forces United States - two helicopter companies designed to increase the mobility of government troops. American advisers trained South Vietnamese soldiers and planned combat operations. The John F. Kennedy administration wanted to demonstrate to Khrushchev its determination to destroy the "communist contagion" and its readiness to defend its allies. The conflict grew and soon became one of the most "hot" centers cold war two powers. For the US, the loss of South Vietnam meant the loss of Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia, which posed a threat to Australia. When it became clear that Diem was not capable of effectively fighting the partisans, the American intelligence services, through the hands of South Vietnamese generals, organized a coup. On November 2, 1963, Ngo Dinh Diem was killed along with his brother. Over the next two years, as a result of the struggle for power, another coup took place every few months, which allowed the partisans to expand the captured territories. At the same time, US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and many fans of the "conspiracy theory" see this as his desire to end the Vietnam War peacefully, which someone really did not like. This version is plausible, in light of the fact that the first document that Lyndon Johnson signed as new president was to send additional troops to Vietnam. Although on the eve of the presidential elections, he was nominated as a "candidate for the world", which influenced his landslide victory. The number of American soldiers in South Vietnam rose from 760 in 1959 to 23,300 in 1964.
On August 2, 1964, in the Gulf of Tonkin, two American destroyers, Maddox and Turner Joy, were attacked by North Vietnamese forces. A couple of days later, in the midst of confusion in the command of the Yankees, the destroyer Maddox announced a second shelling. And although the ship's crew soon denied the information, intelligence announced the interception of messages in which the North Vietnamese confessed to the attack. The US Congress, with 466 votes in favor and no votes against, passed the Tonkin Resolution, giving the President the right to respond to this attack by any means. This started the war. Lyndon Johnson ordered airstrikes against North Vietnamese naval installations (Operation Pierce Arrow). Surprisingly, the decision to invade Vietnam was made only by the civilian leadership: Congress, President, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. The Pentagon reacted without enthusiasm to the decision to "settle the conflict" in South-East Asia.
Colin Powell, then a young officer, said: "Our military was afraid to tell the civilian leadership that this method of war leads to a guaranteed loss."
The American analyst Michael Desh wrote: "The unconditional obedience of the military to civilian authorities leads, firstly, to the loss of their authority, and secondly, it unties the hands of official Washington for further, similar to the Vietnamese, adventures."
More recently, an independent researcher in the history of the National Security Agency, Matthew Aid, who specializes in the history of the National Security Agency (US intelligence and counterintelligence intelligence agency), made a statement in the United States that key intelligence about the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident that prompted the US invasion of Vietnam was falsified. The basis was a 2001 report by NSA staff historian Robert Heynock, declassified under the Freedom of Information Act (passed by Congress in 1966). The report shows that the NSA officers made an unintentional error in translating the information received as a result of radio interception. Senior officers, who almost immediately revealed the error, decided to hide it by correcting everything Required documents so that they indicate the reality of the attack on the Americans. High-ranking officials repeatedly referred to these false data in their speeches.
Robert McNamara, stated: “I think it is wrong to think that Johnson wanted war. However, we believed that we had evidence that North Vietnam was going to escalate the conflict.
And this is not the latest falsification of intelligence by the leadership of the NSA. The war in Iraq was based on unconfirmed information on the "uranium dossier". However, many historians believe that even if there had been no incident in the Gulf of Tonkin, the United States would still have found a reason to start military operations. Lyndon Johnson believed that America must defend its honor, impose a new round of the arms race on our country, unite the nation, distract its citizens from internal problems.
When a new presidential election was held in the United States in 1969, Richard Nixon declared that foreign policy The United States will change dramatically. The US will no longer pretend to be the overseer and try to solve problems in all corners of the planet. He revealed a secret plan to end the battles in Vietnam. This was well received by the war-weary American public, and Nixon won the election. However, in reality, the secret plan consisted in the massive use of aviation and navy. In 1970 alone, American bombers dropped more bombs on Vietnam than in the past five years combined.
And here we should mention another side interested in the war - US corporations that manufacture ammunition. More than 14 million tons of explosives were detonated in the Vietnam War, which is several times more than during the Second World War in all theaters of operations. Bombs, including high-tonnage bombs and now banned fragment bombs, leveled entire villages to the ground, and the fire of napalm and phosphorus burned hectares of forest. Dioxin, which is the most toxic substance ever created by man, was sprayed over the territory of Vietnam in an amount of more than 400 kilograms. Chemists believe that 80 grams added to the New York water supply is enough to turn it into dead city. This weapon has continued to kill for forty years, affecting the current generation of Vietnamese. The profits of US military corporations amounted to many billions of dollars. And they were not at all interested in a quick victory for the American army. After all, it is no coincidence that the most developed state in the world, using Newest technologies, large masses of soldiers, winning all their battles, still could not win the war.
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul said: “We are moving towards a fascism not of the Hitler type, but of a softer type of fascism that is expressed in the loss of civil liberties, when everything is run by corporations and the government is in the same bed with big business.”
In 1967, the International War Crimes Tribunal held two hearings on the conduct of the Vietnam War. It follows from their verdict that the United States bears full responsibility for the use of force and for the crime against peace in violation of the established provisions of international law.
“In front of the huts,” recalls a former US soldier, “old men stood or squatted in the dust at the doorstep. Their life was so simple, it was all in this village and the fields surrounding it. What do they think of strangers invading their village? How can they understand the constant movement of helicopters cutting through them blue sky; tanks and half-tracks, armed patrols paddling through their rice paddies where they cultivate the land?
United States military Vietnam War
The "Vietnam War" or "Vietnam War" is Vietnam's Second Indochina War with the United States. It began around 1961 and ended on April 30, 1975. In Vietnam itself, this war is called the Liberation War, and sometimes the American War. The Vietnam War is often seen as the peak of the Cold War between the Soviet bloc and China on the one hand, and the US with some of its allies on the other. In America, the Vietnam War is considered the darkest spot in its history. In the history of Vietnam, this war is perhaps the most heroic and tragic page.
The Vietnam War was both a civil war between various political forces in Vietnam and an armed struggle against the American occupation.
ctrl Enter
Noticed osh s bku Highlight text and click Ctrl+Enter
The Soviet Union initiated the signing of documents recognizing the independence of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Vietnam was instantly divided into North and South - the first went to the pro-communist Ho Chi Minh, the government of the second was headed by Ngo Dinh Diem.
Soon a civil war broke out in South Vietnam, and the United States took advantage of this reason, deciding to "establish peace in the region." What happened next, the Americans still call "crazy disco in the jungle."
Fraternal help
Naturally, the Soviet Union could not leave its “younger brother” in trouble. In Vietnam, it was decided to place a small contingent of Soviet specialists and send a significant part of the equipment there. In addition, the USSR received about 10,000 people from Vietnam for training - they later formed the backbone of the Vietnam Liberation Army.
Russian Rambo
Many are inclined to believe that a large contingent of Soviet military personnel was based in Vietnam at that time and skirmishes with the Americans took place constantly. There was nothing like this in reality: 6,000 officers and 4,000 privates arrived in Hanoi. They practically did not participate in the clashes. Schools of death
The Soviet Union did not have the goal of dissipating its valuable military specialists in an essentially foreign war. The officers were needed to organize the training of local troops in the management of Soviet equipment - that's the equipment the Land of Soviets poured out to the allies with a handful. iron barrier
Despite the fact that formally the Soviet Union did not take part in the war, very significant material support was provided to Vietnam. Two thousand tanks, seven hundred planes, seven thousand guns and about a hundred helicopters went to another continent as friendly assistance. Soviet specialists were able to create an impenetrable air defense system.Li Xi Qing and other legends
Relatively recently, the Russian Ministry of Defense finally admitted that Soviet fighter pilots did occasionally take part in hostilities. According to official data, the sorties were listed for Vietnamese pilots, but in reality, Russian specialists made productive sorties. Untouchables
In fact, almost nothing threatened our troops in Vietnam. The American command imposed a ban on the shelling of Soviet ships - this, excuse me, could lead to a very real World War III. Soviet specialists could work without fear, but in fact two powerful military-economic machines collided on the territory of Vietnam - the USA and the Soviet Union. Losses
During the entire period of the war, very few of our soldiers died. Unless, of course, to believe the official sources. According to the documents, the entire USSR lost 16 people, several dozen were wounded and shell-shocked. Vietnam War- one of the largest military conflicts of the second half of the 20th century, which left a noticeable mark on culture and occupies a significant place in recent history USA and Vietnam.
The war began as a civil war in South Vietnam; subsequently intervened North Vietnam and the United States with the support of several other countries. Thus, on the one hand, the war was fought for the reunification of the two parts of Vietnam and the creation of a single state with a communist ideology, and on the other hand, for maintaining the split of the country and the independence of South Vietnam. As events unfolded, the Vietnam War turned out to be intertwined with the parallel civil wars in Laos and Cambodia. All fighting in Southeast Asia, which took place from the late 1950s until 1975, is known as the Second Indochina War.
Chronology of the Vietnam War.
1954
May 7, 1954 - the occupation of the French command post Dien Bien Phu by Vietnamese troops; The French side orders a ceasefire. As a result of the battle that lasted for 55 days, the French lost 3 thousand people killed and 8 thousand wounded. Much more damage was inflicted on the Viet Minh forces: 8 and 12 thousand wounded and killed, respectively, but regardless of this, the decision of the French to continue the war was shaken.
1959
Creation of a special unit of the North Vietnamese Army (559th Group) specifically to organize a supply route from North Vietnam to the Viet Cong forces in the south. With the consent of the Cambodian prince, the 559th group developed the simplest route along the Vietnamese-Cambodian border with sorties into Vietnamese territory throughout its entire length (the Ho Chi Minh trail).
1961
Second floor. 1961 - Kennedy orders more aid to the South Vietnamese government in the fight against the guerrillas. This involved the delivery of new equipment, as well as the arrival of more than 3,000 military advisers and service personnel.
December 11, 1961 - about 4 hundred Americans arrived in South Vietnam: pilots and various aviation specialists.
1962
January 12, 1962 - Helicopters piloted by American pilots deployed 1,000 soldiers to the south of Vietnam to destroy the NLF stronghold near Saigon (Operation Chopper). This was the beginning of hostilities by the Americans.
Early 1962 - the beginning of Operation Ranchhand, the purpose of which was to clear the vegetation adjacent to the roads to reduce the risk of enemy ambushes. With the development of hostilities, the scope of the operation increased. Dioxin-containing herbicide "Agent Orange" was sprayed over vast forest areas. Guerrilla trails were exposed and crops were destroyed.
1963
January 2, 1963 - In a village, the 514th Viet Cong Battalion and local guerrilla forces ambushed the South Vietnamese 7th Division. At first, the Viet Cong were not inferior to the technical advantage of the enemy - about 400 southerners were killed or wounded, and three American advisers also died.
1964
April - June 1964: mass reinforcement air force USA in Southeast Asia. Departure of two aircraft carriers from the Vietnamese coast in connection with the enemy offensive in Laos.
June 30, 1964 - in the evening of this day, South Vietnamese saboteurs attacked two small northern islands located in the Gulf of Tonkin. The American destroyer Maddox (an electronics-laden small vessel) was 123 miles south with orders to electronically misinform the enemy about a false air attack so that they would divert their ships from the target.
August 04, 1964 - Captain Maddox reports that his ship was under fire and an attack is inevitable in the near future. Despite his subsequent statement that there was no attack in sight, six hours after the receipt of the initial information, Johnson gives the order to organize a retaliation operation. American bombers strike at two naval bases and destroy most of the fuel supplies. During this attack, the Americans lost two aircraft.
August 7, 1964 - The US Congress passes the Tonkin Resolution, giving the president the authority to take any action to protect Southeast Asia.
October 1964: China - a neighbor and ally of North Vietnam - conducts a successful test atomic bomb.
November 1, 1964 - Two days before the US presidential election, Viet Cong artillery bombarded Bien Ho air base near Saigon. 4 Americans were killed and 76 more were injured; 5 B-57 bombers were also destroyed and another 15 damaged.
1965
January 01 - February 07, 1965: North Vietnamese troops launched a series of attacks on the southern border, temporarily taking control of the village of Bin Ji, located only 40 miles from Saigon. As a result, two hundred South Vietnamese soldiers were killed, as well as five American advisers.
February 7, 1965 - the main US air force, located in the central foothills of South Vietnam, was attacked by a NLF sabotage landing force, as a result of which 9 people were killed and more than 70 people were injured. This incident is followed by the immediate reaction of the American President, who ordered the US Navy to strike at military targets in North Vietnam.
February 10, 1965 - Bombing of the Khi Non hotel by the Viet Cong. As a result, 23 employees of American origin died.
February 13, 1965 - Presidential approval of Operation Rolling Thunder - an offensive accompanied by a long-term bombardment of the enemy. His goal was to end support for the Viet Cong in the southern territories.
March 2, 1965 - The first bomb raids of the Operation followed a series of numerous delays.
April 3, 1965 - the beginning of the American campaign against the North Vietnamese transport system: within a month, the US Navy and Air Force systematically destroyed bridges, roads and railway interchanges, car parks and base warehouses.
April 7, 1965 - The United States proposed economic assistance to S. Vietnam in exchange for peace, but this proposal was rejected. Two weeks later, the American president increased the US military presence in Vietnam to 60,000. Troops from Korea and Australia arrived in Vietnam as international support.
May 11, 1965 - Two and a half thousand Viet Cong soldiers attack Song Bi - the South Vietnamese provincial administrative center and, after two days of bloody fighting both inside the city and in its environs, retreat.
June 10, 1965 - The expulsion of the Viet Cong from Dong Xai (the South Vietnamese headquarters and military camp of the US Special Forces) after American air attacks.
June 27, 1965 - General Westmoreland launches an offensive ground operation northwest of Saigon.
August 17, 1965 - According to a soldier who deserted from the 1st Viet Cong Regiment, it becomes obvious that an attack on the US naval base in Chu Lai cannot be avoided - thus, the Americans implement Operation Starlite, which became the first large-scale battle of the Vietnam War. Using different kinds troops - ground, naval and air Force- The Americans won a convincing victory, losing 45 killed and over 200 wounded, while the enemy's losses amounted to about 700 people.
September-October 1965: After attacking the Plei Mei (special forces camp) by the North Vietnamese, the 1st Air Brigade "deploys formation" against enemy forces in the immediate vicinity of the camp. This resulted in the battle of La Drang. For 35 days, US troops pursued and engaged the 32nd, 33rd, and 66th North Vietnamese Regiments until the enemy returned to their bases in Cambodia.
November 17, 1965 - The remnants of the 66th North Vietnamese Regiment advance east of Play Mei and ambush an American battalion, which was not helped by reinforcements or competent distribution of firepower. By the end of the battle, American losses amounted to 60% of the wounded, while every third soldier was killed.
1966
January 8, 1966 Operation Crimp begins. In this - the largest - Vietnamese military operation The United States was attended by about 8,000 people. The goal of the campaign was to capture the Viet Cong headquarters in the Saigon area, which was supposed to be in the Chhu Chhi area. Despite the fact that the mentioned territory was actually wiped off the face of the earth and was subjected to constant patrols, the operation was a failure, because. there was not the slightest hint of the presence of any Viet Cong base in the area at all.
February 1966 - throughout the month, US troops conducted four operations in order to find and destroy the enemy during a direct confrontation with him.
March 05, 1966 - The 272nd Regiment of the Viet Cong 9th Division attacked a battalion of the 3rd US Brigade at Lo Ke. Successful US air action forced the attackers to retreat. Two days later, a Viet Cong unit attacked the US 1st Brigade and a battalion of the 173rd Airborne Regiment; but the offensive failed thanks to American artillery.
April - May 1966: Operation Birmingham, during which the Americans, supported by an impressive amount of air and ground equipment carried out a sweep of the territory north of Saigon. As a result of a series of small-scale skirmishes with the enemy, only 100 Viet Cong died. Most of the fighting was provoked by the North Vietnamese side, which proved its elusiveness by the results of the battles.
Late May - June 1966: In late May, the North Vietnamese 324th Division crossed the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and encountered an American naval battalion. At Dong Ha, the North Vietnamese army took the largest battle of the entire war. Most of the 3rd Naval Division (about 5 thousand people from five battalions) moved north. In Operation Hastings, the sailors were supported by South Vietnamese troops, US Navy heavy artillery, and military aviation, resulting in the displacement of the enemy outside the DMZ within three weeks.
June 30, 1966 - on the 13th route (Route 13), which connected Vietnam with the Cambodian border, American troops were attacked by the Viet Cong: only air support and artillery helped the Americans avoid complete defeat.
July 1966 - About 1,300 North Vietnamese soldiers were killed in a bloody battle near Con Tien.
October 1966 - The 9th North Vietnamese division, having recovered from the July events, is preparing for the next offensive. Losses in manpower and equipment were made up by reinforcements and supplies from North Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh trail.
September 14, 1966 - a new operation, codenamed Attleboro, in which the US 196th brigade, together with 22,000 South Vietnamese soldiers, began an active search and destruction of the enemy in the province of Tai Ninh. At the same time, the location of the supplies of the 9th North Vietnamese Division was discovered, but there was no open confrontation again. The operation ended six weeks later; the loss of the American side amounted to 150 people, while the Viet Cong lost over 1,000 soldiers killed.
End of 1966 - by the end of 1966, the American presence in Vietnam reached 385 thousand people, as well as 60 thousand sailors based on the coast. During the year, over 6 thousand people were lost killed, and about 30 thousand were wounded. For comparison, the enemy suffered losses in manpower in the amount of 61 thousand people; however, be that as it may, by the end of the year the number of his troops exceeded 280 thousand people.
1967
January - May 1967: two North Vietnamese divisions operating from the territory of the DMZ, which separated North and South Vietnam, began to bomb the American bases located south of the DMZ, incl. Khe San, Kam Lo, Dong Ha, Kon Tien and Jio Lin.
January 8, 1967 - the beginning of Operation Cedar Falls, the purpose of which was to oust the North Vietnamese forces from the territory of the Iron Triangle (an area of \u200b\u200b60 square miles located between the Saigon River and Route 13 (Route 13). About 16 thousand American soldiers and 14 thousand soldiers The South Vietnamese Army was brought into the Triangle, without meeting the expected large-scale resistance, enemy supplies were captured.In total, during the 19 days of the operation, the Americans lost 72 people killed (mainly due to numerous booby traps and snipers that appeared literally out of nowhere). The Viet Cong lost about 720 people killed.
February 21, 1967 - 240 helicopters took part in the largest air assault (Operation Junction City) operating over the province of Tai Ning; this operation set itself the task of destroying enemy bases and headquarters in South Vietnam, stationed in Combat Zone "C" north of Saigon. About 30 thousand American soldiers took part in the operation, as well as about 5 thousand South Vietnamese soldiers. The duration of the operation was 72 days. The Americans again succeeded in capturing large quantities of supplies, equipment and weapons in the complete absence of large-scale battles with the enemy.
April 24, 1967 - the beginning of attacks on North Vietnamese airfields; The Americans inflicted enormous damage on enemy roads and installations. By the end of the year, all the northern MIG bases were hit, with the exception of just one.
May 1967 - desperate air battles over Hanoi and Haipong. The successes of the Americans include 26 downed bombers, which reduced the enemy's air power by about half.
The end of May 1967 - in the mountains of South Vietnam, the Americans intercepted enemy units moving inland from Cambodian territory. Hundreds of northern soldiers were killed in nine days of prolonged fighting.
Autumn 1967 - Development of the "Tet strategy" takes place in Hanoi. Arrest of 200 officials opposed to the strategy.
1968
Mid-January 1968 - a grouping of units of three Viet Cong divisions near the naval base in Khe San (a small area in the northwest of South Vietnam). The feared enemy forces forced the US command to assume the threat of a large-scale offensive in the northern provinces.
January 21, 1968 - at 5:30 a.m., a fire attack began on a naval base located in Khe San, while 18 people were immediately killed and 40 were injured. The duration of the attack was two days.
January 30-31, 1968 - on the day of the Vietnamese New Year (Tet holiday), the Americans launched a series of attacks throughout South Vietnam: in more than 100 cities, subversive saboteurs supported by troops activated. By the end of the urban fighting, some 37,000 Viet Cong followers had been killed and many more were wounded or captured. The result of these events was more than half a million refugees - civilians. Most of the battle-hardened Viet Cong, politicians and members of the secret service were injured; as for the partisans, for them the holiday turned into a disaster. This event seriously affected public opinion in the States, despite the fact that the Americans themselves lost only 2.5 thousand people killed.
February 23, 1968 - shelling of the naval base and its outposts in Khe San; the number of shells used in this case was unprecedentedly high (over 1300 units). Local shelters were fortified to counter the 82mm used by the enemy. shells.
March 6, 1968 - while the naval forces were preparing to repel a massive assault on the enemy, the North Vietnamese retreated into the jungle surrounding Khe San and did not show themselves in any way for the next three weeks.
March 11, 1968 - large-scale cleansing by the Americans around Saigon and other territories of South Vietnam.
March 16, 1968 - massacre of civilians in the village of Mi Lai (about two hundred people). Despite the fact that only one of the participants in that massacre was actually found guilty of war crimes, the entire American army fully experienced the "return" from that terrible tragedy. Although extremely rare, cases like this play a disservice to the army, nullifying all civilian activity carried out by army units and individual soldiers, and also raise age-old questions about the code of conduct in war.
March 22, 1968 - massive fire attack on Khe San. More than a thousand shells hit the territory of the base - about a hundred pieces per hour; at the same time, local electronic devices recorded the movements of North Vietnamese troops in the vicinity. The American response to the blow was a massive bombing of the enemy.
April 8, 1968 - The result of the American operation "Pegasus" was the final capture of the 9th route (Route 9), which put an end to the siege of Khe San. The 77-day battle at Khe San was the biggest battle of the Vietnam War. The official death toll from the North Vietnamese side was over 1600 people, incl. two completely destroyed divisions. However, in addition to those officially declared, there may have been thousands of enemy soldiers wounded or killed as a result of air raids.
June 1968 - the presence of a powerful highly mobile American army in the territory of Khe San and the absence of any threat to the local base from the enemy prompted General Westmoreland to decide to dismantle it.
November 01, 1968 - Three and a half years later, Operation Rolling Thunder came to an end. Its implementation cost the United States 900 downed aircraft, 818 missing or dead pilots, as well as hundreds of captured pilots. About 120 Vietnamese aircraft were damaged in air battles (including those shot down by mistake). According to American estimates, 180,000 North Vietnamese civilians were killed. There were casualties among the Chinese participants in the conflict - among them, about 20 thousand people were injured or killed.
1969
January 1969 - Richard Nixon's accession to the presidency of the United States. Speaking of the "Vietnam problem", he promised to achieve a "peace worthy of the [American nation]" and intended to successfully negotiate the withdrawal US troops(numbering about half a million soldiers) from the territory of the conflict in the interests of South Vietnam.
February 1969 - Despite government restrictions, Nixon approved Operation Menu to bomb North Vietnamese Viet Cong bases in Cambodia. Over the next four years, more than half a million tons of bombs were dropped on the territory of this country by American aircraft.
February 22, 1969 - During a large-scale attack by enemy assault groups and artillery on American bases throughout South Vietnam, 1,140 Americans were killed. At the same time, South Vietnamese cities were attacked. Despite the fact that the flames of war were engulfed in the whole of South Vietnam, the most brutal battle took place near Saigon. Be that as it may, the American artillery, acting in conjunction with aviation, managed to suppress the offensive launched by the enemy.
April 1969 - the number of deaths during Vietnamese conflict exceeded the same indicator (33,629 people) during the Korean War.
June 8, 1969 - Nixon's meeting with the President of South Vietnam (Nguyen Van Thieu) in the Coral Islands (Midway); During the meeting, the American President issued a statement calling for the immediate withdrawal of the 25,000 troops stationed in Vietnam.
1970
April 29, 1970 - South Vietnamese forces attack and drive Viet Cong bases out of Cambodia. Two days later, an attack by American troops (numbering 30 thousand people, including three divisions) took place. The "cleansing" of Cambodia took 60 days: the location of the Viet Cong bases in the North Vietnamese jungle was revealed. The Americans "requisitioned" 28,500 weapons, over 16 million small ammunition and 14 million pounds of rice. Despite the fact that the enemy managed to retreat across the Mekong River, he suffered significant losses (over 10 thousand people).
1971
February 8, 1971 - Operation Lam Son 719: Three South Vietnamese divisions arrived in Laos to attack two main enemy bases and fell into a trap. Over the next month, more than 9,000 South Vietnamese were killed or injured; more than 2/3 units of ground combat equipment were put out of action, as well as hundreds of American aircraft and helicopters.
Summer 1971 - despite the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 1968 ban on dioxin use. the spraying of dioxin-containing substances (Agent Orange) in Vietnam continued until 1971. In South Vietnam, Operation Ranchhand used 11 million gallons of Agent Orange, containing a total of 240 pounds of dioxin: over 1/7 of the entire country was effectively turned into a desert.
1972
January 1, 1972 - two-thirds of US troops were withdrawn from Vietnam in the previous two years. At the beginning of 1972 only 133,000 Americans remained in the country (South Vietnam). The hardships of the ground war now lay almost entirely on the shoulders of the southerners, whose armed forces numbered over 1 million people.
March 30, 1972 - massive shelling of South Vietnamese positions through the DMZ. More than 20,000 Viet Cong crossed the DMZ, forcing the retreat of the South Vietnamese units, which unsuccessfully tried to defend themselves. According to intelligence, an attack on the positions of Southeast Asia was expected from the north, but not from the demilitarized territories.
April 1, 1972 - the advance of North Vietnamese soldiers towards the city of Hue, defended by the South Vietnamese division and the US naval division. However, by April 9, the attackers were forced to suspend the assault and resupply.
April 13, 1972 - With the support of tanks, North Vietnamese troops took control of the northern part of the city. But, despite this, 4 thousand Southeast Asian soldiers, supported by elite aviation units, continued to defend themselves and fiercely counterattack. On their side was the power of the American B-52 bombers. A month later, the Viet Cong troops left the city.
April 27, 1972 - two weeks after their first attack, the NVA fighters advanced towards the city of Quang Tri, forcing the South Vietnamese division to retreat. By the 29th, the Viet Cong captured Dong Ha and, by May 1, Kwang Tri.
July 19, 1972 - With US air support, the South Vietnamese began to attempt to recapture Bin Din Province and its cities. The battles lasted until September 15 - by this point, Kwang Tri had turned into shapeless ruins. One way or another, the NVA fighters retained control of the northern part of the province.
December 13, 1972 - failure of peace talks between the North Vietnamese and American sides in Paris.
December 18, 1972 - by order of the President, a new "bomb campaign" against the NVA began. Operation Linebacker Two lasted 12 days, including a three-day period of incessant bombing by 120 B-52 aircraft. The strikes were carried out on military airfields, transport targets and warehouses located in Hanoi, Haipong and their environs. The bomb tonnage used by the Americans in this operation exceeded 20,000 tons; they lost 26 aircraft, losses in manpower amounted to 93 people (killed, missing or captured). The recognized losses in manpower of the North Vietnamese fluctuate between 1300 and 1600 dead.
1973
January 8, 1973 - the resumption of the "Paris" peace talks between North Vietnam and the United States.
January 27, 1973 - the signing of a ceasefire by the belligerents participating in the Vietnam War.
March 1973 - The last American soldiers left the Vietnamese lands, although military advisers and sailors who were protecting local American installations remained. The official end of the war for the United States. Of the more than 3 million Americans who took part in the war, nearly 58,000 died and over 1,000 went missing. About 150,000 Americans were seriously injured.
1974
January 1974 - despite the fact that the NVA lacked the ability to carry out a large-scale offensive, it captured key southern territories.
August 9, 1974 - Nixon's resignation - South Vietnam lost its main representative of its interests in the highest political circles of the United States.
December 26, 1974 - Capture of Dong Xai by the 7th NVA Army Division
1975
January 6, 1975 - the capture of the city of Khok Long and the entire adjacent province by the NVA, which was, in fact, a disaster for their southern neighbors, as well as a fact of violation of the Paris peace agreement. However, there was no proper reaction from the United States.
March 1, 1975 - a powerful offensive on the territory of the central mountain range of South Vietnam; the losses of the southerners during their chaotic retreat amounted to 60 thousand soldiers.
The whole of March 1975 - during its next offensive on the cities of Kwang Tri, Hue and Da Nang, SVA fielded 100 thousand soldiers. The support of eight fully manned regiments ensured her success in capturing the province of Kwang Tri.
March 25, 1972 - The third largest South Vietnamese city of Kwang Tri is captured by the NVA.
Early April 1972 - in five weeks of its military campaign, the NVA achieved impressive success, capturing twelve provinces (over 8 million inhabitants). The southerners, on the other hand, lost their best units, more than a third of the personnel and about half of the weapons.
April 29, 1972 - the beginning of massive airlifts: over 1,000 American citizens and almost 7,000 refugees left Saigon in 18 hours on US aircraft.
April 30, 1972 - at 4:30 am, during a rocket attack on Saigon's Tan Son Nhut airport, two American sailors were killed - these were the last victims of the war on the part of the United States. At dawn, the last representatives left the country naval forces from the security of the American embassy. Only a few hours later the embassy was searched; NVA tanks entered Saigon, marking the end of the war.
Chairman of the Presidium of the MOOVVV N.N. Kolesnik
During the years of the war, the Americans dropped 14 million tons of bombs and shells on the long-suffering land of Vietnam, poured thousands of tons of poisonous substances, burned tens of thousands of hectares of jungle and thousands of villages with napalm and herbicides. More than 3 million Vietnamese died in the war, of which more than half were civilians, 9 million
Vietnamese became refugees. The huge human and material losses caused by this war are irreparable, the demographic, genetic and environmental consequences are irreparable.
On the American side, more than 56,700 people were senselessly killed in Vietnam, about 2,300 military personnel were missing, more than 800,000 returned wounded, maimed and sick, more than half of the 2.4 million people. who went through Vietnam, returned home spiritually broken and morally devastated, and are still experiencing the so-called “post-Vietnam syndrome”. Studies conducted in the United States among Vietnam War veterans have shown that for one physical loss in combat there were at least five casualties in the post-war period.
From August 1964 to December 1972, 4118 American aircraft were shot down over North Vietnam by the Vietnamese air defense and air force, incl. 1293 sold by Soviet missiles.
In total, the United States spent 352 billion dollars on this shameful war.
According to the former Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR A.N. Kosygin, our assistance to Vietnam during the war cost 1.5 million rubles. in a day.
For the period from 1953 to 1991. Soviet aid to Vietnam amounted to 15.7 billion dollars.
April 1965 to December 1974 The Soviet Union delivered to Vietnam 95 SA-75M anti-aircraft missile systems, 7,658 missiles for them, over 500 aircraft, 120 helicopters, over 5,000 anti-aircraft guns and 2,000 tanks.
During this period, 6359 Soviet officers and generals and more than 4.5 thousand soldiers and sergeants of military service took part in the hostilities in Vietnam, while 13 people died or died from their wounds and diseases (according to some reports, 16 people).
For courage and heroism shown in the battles in Vietnam, 2190 servicemen were awarded Soviet military orders and medals, incl. 7 people were nominated for the title of Hero Soviet Union, but for reasons of the political situation of that time, the Orders of Lenin were awarded to them without the golden stars of the Hero. In addition, more than 7,000 Soviet military specialists were awarded Vietnamese orders and medals.
(Chairman of the Presidium of the MOOVVV N.N. Kolesnik)
After World War II, the USSR participated in many local military conflicts. This participation was unofficial and even secret. The exploits of the Soviet soldiers in these wars will forever remain unknown.
Chinese Civil War 1946-1950
By the end of World War II, two governments had formed in China, and the country's territory was divided into two parts. One of them was controlled by the Kuomintang led by Chiang Kai-shek, the second by the communist government led by Mao Zedong. The United States supported the Kuomintang, and the USSR - Communist Party China.
The trigger for the war was released in March 1946, when a group of 310,000 Kuomintang troops, with the direct support of the United States, launched an offensive against the positions of the CPC. They captured almost all of southern Manchuria, pushing the communists across the Sungari River. At the same time, the deterioration of relations with the USSR begins - the Kuomintang, under various pretexts, does not fulfill the conditions of the Soviet-Chinese treaty "on friendship and alliance": the property of the CER is plundered, Soviet media are closed, and anti-Soviet organizations are created.
In 1947, the United Democratic Army (later the People's Liberation Army of China) arrived Soviet pilots, tankers, artillerymen. A decisive role in the subsequent victory of the CPC was also played by the weapons supplied to the Chinese Communists from the USSR. According to some reports, only in the autumn of 1945, the PLA received from the USSR 327,877 rifles and carbines, 5,207 machine guns, 5,219 artillery pieces, 743 tanks and armored vehicles, 612 aircraft, as well as ships of the Sungarian flotilla.
In addition, Soviet military experts developed a plan for managing strategic defense and counteroffensive. All this contributed to the success of the NAO and the establishment of the communist regime of Mao Zedong. During the war, about a thousand Soviet soldiers died in China.
Korean War (1950-1953).
Information about the participation of the USSR armed forces in the Korean War was classified for a long time. At the beginning of the conflict, the Kremlin did not plan the participation of Soviet military personnel in it, however, the large-scale involvement of the United States in the confrontation between the two Koreas changed the position of the Soviet Union. In addition, the provocations of the Americans also influenced the Kremlin’s decision to enter the conflict: for example, on October 8, 1950, two American attack aircraft even bombed the Pacific Fleet Air Force base in the Dry River area.
The military support of the DPRK by the Soviet Union was aimed mainly at repelling US aggression and was carried out through gratuitous deliveries of weapons. Specialists from the USSR prepared command, staff and engineering personnel.
The main military assistance was provided by aviation: Soviet pilots made sorties on MiG-15s repainted in the colors of the Chinese Air Force. At the same time, the pilots were forbidden to operate over the Yellow Sea and pursue enemy aircraft south of the Pyongyang-Wonsan line.
Military advisers from the USSR were present at the headquarters of the front only in civilian clothes, under the guise of correspondents for the newspaper Pravda. This special "camouflage" is mentioned in Stalin's telegram to General Shtykov, an employee of the Far Eastern Department of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
It is still unclear how many Soviet soldiers actually were in Korea. According to official figures, during the conflict, the USSR lost 315 people and 335 MiG-15 fighters. By comparison, the Korean War claimed the lives of 54,246,000 Americans and over 103,000 were wounded.
Vietnam War (1965-1975)
In 1945, the creation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed, power in the country passed to the communist leader Ho Chi Minh. But the West was in no hurry to give up its former colonial possessions. Soon, French troops landed on the territory of Vietnam in order to restore their influence in the region. In 1954, a document was signed in Geneva, according to which the independence of Laos, Vietnam Cambodia was recognized, and the country was divided into two parts: North Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, and South Vietnam, led by Ngo Dinh Diem. The latter quickly lost popularity among the people, and in South Vietnam the guerrilla war, especially since the impenetrable jungle provided her with high efficiency.
On March 2, 1965, the United States began regular bombing raids on North Vietnam, accusing the country of expanding partisan movement on South. The reaction of the USSR was immediate. Since 1965, large-scale deliveries begin military equipment, specialists and soldiers to Vietnam. Everything happened in the strictest secrecy.
According to the recollections of veterans, before the flight, the soldiers were dressed in civilian clothes, their letters home were subjected to such strict censorship that if they fell into the hands of an outsider, the latter could understand only one thing: the authors are resting somewhere in the south and enjoying their serene vacation.
The participation of the USSR in the Vietnam War was so classified that it is still not clear what role the Soviet military personnel played in this conflict. There are numerous legends about Soviet aces pilots fighting "phantoms", whose collective image was embodied in the pilot Li-Si-Tsyn from a famous folk song. However, according to the recollections of participants in the events, our pilots were strictly forbidden to engage in combat with American aircraft. The exact number and names of Soviet soldiers who participated in the conflict are still unknown.
War in Algeria (1954-1964)
The national liberation movement in Algeria, which gained momentum after the Second World War, in 1954 grew into a real war against French colonial rule. The USSR took the side of the rebels in the conflict. Khrushchev noted that the struggle of the Algerians against the French organizers was in the nature of a war of liberation, and therefore, it should be supported by the UN.
However, the Soviet Union provided the Algerians not only with diplomatic support: the Kremlin supplied the Algerian army with weapons and military personnel.
The Soviet military contributed to the organizational strengthening of the Algerian army, participated in the planning of operations against the French troops, as a result of which the latter had to negotiate.
The parties entered into an agreement according to which hostilities ceased, and Algeria was granted independence.
After the signing of the agreement, Soviet sappers carried out the largest demining operation in the country. During the war, French battalions of sappers on the border of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia mined a strip from 3 to 15 km, where there were up to 20 thousand “surprises” per kilometer. Soviet sappers cleared 1350 sq. km of territory, destroying 2 million anti-personnel mines.
The history of our civilization is full of bloody wars and tragedies. People still do not know how to live in peace on one small planet lost in cold space. War is increasingly becoming an instrument of enrichment for some at the expense of the grief and misfortune of others. In the twentieth century, the assertion that force rules the world was once again confirmed.
In early September, in the year of the final surrender of fascism, the creation of the second people's state in Asia, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, was proclaimed. The power in the country was in the hands of the communist leader Ho Chi Minh, which radically changed the geopolitical situation in the region. However, the Europeans did not intend to leave their colonies, and soon a new bloody war. British troops under the leadership of General Gracie created favorable conditions for the return of the French colonists instead of the promised help to expel the Japanese aggressors. The Allies openly violated the provisions of the Atlantic Charter, which stated that all countries that fought against fascism would receive their long-awaited freedom. Soon, French troops landed on the territory of Vietnam in order to restore their former influence in the region. However, Vietnam by this time was experiencing an incredible rise in national spirit, and the French met with fierce resistance.
At the initiative of the Soviet Union, at the end of April 1954, a document was signed in Geneva recognizing the independence of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as restoring peace in the region. As a result, two parts of the country were formed, separated by a conditional border: North Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, and South, headed by Ngo Dinh Diem. If Ho Chi Minh was a leader with real authority among the local population, supported by the countries of the socialist camp, then Diem turned out to be an ordinary puppet of the West. Soon, Diem lost even the appearance of popularity among the people, and a guerrilla war broke out in South Vietnam. The democratic elections scheduled by the Geneva Act turned out to be completely unfavorable for the Europeans, since it became clear that Ho Chi Minh's victory was predetermined. It should be noted that the communists from the DRV played an important role in the development of the partisan movement. Soon the United States intervened in the conflict, but the lightning-fast conquest of the country did not take place.
The southern part of Vietnam was almost completely covered with impenetrable jungle, in which the partisans successfully hid. Military operations, customary and effective in Europe, were not applicable here, the communist North provided significant support to the rebels. After the Tonkin Incident, the US Air Force bombed North Vietnam. Black phantoms were sent to Hanoi and, exerting a psychological impact on the population, destroyed mainly military facilities. The air defense system in the underdeveloped country was almost completely absent, and the Americans quickly felt their impunity.
Help from the USSR followed immediately. To be more precise, Soviet support for the young people's state was carried out a year before the famous meeting in 1965, however, large-scale deliveries of military equipment began after the official decision was made and the issues of transportation through China were settled. In addition to weapons, Soviet military and civilian specialists, as well as correspondents, went to Vietnam. In the famous movie "Rambo", American directors cover the fierce battles between the "hero" and notorious thugs from the "Russian special forces". This work concentrates all the fear of Soviet soldiers, who, according to US politicians, fought with their valiant half-million army. So, if we take into account that the number of soldiers from the USSR who arrived in Hanoi was only six thousand officers and about four thousand privates, it becomes clear how exaggerated such stories are.
In fact, only officers and privates were present on the territory of North Vietnam, called to train local military personnel in the management of Soviet equipment and weapons. Contrary to the expectations of the Americans, who predicted the appearance of the first results of such training only in a year, the Vietnamese entered into a confrontation after only two months. Perhaps such an unexpected and unpleasant circumstance for the American command gave rise to suspicions that Soviet pilots, and not at all local soldiers, were on the side of the enemy. Legends of Bolsheviks with machine guns hiding in the impenetrable jungle and attacking American civilians in Vietnam are still popular in the States today. If you believe these stories, then you can conclude that only ten or eleven thousand Soviet soldiers were able to defeat the half-million American army, and this is really incredible. The role of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese in this approach is not at all clear.
However, it cannot be denied that the Americans had reason not to trust the assurances of the USSR about the exclusively advisory mission of military specialists. The fact is that the majority of the population of North Vietnam was illiterate. The vast majority were starving, people were exhausted, so ordinary fighters did not even have a minimum margin of endurance and strength. Young men could only endure ten minutes of combat with the enemy. There was no need to talk about skill in the field of piloting on modern machines. Despite all of the above factors, during the first year of confrontation with North Vietnam, a significant part of American military aircraft was destroyed. MiGs outperformed the legendary phantoms in maneuverability, so they successfully evaded pursuit after the attack. Anti-aircraft systems, thanks to which most of the American bombers were shot down, were difficult to eliminate, since they were located under the cover of dense tropical forests. In addition, intelligence worked successfully, reporting fighter sorties in advance.
The first months of work of the Soviet rocket scientists turned out to be extremely tense. Completely different climatic conditions, unfamiliar diseases, annoying insects have become far from the main problem in fulfilling the task. The training of the Vietnamese comrades, who did not understand the Russian language at all, took place through a demonstration, with the involvement of translators, who were often in short supply. However, Soviet specialists did not participate directly in the battles, since there were very few of them, and they were too valuable. According to the testimony of direct participants, they did not even have their own weapons.
North Vietnamese PT-76, shot down in the battle near the Benhat special forces camp. March 1969
The American command strictly forbade shelling Soviet ships and transport, since such actions could provoke the outbreak of the Third World War, however, it was the Soviet military-economic machine that turned out to be opposed to the Americans. Two thousand tanks, seven hundred light and maneuverable aircraft, seven thousand mortars and guns, more than a hundred helicopters and much more were supplied by the USSR as gratuitous friendly assistance to Vietnam. Almost the entire air defense system of the country, later assessed by the enemy as impenetrable for any type of fighter, was built at the expense of the USSR, by the forces of Soviet specialists. The armament of the belligerent state took place in the most difficult conditions of constant bombing and open robbery by China. Over 10,000 Vietnamese were sent to the Soviet Union for military training and training in handling modern Soviet technology. According to various estimates, the support of friendly Vietnam cost the USSR budget from one and a half to two million dollars daily.
There is an opinion that the Soviets sent obsolete weapons to help the belligerents. In refutation, one can cite an interview with the chairman of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Vietnam Veterans Nikolai Kolesnik, a direct participant and eyewitness to the events under study. According to him, modern MiG-21 vehicles were put into service, as well as Dvina anti-aircraft guns, the shells of which, according to the Americans, turned out to be the deadliest on earth at that time. Notes Kolesnik and highly qualified military specialists, and the incredible perseverance of the Vietnamese in learning and striving to master the science of management as quickly as possible.
Despite the fact that the US authorities were well aware of the provision of military assistance to North Vietnam, all specialists, including the military, were required to wear only civilian clothes, their documents were kept at the embassy, and they learned about the final destination of their business trip at the last moment. Secrecy requirements were maintained until the withdrawal of the Soviet contingent from the country, and the exact numbers and names of the participants are not known to this day.
Relations between the USSR and Vietnam were based on the conditions of "unequal friendship". The Union was interested in spreading its influence in the region, which is why it provided such generous and disinterested assistance. Vietnam, on the other hand, cooperated with the Soviets solely for reasons of profit, successfully speculating on the position of a country fighting for independence and freedom. Sometimes help was not asked, but demanded. In addition, direct participants often describe cases of provocations by the Vietnamese authorities.
International relations with this tropical country are being built today by Russia as the immediate legal successor of the Union. The political situation is developing in different ways, but the local population has retained a sense of gratitude for the Russian soldiers, and the heroes of that secret war are still proud of participating in it.
Documentary investigation. Russian secrets of the Vietnam War
About 6360 Soviet officers worked in Vietnam as military advisers - they allegedly only helped repel American air raids with the support of air defense missile systems. 13 people were officially recognized as dead. Every day of this nine-year war cost the USSR 2 million dollars.
The Americans knew very well where the Soviet camps were located, so until there were active hostilities, they were tolerant of the Russians. Occasionally, leaflets were dropped from flying planes indicating the time of the bombing and suggesting that the Russians leave the danger zone. The feeling of complete impunity ended with the shock of the Americans on July 25, 1964. It was the first battle of Soviet anti-aircraft gunners with American aircraft. On this day, three aircraft were destroyed near Hanoi by three missiles. The Americans experienced such horror that they did not fly for two weeks. The Vietnamese shamelessly speculated on help from the USSR and even jeopardized Soviet ships.
ctrl Enter
Noticed osh s bku Highlight text and click Ctrl+Enter
