On November 1, 1955, the Vietnam War began. It was a civil war between the divided North and South following the First Indochina War (Vietnam Independence War, 1946–1954). It also took on the character of a proxy war, as the capitalist and communist blocs confronted each other during the Cold War.
In the mid-20th century, Vietnam sought to break free from French colonial rule. However, following the First Indochina War, the country was divided into North and South. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was established in the North with Ho Chi Minh as president, while in the South, the Republic of Vietnam was formed with Emperor Bao Dai as a puppet under French influence.
The United States supported South Vietnam, citing the domino theory, which suggested that if Vietnam fell to communism, neighboring countries might follow suit. Meanwhile, North Vietnam waged an armed struggle for unification. Ultimately, the U.S. entered the war in August 1964, using the Gulf of Tonkin incident as justification. South Korea also deployed troops to Vietnam that year at the request of the United States. Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand also sent forces. In response, the Soviet Union supported North Vietnam, turning the civil war into a proxy war.
The United States gradually increased its involvement in the Vietnam War by committing more troops and resources. Despite intense aerial bombings and jungle elimination operations to pressure North Vietnam, the U.S. faced fierce resistance from the Viet Cong, making victory difficult. South Vietnam, meanwhile, struggled with corruption and power struggles among its political leaders, failing to unite the population.
As the war dragged on and American casualties mounted, opposition to the Vietnam War intensified in the U.S., leading to widespread protests. Young people, in particular, strongly criticized the war’s injustices and called for peace. Beginning in 1969, the U.S. military initiated a phased withdrawal of ground troops.
In 1973, the signing of the Paris Peace Accords formally ended the Vietnam War, leading to the complete withdrawal of U.S. and South Korean forces. Left without support, South Vietnam fell to the North on April 30, 1975, with the capture of Saigon, resulting in communist unification. Many leaders of South Vietnam fled to the Western world.