General History of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam war took place call it "The War against the Americans to save the nation." In the course of this war, some 58,000 US soldiers were brutally killed, as well as 304,000 badly injured. But these figures pale in insignificance beside the horrific casualties suffered by the Vietnamese. Almost 1,400,000 North and South Vietnamese were killed in action.
Another significant 2,100,000 US soldiers badly injured. It was one of the bloodiest wars in history, and one that took a particularly high toll of civilian lives. The total number of Vietnamese people killed in this conflict will never be known but was probably not less than three million and the total number of deaths a little less than 8 million.
The number of American soldiers in Vietnam rose from 23,300 in 1963 to 184,000 in 1966. In January 1969 the total number of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam reached its highest as a total of 542,000 American soldiers. Despite this the U.S. Army was unable to overpower Vietnam. This was the first time in history that the USA has been defeated in a war (Korea was a draw).
In August 1963 the new President, Lyndon B. Johnson, ordered the first bombing of North Vietnam, operation "Rolling Thunder". The purpose was to make the Vietnamese will to struggle through "shock and confusion". The number of bombs that fell over Vietnam in this strike alone was greater than the total dropped during the entire Second World War which the equivalent to 15 kilograms of bombs for every man, woman and child in North Vietnam. Chemical weapons wiped out 10 percent of the country's surface.
But the numbers of dead and wounded do not tell the entire story. The country was destroyed by years of carpet-bombing. Thousands of square miles were laid waste. Billions of dollars were wasted. Thousands of acres of forest were destroyed by the dropping defoliants by the US air force. This, in plain English, is known as chemical warfare. Many US soldiers developed serious illnesses through contact with these chemical agents. But for a huge number of Vietnamese it meant generations of deformed babies, miscarriages, cancers and all manner of hideous illnesses.
Definitions: NLF: National Liberation Front. Defoliants: Poisonous chemicals. Carpet-Bombing: To systematically bomb (A large area) so as to completely destroy.
The Vietnam war took place call it "The War against the Americans to save the nation." In the course of this war, some 58,000 US soldiers were brutally killed, as well as 304,000 badly injured. But these figures pale in insignificance beside the horrific casualties suffered by the Vietnamese. Almost 1,400,000 North and South Vietnamese were killed in action.
Another significant 2,100,000 US soldiers badly injured. It was one of the bloodiest wars in history, and one that took a particularly high toll of civilian lives. The total number of Vietnamese people killed in this conflict will never be known but was probably not less than three million and the total number of deaths a little less than 8 million.
The number of American soldiers in Vietnam rose from 23,300 in 1963 to 184,000 in 1966. In January 1969 the total number of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam reached its highest as a total of 542,000 American soldiers. Despite this the U.S. Army was unable to overpower Vietnam. This was the first time in history that the USA has been defeated in a war (Korea was a draw).
In August 1963 the new President, Lyndon B. Johnson, ordered the first bombing of North Vietnam, operation "Rolling Thunder". The purpose was to make the Vietnamese will to struggle through "shock and confusion". The number of bombs that fell over Vietnam in this strike alone was greater than the total dropped during the entire Second World War which the equivalent to 15 kilograms of bombs for every man, woman and child in North Vietnam. Chemical weapons wiped out 10 percent of the country's surface.
But the numbers of dead and wounded do not tell the entire story. The country was destroyed by years of carpet-bombing. Thousands of square miles were laid waste. Billions of dollars were wasted. Thousands of acres of forest were destroyed by the dropping defoliants by the US air force. This, in plain English, is known as chemical warfare. Many US soldiers developed serious illnesses through contact with these chemical agents. But for a huge number of Vietnamese it meant generations of deformed babies, miscarriages, cancers and all manner of hideous illnesses.
Definitions: NLF: National Liberation Front. Defoliants: Poisonous chemicals. Carpet-Bombing: To systematically bomb (A large area) so as to completely destroy.