Billions of dollars spent in military aid and equipment from the United States ended after more than 58,000 American lives were lost and another 153,000 were wounded in what is sometimes called “The Impossible War.” The Indochinese Peninsula consists of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, formerly Burma; Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Despite heavily outnumbering French forces, the Viet Minh were hindered by severe weapons shortages, particularly a lack of artillery and munitions. France was economically devastated by World War II so the French government had to mobilise the CEFEO on a shoestring budget. URL: https://alphahistory.com/vietnamwar/first-indochina-war/ 5. By mid-December, the two sides were openly at war. .. $19.90. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union, China and North Korea, while South Vietnam was supported by the United States, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, New … During the colonial era, French Indochina was made up of Cochin-China, Annam, Cambodia, Tonkin, Kwangchowan, and Laos. A learned and articulate man, Giap spent most of the 1930s teaching history, while contributing to and editing several socialist newspapers. A major contribution to the national histories of France, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia." ), or the First and Second Indochina wars. The French also had requested an additional $400 million in assistance but, due to pressure from Washington for the French to make good on their promise to cooperate in Europe, they received only $385 million. The United States involvement in the struggles of French Indochina began in 1945 at the Potsdam Conference and continued through many phases, culminating in a final withdrawal from Vietnam in 1975. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union, China and North Korea, while South Vietnam was supported by the United States, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, New … In addition, Viet Minh soldiers were largely untrained and had little understanding of military organisation, discipline or strategy. In 1952-53 the Viet Minh began to move men and supplies into remote areas of French-occupied Laos. Finally, with their shattering defeat by the Viet Minh at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in May 1954, the… Read More; role of. French businessmen and a small number of Vietnamese became wealthy, while most became poorer. Vietnam was temporarily divided, but an agreement had been reached for free elections to be held in July 1956 to unify the two regions. With DIEN BIEN PHU veterans clasp Wound emblem and CEFO insignia on ribbon. Giap recognised the need for strategies that made use of Viet Minh strengths and exploited French weaknesses. After World War II, France assumed that it would retake control of its colonial holdings in Southeast Asia - Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.The Southeast Asian people had different ideas, however. In Vietnam, it is referred to as the Anti-French War. It was a major conflict in the Asian region known as Indochina, which is composed of the modern nations of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. But if he stays agile and keeps his mobility, he will finally vanquish the elephant, who will bleed to death from a multitude of small cuts.”. The Indochina Wars were a series of conflicts in Southeast Asia from 1946 to 1989.. The Second Indochina War is a remarkable little book. It was fought in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia between North and South Vietnam. Covering a broad history from the arrival of the French in the second half of the nineteenth century through the so-called First, Second, and Third Indochina Wars of the twentieth and beyond, the series focuses on revealing interdisciplinary approaches and original conceptual frameworks to situate the struggles for Vietnam newly in a global context. See more ideas about first indochina war, war, vietnam war. See more ideas about war, first indochina war, vietnam war. 1947 January : Viet Minh forces, led by Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Giap , relocated to jungles of north-west Vietnam. The Viet Minh had superior numbers but lack the weapons, munitions and technology of the French. Military advisors were used to train and equip South Vietnamese troops. During the first phase of the war, many CEFEO troops had no uniforms or standard-issue weapons; they had to rely on whatever they could scrounge or capture. When these attacks were unsuccessful, Ho Chi Minh and Giap decided to move men and supplies into Laos – Vietnam’s western neighbour and another French colony – to further stretch CEFEO resources. 2. The colony had once supplied the French with not only important raw materials, but also vast wealth from its opium drug trade. This Vietnam War website is created and maintained by Alpha History. Date accessed: December 31, 2020 The Allies had agreed to a Japanese surrender of their occupation of Indochina above the 17th parallel and the British surrender south of that line. Having traveled to France to sign a cease-fire agreement and to negotiate eventual freedom for the Vietnamese people, Ho Chi Minh felt betrayed by the French government when the puppet government of Bao Dai was established in his absence in 1947. It contains 184,073 words in 261 pages and was updated last on June 11th. In the West, this conflict is called the First Indochina War. But in the end, the United States carried the heaviest burden in defending against that aggression. The decision not to allow free elections fueled the Viet Minh’s resolve to re-unify Vietnam. Log into your account. See more ideas about first indochina war, vietnam war, vietnam. Second Indochina War (Vietnam War), Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). By the end of the First Indochina War, 75,867 French soldiers had lost their lives and $3 billion had been spent in a war that led to the withdrawal of French troops after the 1954 Geneva Accords were signed. Vietnam War memory quiz – events 1946-1964, Vietnam War memory quiz – events 1965-1975, Vietnam War memory quiz – terms and concepts (I), Vietnam War memory quiz – terms and concepts (II). Only one photo available . Rather than bear the entire burden of containment in Southeast Asia, the U.S. began to favor what Secretary of State John Foster Dulles called “United Action.” Under the plan, a coalition of local forces would be called upon to assist with disputes. Due to political pressure from anti-communist Republican Joseph McCarthy and others in Washington, D.C., against Democrats who were seen as soft on communism’s spread throughout the world, President Harry S. Truman stepped up America’s involvement in the French re-colonization of Indochina under the Truman Doctrine. World War II’s Prelude to the Vietnam War: The Birth of the Viet Minh. Jan 15, 2020 - Explore Hung Huynh's board "French Indochina War", followed by 412 people on Pinterest. Ho was forced to assent to French re-occupation. The wars included: Vietnam War - Vietnam War - French rule ended, Vietnam divided: The Vietnam War had its origins in the broader Indochina wars of the 1940s and ’50s, when nationalist groups such as Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh, inspired by Chinese and Soviet communism, fought the colonial rule first of Japan and then of France. In current usage , it applies largely to a geographic region, rather than to a political area. Bao Dai agreed to the plan and the national capital was moved from Hue to Saigon. If the tiger stands his ground to fight, the elephant will crush him with its weight. Eisenhower surmised that continued support would eventually lead to the liberation of the Vietnamese people from communism. Instead, the Viet Minh sought to avoid decisive battles and withdraw to the countryside, jungles and mountains. Copyright: The content on this page may not be republished without our express permission. “The French had controlled Vietnam for a couple of generations,” explains Ed Moise, a professor of history at Clemson University and author of Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War. Hoping to undermine the Viet Minh’s supporter base, France set up an alternative Vietnamese government, more moderate and pro-French than the Viet Minh. Add to Wish List. French Medal for Indochina / Vietnam War 1945-1954. It ended with the French defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phuand French withdrawal from Vietnam. Anxious to re-establish their colony of 60 years, the French brought in forces in 1946 that included soldiers from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Once Hanoi fell, the Viet Minh declared its independence, established the provisional government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), and made Ho president and minister of foreign affairs. Meanwhile, Viet Minh cadres would move among the peasants, working to build up political support. In early 1949, the French, frustrated by a lack of progress in the war, changed tack. your password Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina on December 19, 1946, and lasted until July 20, 1954. Driven by anti-communist agendas, the Chinese and British allowed the restoration of French colonial rule, rather than leaving Vietnam in the hands of “red bandits”. This is known as the Haiphon… ... American diplomat Abbot Low Moffat told a British diplomat that the French were facing a disaster in their war in Vietnam. Bao Dai’s new government was encouraged to form a new military force, the Vietnamese National Army (VNA). The Geneva Conference, intended to settle outstanding issues resulting from the Korean War and the First Indochina War, was a conference involving several nations that took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from April 26 to July 20, 1954. The Vietnam War (Vietnamese: Chiến tranh Việt Nam), also known as the Second Indochina War, and in Vietnam as the Resistance War Against America (Vietnamese: Kháng chiến chống Mỹ) or simply the American War, was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. The United States also saw the Indochina situation as a potential example of The Domino Theory, which holds that if a country falls to communism, weaker surrounding nations also eventually fall. In 1939, Giap was forced to flee Vietnam because of his anti-French political activities. Citizens were often held in prison for long periods without being charged, or they died from malaria, tuberculosis, or malnutrition. The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), whose principal architect was Secretary Dulles, was originated from that defense treaty in an effort to stem further communist takeovers of countries in the Pacific region and to legitimize the United States' presence in South Vietnam. In 1954, during the French Indochina War, an Eurasian female smuggler and a group of French Foreign Legion mercenaries, infiltrate the enemy territory in order to destroy an arms depot. Eisenhower Ho Chi Minh seized the opportunity to declare Vietnamese independence on September 2nd 1945 – but the arrival of Chinese and British troops, tasked with overseeing the Japanese withdrawal, undermined the Viet Minh and its grip on power. The figurehead emperor Bao Dai was put in charge of this nominally independent state. Publisher: Alpha History One invaluable source of ideas was a 1936 pamphlet called Problems of Strategy in China’s Revolutionary War, written by Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong. Indochina - Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos 1950 - United States Recognition of Increased Sovereignty in the State of Viet-Nam: Note From the United States Ambassador-at-Large to the Chief of State of Viet-Nam… A drama where amorous passion and political engagement mingle, carried by two young idealists at the heart of the First Indochina War. By 1952, the VNA had more than 120,000 soldiers and was fighting alongside the CEFEO in many anti-Viet Minh campaigns. “They were determined to go on h… Most Viet Minh weapons had been retrieved from the retreating Japanese or seized from captured French. The first two years of the war (1947-48) was marked by sporadic fighting. When ready, Viet Minh soldiers would be deployed to launch surprise attacks, ambushes and raids on weaker French positions (while avoiding full-scale battles). The Vietnam War or Second Indochina War (also known colloquially as Vietnam or Nam as well as the American War to the Vietnamese) By: Ann Anderson . “The enemy,” according to one French soldier, “melted into the jungle”. The part of the conference on the Korean question ended without adopting any declarations or proposals, so is generally considered less relevant. Nov 28, 2020 - Explore W. Rabbit's board "French Indochina" on Pinterest. Dec 22, 2020 - Explore Pete Owen's board "Indochina and The Siege of Dien Bien Phu" on Pinterest. Despite heavy Viet Minh losses (around 9,000 men), most of their soldiers proved too elusive. Buy Vietnam War: A Captivating Guide to the Second Indochina War by History, Captivating (ISBN: 9781981608386) from Amazon's Book Store. The Vietnam War or Second Indochina War (also known colloquially as Vietnam or Nam as well as the American War to the Vietnamese) By: Ann Anderson. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, and also known in Vietnam as Resistance War Against America or simply the American War, was a Cold War-era proxy war that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. Viewer discretion is advised Fighting broke out and approximately 1,000 Vietnamese were killed in a battle fought with armored units against a French gunboat firing from the harbor. The First Indochina War (also known as the French Indochina War), was a major conflict in the Asian region known as Indochina, which is made up of the modern nations of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. During the First Indochina War, the Viet Minh encountered similar difficulties experienced by other anti-colonial forces.Despite heavily outnumbering French forces, the Viet Minh were hindered by severe weapons shortages, particularly a lack of artillery and munitions. The Second Indochina War, 1954-1975, grew out of the long conflict between France and Vietnam. December 19th: 30,000 Viet Minh soldiers attack French positions at Haiphong, sparking the First Indochina War. What we know today as “the Vietnam War” was actually part of a broader series of conflicts over three decades that emerged in French Indochina after World War II. While in exile in China, Giap joined up with Ho Chi Minh and other Viet Minh rebels. The Vietnam War is also known as the Second Indochina War. Fighting broke out in Haiphong after a conflict of interest in import duty at the port between the Viet Minh government and the French. HANOI, Vietnam - HANOI, Vietnam - A maps showing the military campaigns of the First Indochina War against the colonial French armies. After France's defeat by the Vietnamese in the First Indochina War, the U.S. became embroiled in a second war, which Americans call the Vietnam War . Roosevelt understood that Indochina was rich in natural resources; it was also a strategic location in Southeast Asia. Second Indochina War: A military conflict known commonly in the United States as the Vietnam War and in Vietnam as Resistance War Against America or the American War, that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1955 (with some sources citing 1956 or 1959 as the starting date) to the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. The aim of the Manila Pact was to find peaceful means to resolve differences in Southeast Asia by establishing a council to determine how to implement the treaty and to provide consultation for military and other planning within the treaty area. This series offers original studies on the long struggles for Vietnam. France had been a long-time occupier of Vietnam before 1954. On November 23, 1946, the French fleet bombarded the Vietnamese sections of the city killing 6,000 Vietnamese civilians in one afternoon. Date published: June 13, 2019 Aug 17, 2019 - Explore Guy Halsall's board "Indochina" on Pinterest. During the First Indochina War, the Viet Minh encountered similar difficulties experienced by other anti-colonial forces. First Indochina War Covering a broad history from the arrival of the French in the second half of the nineteenth century … On January 15, 1973, thanks to the progress in peace negotiations, Nixon announced the deferral of all offensive tactics in North Vietnam. Paris began looking for a political solution rather than a military victory. Directly after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, Vietnam's communist Viet Minh National Congress met in Tan Trao to ratify the Central Committee’s recommendation to begin a general uprising in the hopes of ousting the Japanese military command. End of Japanese occupation It was fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. French Indochina was the collective name for the French colonial regions of Southeast Asia from colonization in 1887 to independence and the subsequent Vietnam Wars of the mid-1900s. He remained in exile for five years, during which French authorities arrested and executed most of his family. Nov 6, 2016 - Explore SkyLug's board "First Indochina War" on Pinterest. End of the Second Indochina War. The Southeast Asian people had different ideas, however. Title: “The First Indochina War” The continuation of the war and some failed military operations led to France seeking a political solution. Ho Chi Minh compared this to a struggle between two powerful animals: “It is the fight between tiger and elephant. Vietnam - Second Indochina War. Fighting between French forces and their Việt Minh opponents in … By the end of 1946, Giap’s northern Viet Minh units boasted 60,000 men – but they were armed with only 40,000 rifles. Paris sought to undermine the Viet Minh by establishing the independent republic of Vietnam. Maintaining the partitioning of North and South Vietnam by the 17th parallel that was first established at the Potsdam Conference, Ho Chi Minh was given the territory north of the 17th parallel while Emperor Bao Dai was given the area south of the 17th parallel. Ho’s attempt to garner support from the United States was useless because, unknown by him, the fate of Indochina had already been decided at the Potsdam Conference. Led by General Giap, they retreated to remote areas to train, gather support and instigate a protracted war. In November, French naval vessels bombarded the northern port city of Haiphong, killing large numbers of civilians. The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The tide of U.S. support receded when the hopelessness of a full-scale occupation of Indochina against the Viet Minh was realized in 1953. The Indochina war was quickly followed by France's Algerian debacle, a far more consuming conflict in which the French public was more involved -- and in which many draftees served. 3. The French Indochina War broke out in 1946 and went on for eight years, with France’s war effort largely funded and supplied by the United States. "Indochina is the first and best general history of French colonial Indochina from its inception in 1858 to its crumbling in 1954. The intention was to make the war costly and unpopular back in France. -1954: France out of Vietnam War so the U.S. wanted democracy called for by the Accords-Called for Vietnam to be divided at the 17th parallel-National elections would be held in 2 years so the Vietnamese could elect the leader -Marked an end to Indochina War but … In a speech given on September 2, 1945, Ho announced the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence, modeled nearly verbatim after the American Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, to half a million people assembled in Ba Dinh Square. United Action More than 1,000 French paratroopers were dropped into the area, with orders to flush out the Viet Minh hierarchy. The Indochina and Vietnam Wars followed one another over thirty-five years, from 1940 to 1975, yet these two closely related conflicts are usually treated separately. His leadership had a profound effect on the outcomes of the First Indochina War and, later, the Vietnam War. French military units that participated in the First Indochina War were called the Corps Expeditionnaire Francais en Extreme-Orient (the ‘French Far-East Expeditionary Corps’, or CEFEO). See more ideas about first indochina war, war, vietnam war. Given the choice, however, Ho preferred French occupation over the Chinese in Vietnam, knowing the French would be easier to depose than the Chinese. At the Geneva Conference in Switzerland in July 1954, not only did the Geneva Accords effectively end French control over Indochina, but Cambodia and Laos were also granted independence from France, thus bringing an end to French Indochina. President Franklin D. Roosevelthad a keen sense for foreign policy. The goals of the North Vietnamese in South Vietnam were summarized in Ho Chi Minh's three-point battle cry: "Defend the North, Free the South, and Unite the Country." Aside from Ho Chi Minh, the Viet Minh’s most notable military leader was Vo Nguyen Giap. This was itself a tactical move because Viet Minh support was much weaker in the south, which contained higher numbers of Vietnamese middle class, Francophiles, Catholics, Confucians, Buddhists, political liberals and moderates. Eventually, French forces would be weakened enough for the Viet Minh to engage them in a decisive battle. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, and in Vietnam as the Resistance War Against America or simply the American War, was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. Recruits were promised good pay and the opportunity to serve in France (promises that were later broken). Vietnam Veterans Vietnam War First Indochina War Bad Spirits French Colonial French History One Wave War Photography Indochine Dien Bien Phu, some pictures in memory - Part 1 Operation Castor The first moment of the Dien Bien Phu saga, « Operation Castor », 20 November 1953, the seizure of the bowl. Add to Cart. Meanwhile, a 15,000-strong CEFEO force was positioned to outflank the retreating Viet Minh and rout them in battle. What we know today as “the Vietnam War” was actually part of a broader series of conflicts over three decades that emerged in French Indochina after World War II. This shift would facilitate the final decisive engagement of the First Indochina War: the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Between sensuality and violence, power of … For more information on usage, please refer to our Terms of Use. Sold. On September 2, 1945, Ho officially declared independence and renamed Indochina the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, or DRV. Emperor Dai’s rule was short lived in that by 1955, Dai was overthrown and U.S.-backed Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem was instated as president. Everyday low prices and free delivery on … The Geneva Conference, intended to settle outstanding issues resulting from the Korean War and the First Indochina War, was a conference involving several nations that took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from April 26 to July 20, 1954. The Indochina Wars (Vietnamese: Chiến tranh Đông Dương) were a series of wars fought in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1991, between communist Indochinese forces against mainly French, South Vietnamese, American, Cambodian, Laotian and Chinese forces. Giap was not daunted by these shortcomings. In early 1946, the French landed a military force at Haiphong, and negotiations took place about the future for Vietnam as a state within the French Union. By late 1946, the French had mobilised 50,000 troops in Vietnam and regained control of Saigon. It is clear that we must [recognise] the guerrilla character of our operations; oppose protracted campaigns and a strategy of quick decision… and instead uphold a strategy of protracted war and campaigns of quick decision; oppose fixed battle lines and positional warfare, and favour fluid battle lines and mobile warfare; oppose fighting merely to rout the enemy, and uphold fighting to annihilate the enemy; oppose the strategy of striking with two fists in two directions at the same time, and uphold the strategy of striking with one fist in one direction at one time.”. Switzerland had convened a multilateral conference in Geneva on April 26 to resolve various Cold War issues, but the fall of Dien Bien Phu focused deliberations on Indochina and factored largely in an agreement signed on July 20. Their aim was to prolong the war while inflicting casualties on French soldiers and damage to French resources. Instead of supporting Ho, the United States gave their support to France, which demanded to re-colonize Vietnam under threats of France’s non-cooperation in helping to rebuild Europe if the U.S. refused. Buy Indochina and Vietnam: The Thirty-Five-Year War, 1940-1975 paperback / softback by Dennis D. Wainstock (ISBN: 9781936274659) from Amazon's Book Store. The article titled First Indochina War describes the war between the Việt Minh and the French in more detail. The First Indochina War, also known as the French Indochina War, began in December 19, 1946 and ended in August 1, 1954. In the First Indochina War, the Communist North Vietnamese, supported by the Communist powers of the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union, fought to gain their independence from the French, supported by the French-loyalist Vietnamese and the United Nations. The North was supported by China and the Soviet Union while the South was supported by the United States, Thailand, Australia, and South Korea. This change in tactics led to a decisive military confrontation at Dien Bien Phu. After the March 1945 coup d'état orchestrated by the Japanese against the French in Indochina, Roosevelt proclaimed that France was not competent enough to maintain its colonial possessions. Out of the “United Action” approach came the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, referred to as the Manila Pact. He was encouraged to form a national army, which later provided support to the French CEFEO. "Vietnam 1946" is a deep historical study and synthesis of a momentous year in Vietnam and the French Indochina Union, when major decisions were made, leading to a 30 years' war for Vietnam independence, which was further aggravated by the 'Cold War" between the West and the Soviet Union. Thus ended the conception that these states were united to form “French Indochina.” Danang Vietnam Vietnam War Military Photos Military History Hanoi First Indochina War French Foreign Legion Vietnam History War Photography HugeDomains.com - Shop for over 300,000 Premium Domains French; Bastille Day, 1954: Paratroopers of the French Foreign Legion parade through the streets of Hanoi, two months after their compatriots surrendered at Dien Bien Phu With hostilities ended, Laos and Cambodia were recognized as independent countries, and Vietnam was partitioned along the 17th parallel. The pact was signed by Australia, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States on September 8, 1954, in Manila. Jun 19, 2017 - Explore Stu Montbriand's board "French Indochina War", followed by 117 people on Pinterest. 1. Second Indochina War: A military conflict known commonly in the United States as the Vietnam War and in Vietnam as Resistance War Against America or the American War, that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1955 (with some sources citing 1956 or 1959 as the starting date) to the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. Model: nv-01334476. Representatives from the eight original signatories pledged to defend against what it saw as an increase of communist military aggression against democracy. The beneficiary of a French education, Giap graduated from the University of Hanoi, where he had studied history and politics. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The First Indochina War (December 1946 to August 1954) saw the Viet Minh and French colonial forces battle for control of Vietnam. VNA officers were given the same command training as French soldiers. He knew that the United States would benefit significantly b… 3 February. At its peak, the CEFEO numbered more than 200,000 men, the majority Vietnamese. The backing of the Vietnamese people was important because they could supply food, information and cover for Viet Minh troops (Giap often cited Mao Zedong’s saying: “A guerrilla soldier swims through the people like a fish swims through the sea”). The medal on offer is an original full-size French campign medal die struck at the Paris Mint and described below: - France: Indochina Campaign Medal 1945-1954. This book seeks to tell the story of those wars as a single historical event. In Vietnam War: French rule ended, Vietnam divided. The part of the conference on the Korean question ended without adopting any declarations or proposals, so is generally considered less relevant. After their 1944 return to Vietnam, Giap was tasked with overseeing the Viet Minh’s military forces. The Việt Minh quickly agreed to a cease-fire and left the cities. The new regime was to remain part of the French Union but would be self-governing – at least in theory. The museum was opened on July 17, 1956, two years after the victory over the French at Dien Bien Phu. The Vietnam War (also known as Second Indochina War or American War in Vietnam) lasted from 1 November 1955–30 April 1975, (19 years, 5 months, 4 weeks and 1 day).