Vietnam War

noun

1. a conflict, starting in 1954 and ending in 1975, between South Vietnam (later aided by the U.S., South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, and New Zealand) and the Vietcong and North Vietnam.

Vietnam War

1. A war in Southeast Asia , in which the United States fought in the 1960s and 1970s. The war was waged from 1954 to 1975 between communist North Vietnam and noncommunist South Vietnam, two parts of what was once the French colony of Indochina . Vietnamese communists attempted to take over the South, both by invasion from the North and by guerrilla warfare conducted within the South by the Viet Cong . Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy sent increasing numbers of American military advisers to South Vietnam in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Kennedy's successor, President Lyndon Johnson , increased American military support greatly, until half a million United States soldiers were in Vietnam. American goals in Vietnam proved difficult to achieve, and the communists' Tet offensive was a severe setback. Reports of atrocities committed by both sides in the war disturbed many Americans ( see My Lai massacre ). Eventually, President Richard Nixon decreased American troop strength and sent his secretary of state , Henry Kissinger , to negotiate a cease-fire with North Vietnam. American troops were withdrawn in 1973, and South Vietnam was completely taken over by communist forces in 1975.

Notes

The involvement of the United States in the war was extremely controversial. Some supported it wholeheartedly; others opposed it in mass demonstrations and by refusing to serve in the American armed forces ( see draft ). Still others seemed to rely on the government to decide the best course of action ( see silent majority ).

A large memorial ( see Vietnam Memorial ) bearing the names of all members of the United States armed services who died in the Vietnam War is in Washington, D.C.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Vietnam War¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Valuing “growth at any price” over demonstrated value, investors chased these cash cows off a cliff when, in 1973, American optimism ran headlong into soaring inflation, an oil crisis and Vietnam War disillusionment.

From Ozy

Having moved to McLean in 1974, Nedzib Sacirbey became a staff psychiatrist at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Washington, where one of his first priorities was dealing with the post-traumatic stress disorder of Vietnam War vets.

From Washington Post

One of the most horrific episodes of the Vietnam War is being made into a government-funded opera.

From The Daily Beast

In contrast to so many of those who were drafted, the players did not enter the Vietnam War reluctantly.

From The Daily Beast

The Turks fielded the oldest equipment on view – F-4 Phantoms of the Vietnam War era.

From The Daily Beast

The Vietnam War had just ended and New York was having a bit of a financial crisis.

From The Daily Beast

The Vietnam War offers textbook cases about what pictures can do to shape our understanding.

From The Daily Beast

The Vietnam War is a grim reminder of the political nature of conflict and how our power was once outflanked.

From Project Gutenberg