This Week in History

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CWA # 1290, 3 May 2024
This Week in History
30 April 1975: Saigon falls to North Vietnam troops, leading to the reunification of Vietnam

  Lakshmi Karlekar

Fall of Saigon signifies not just the conclusion of the Vietnam War but also a dramatic change in the Cold War's balance of power dynamics, which will influence the trajectory of future international relations.

On 20 April 1975, North Vietnam took control of Saigon, the then capital of South Vietnam. On 2 July 1976, Vietnam was formally reunited under communist rule as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, following the conclusion of the Vietnam War and the fall of the South Vietnamese state. 

On 29 April 1975, the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong, led by General Van Tien Dung, launched their final assault on Saigon, heavily bombarding the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) soldiers under General Nguyen Van Toan. The PAVN and the Viet Cong had taken control of the city's key locations by the following day's afternoon, and they had flown their flag above the South Vietnamese presidential palace. 

The immediate background to the fall of Saigon
During the Cold War, the United States was able to evacuate its soldiers from the Vietnam War owing to the Paris Peace Accords of January 1973. Low-intensity conflict continued while the agreement kept North Vietnamese forces in South Vietnam. The South Vietnamese were frivolous with their weapons spending and risked financial ruin because of the sharp increase in fuel prices. A lack of backing from the United States, obvious corruption, and high inflation all lowered army morale to the point where 24,000 soldiers deserted per month. 

Resupplied and with the whiff of a potential win, the North Vietnamese were raring to go to battle. By invading Phuoc Long province, which is barely 65 kilometres from Saigon, they tested on December 1974 whether the US would start bombing again if they flagrantly broke the truce. President Gerald Ford of the U.S. requested further help for South Vietnam, but Congress rejected his requests, and the US did not respond. The quickness and simplicity of the operation demonstrated how South Vietnam's determination to resist was breaking down. 

The North Vietnamese began their offensives across the Central Highlands and the northern South Vietnamese province of Quang Tri in March 1975. Large numbers of South Vietnamese soldiers deserted to save their families, making counterattacks unsuccessful. President Nguyen Van Thieu of South Vietnam gave the order for his army to evacuate southward on March 13 in anticipation of shorter supply lines. However, as soldiers and refugees choked roadways and created panic, the withdrawal quickly turned into a rout. The North Vietnamese, feeling empowered, decided to launch an all-out onslaught, to take over Saigon. There was an ultimatum to flee the oncoming North Vietnamese army. Some courageous South Vietnamese soldiers continued to fight; the 29th Division, for instance, staged a valiant final stand at Xuan Loc. 

On 21 April, Thieu took on television to announce his resignation, criticizing the US for abandoning South Vietnam during its time of need. By April 27, 100,000 North Vietnamese soldiers had surrounded Saigon, but such force was barely necessary. By 29 April, North Vietnamese soldiers bombarded Tan Son Nhut Air Base, which served as the main point of escape for the 5,000 American citizens who were being evacuated from the country. Over 10,000 Vietnamese swarmed the American embassy, scrambling to secure a spot on the helicopters that took them from rooftops to a fleet of 26 American ships that were offshore, especially the USS Blue Ridge, the operational flagship and aircraft carrier stationed there. Before the city had been captured, nearly all-American military were evacuated and tens of thousands of South Vietnamese people who had been affiliated with the Republic of Vietnam regime departed from Saigon as part of Operation Frequent Wind. This operation is regarded as history's biggest helicopter evacuation. 

On 30 April, little opposition was left when a hail of artillery indicated that the last assault had begun. The South Vietnamese government offered to surrender within hours of North Vietnamese troops taking control of key locations in the city, but their offer was rejected even as General Duong Van Minh, the country's president, who had taken office just two days after Thieu fled, gave the order for his soldiers to surrender. 

After Saigon: Five Fallouts
More than just the conclusion of a war, the fall of Saigon represents a pivotal moment in world history. First, the triggering rivalries created tensions on either side. The 1973 Paris Peace Accords which propagated peace were unable to put an end to hostilities. In addition, as part of "Vietnamization," the United States reduced its aid and withdrew its combat forces, leaving South Vietnam vulnerable. The outcome was indirectly influenced by changes in international dynamics and support for the South Vietnamese administration brought about by the foreign geopolitical setting, particularly the détente between the United States and China and the strategy of rapprochement with the Soviet Union. In addition, the focus shifted from open combat and confrontation to arms limitation, and ultimately the fall of the Soviet Union, the vanguard of communism. 

Second, the impact on the US. The "Vietnam Syndrome" seeped into American culture, increasing popular and political cynicism about participation in overseas conflicts. 

Third, the refugees. Understanding the repercussions in political, economic, social, cultural, and global domains is crucial for comprehending the long-term effects on Vietnam and the world. Due to the 'boat people' problem, sizable Vietnamese groups settled across the globe, mostly in the US, Australia, and Canada, creating a lasting diaspora of refugees. 

Fourth, the reeducation camps. The Communist Party of Vietnam sought to lower Saigon's population, which had grown due to wartime immigration and was now overcrowded and experiencing high unemployment. Between 200,000 and 300,000 South Vietnamese were transported to re-education camps after the war. There, many of them suffered from malnutrition, sickness, and torture in addition to being made to perform hard labor. 

Fifth, the long road torecovery. Unexploded bombs, landmines, and the emotional and psychological repercussions of "War Syndrome," a type of post-traumatic stress disorder, are some of the physical and psychological remnants of Vietnam's past. 

Fall of Saigon signifies not just the conclusion of the Vietnam War but also a dramatic change in the Cold War's balance of power dynamics, which will influence the trajectory of future international relations.

About the author
Lakshmi Karlekar is a PhD Scholar at the Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru
 

In the Series:
21 April 1526: The First Battle of Panipat leads to the emergence of the Mughal Empire in India
17 April 1895: The Treaty of Shimonoseki ends the first Sino-Japan War (1894-95)
17 April 1975: Khmer Rouge captures Phnom Penh in Cambodia, establishing the Pol Pot regime
16 April 1917: Lenin issues “April Theses”
04 April 1968: Martin Luther King Jr assassinated
18 March 2014: Russia annexes Crimea
14 March 1879: Albert Einstein born in Germany
14 March 1849: The Sikh Army surrenders to the British
12 March 1918: Lenin shifts the capital to Moscow
11 March 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

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