The Vietnam War (1955-1975) was a conflict fought between the communist government of North Vietnam, supported by the Soviet Union, China and other communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, which was backed by the United States and other anti-communist allies. The war is considered a Cold War-era proxy conflict. It began as an insurgency by communist forces in Vietnam against French colonial rule in the mid-20th century and escalated into a full-fledged war after the French withdrawal from Indochina in 1954.
The Gulf of Tonkin incident played a crucial role in escalating American involvement in the Vietnam War. In August 1964, two alleged attacks on US Navy destroyers by North Vietnamese naval vessels occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin. These incidents were said to have happened on August 2 and August 4. However, evidence later emerged suggesting that the second attack might not have taken place at all.
The reported attacks were used by President Lyndon B. Johnson as justification for seeking congressional approval to escalate American military involvement in Vietnam. On August 7, just days after the alleged incidents, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave Johnson broad powers to use military force in Southeast Asia without a formal declaration of war.
As American casualties mounted and news about atrocities committed during the conflict spread to Western media outlets, public support for U.S involvement waned significantly.
The war officially ended on April 30th, 1975, when North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), the capital of South Vietnam. The fall of Saigon marked a significant defeat for the United States in one of the longest conflicts in its history. The American army had to face a similar shameful withdrawal in Afghanistan years later.
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