Background
The Vietnam War began in 1959 and ended in 1975. Other names for the Vietnam War were the American War in Vietnam and the Vietnam Conflict. The Vietnam War was the prolonged struggle between nationalist forces attempting to unify the country of Vietnam. Fifty-eight thousand were killed, two thousand captured, and three hundred fifthy-thousand were wounded. Although the most of the fighting took place in Vietnam, the war also took place in Laos and Cambodia in the early 1970s. South Vietnam and North Vietnam were the main countries which were involved. South Vietnam was anti-communist and was allied with the anti-communist countries of South Korea, the United States, Australia, the Philippines, New Zealand, Thailand, Khmer Republic, Kingdom of Laos, and Republic of China. North Vietnam was communist and was allied by the communist countries of Pathet Lao, Khmer Rouge, People’s Republic of China, the Soviet Union, and North Korea. Communist North Vietnam finally won the war after General Duong Van Minh surrendered on April 30, 1975.