The American War in Vietnam has been over for more than four decades, but many significant questions remain unanswered. Why did America invade Vietnam? Was it a civil conflict? Why did the United States believe it could build a nation so far away from its shores? Why did some Vietnamese think they had to fight to obtain justice? Why was the war so long?
The Vietnam War is one of the most important conflicts of the 20th century. It was shaped by Cold War politics and the struggle between Communists and anti-Communists for decades. The Vietnam War saw a rise in U.S. participation, mass protests and enduring global impact from the declaration of Vietnam’s independence in 1945 until the fall of Saigon in 1975. This timeline highlights the key events in the conflict and its aftermath.
The Vietnam War (1954-1975) grew from the long conflict between France and Vietnam. This was the result of a century of French colonial control. After years of bloody battles, the Communist forces led by General Vo Nguyen Giap defeated the French troops in July 1954 at Dien Bien Phu. This remote mountain outpost is located on the northwest corner. The French were convinced by this decisive battle that they couldn’t maintain their Southeast Asian colonial possessions and sought peace. Even as the two sides met in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the terms for peace, international events had already shaped the future of Vietnam.
The Vietnam War
Between 1963 and 1975, more than 3000 New Zealanders (military and civilian) served in Vietnam. New Zealand’s contributions were modest compared to those of other countries. In 1968, New Zealand had a military force of only 548. Thirty-seven soldiers died in active service, and 187 others were injured. Two civilians who were part of the Red Cross and surgical teams lost their lives.
The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indo-China War (or in Vietnam as the American War), lasted between 1960 and 1975. The war, fought between the communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the US-backed Republic of Vietnam to the south, ended in April 1975 with the defeat of South Vietnam. During the war, more than a million soldiers and possibly two million civilians perished.
It was the first time that New Zealand fought without its traditional ally, Great Britain. Our participation was a reflection of the country’s increasing defence ties to Australia and the United States.
New Zealand’s participation in Vietnam was controversial, and it drew protests and condemnation both at home and abroad. In 1965, few New Zealanders held placards on the street. By the end of the decade, thousands marched against the war. New Zealanders began to rethink their nation’s foreign policy after the war.
Cold War Politics
Vietnam was not a solitary conflict, but rather a crucial battleground for the Cold War’s wider ideological and geopolitical struggle. The Communist bloc, led by the Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China and other Western powers, including the United States, were at the forefront of this global conflict. The West saw Vietnam as a key front in its effort to stop the spread of communism throughout Asia. This was a cornerstone to the “domino theory” of U.S. Foreign Policy.
As a member of the Western alliance, New Zealand viewed the conflict from a Cold War perspective. Wellington’s government supported the policy of containing Soviet and Chinese influences in Southeast Asia, but it had significant reservations regarding direct involvement in Vietnam. Political and military planners were unsure whether South Vietnam would be able to defend itself, especially in the face of North Vietnamese forces and the Viet Cong’s determined opposition.
New Zealand’s army was already stretched at the time. In Malaysia, large forces were stationed to support British and Commonwealth efforts in the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation (1963-1966. Involvement in the Vietnam War would further strain limited resources and could require politically unpopular measures such as conscription.
New Zealand leaders were concerned about the political consequences if they refused to support U.S. requests. New Zealand’s security in the long term was closely linked to its alliances. This included the ANZUS Pact (1951), which united Australia, New Zealand and the United States under a mutual defence agreement. Wellington was concerned that failing to help in Vietnam would undermine its credibility as an able partner in Washington’s and Canberra’s eyes, and could weaken its position in the Pacific.
New Zealand provided troops, medical teams and other support for the Vietnam War, though on a much smaller scale than Australia and the United States. This decision was a reflection of not only Cold War pressures but also New Zealand’s commitment to its alliances and desire to maintain strong relationships with its larger regional partners.
New Zealand Sending Troops
In May 1965, Keith Holyoake, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, announced that New Zealand was sending a combat unit into Vietnam to join the United States-led coalition. New Zealand’s involvement in the war had been limited to humanitarian assistance and development aid up until that time. A civilian surgical team treated civilian casualties in Qui Nhon from 1963-1975, and a non-combatant engineering unit (NEWZAD), consisting of 25 members, worked on reconstruction projects in Binh Duong Province (1964-1965).
161 Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery, was the first New Zealand unit to enter combat. They fired their first shells on 16 July 1965 near Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City.
Washington renewed its pressure on New Zealand to increase its involvement in Vietnam after the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation ended. In 1967, New Zealand sent two infantry battalions – V and W – of the 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment to Malaysia along with a tri-service medical team, the 1st New Zealand Services Medical Team. The following year, a Special Air Service troop (SAS) arrived.
In 1968, the New Zealand military reached its peak in Vietnam with 548 soldiers. New Zealand units began to be integrated into the 1st Australian Task Force in 1966 at Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province. The SAS and Australian SAS squadrons served alongside the Australian SAS regiment. The infantrymen were part of the Anzac battalion, while the gunners formed a field regiment. The majority of operations in Phuoc Tuy consisted of regular patrols and cordon-and-search operations. Rare were large-scale battles like the Battle of Long Tan in 1966.
From 1967, Royal New Zealand Air Force pilots (RNZAF), some of whom were forward air controllers in the United States Air Force, flew helicopters for 9 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force. RNZAF transport planes supported New Zealand troops in Vietnam during the entire war.
Vietnamization and withdrawal
New Zealand, in response to the American emphasis on ‘Vietnamisation,’ sent a 25-strong training team to Chi Lang, New Zealand, in January 1971. In March 1972, a second team of 18 people arrived. It was based in Dong Ba Thin near Cam Ranh Bay and helped train Cambodian battalions. In 1970, the Vietnam War spilled into Cambodia.
New Zealand gradually reduced its combat force as the training teams started their work. This was in line with the reductions of American forces in Vietnam. By the end of 1971, all New Zealand combat forces had been withdrawn.
The newly elected Labour Government of Norman Kirk retracted both training teams in December 1972. In December 1972, New Zealand’s Vietnam Force (V) had deployed more than 3000 personnel to Vietnam. All of the personnel who served in Vietnam were Regulars or personnel who joined the V Force by enlisting in the Regular Force. New Zealand’s small size meant it did not need to introduce conscription, unlike its American or Australian allies.
The Geneva Peace Accords
Signed in July 1954, the Geneva Peace Accords marked a turning point for the First Indochina War as well as the Cold War. The accords were negotiated between France, the Communist-led Viet Minh and other world powers, including the Soviet Union and China. They also included the United States and Britain.
These agreements were reached in response to France’s humiliating defeat by Viet Minh forces at Dien Bien Phu. Viet Minh forces had utterly destroyed a large French garrison. The loss of Indochina made it clear to France that its colonial rule was no longer possible. The French agreed at the Geneva Conference to withdraw their forces from Vietnam and end their colonial presence. The peace settlement, however, was shaped by Cold War tensions and compromises made between global powers. It is a fragile, temporary solution.
According to the Geneva Accords, Vietnam was divided temporarily along the 17th parallel. The north was to be governed under Ho Chi Minh’s Communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Meanwhile, the south would continue to be ruled by Emperor Bao Dai’s State of Vietnam with French support. This partition was never intended to last. The national elections for Jul 1956 were planned to reunify Vietnam under a government selected by the Vietnamese.
They wanted to avoid a confrontation with the United States or its allies, so soon after the armistice of the Korean War in 1953. The Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh were believed to be able to control the South through peaceful electoral means. This assumption turned out to be overly optimistic.
The United States, on the other hand, refused to endorse the Geneva Accords. John Foster Dulles, Secretary of State and President Dwight D. Eisenhower both viewed the accords as a dangerous concession towards Communism. They feared free elections would almost definitely result in a Communist win, effectively giving all of Vietnam to Ho Chi Minh. In response to “Communist aggression”, the U.S. pursued a containment policy. In September 1954, it created the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation to counter the spread of Communism.
Washington supported the establishment of an anti-Communist government in South Vietnam, led by Ngo Dinh Diem, who succeeded Bao Dai. Diem, with U.S. support, refused to take part in the 1956 elections. He argued that fair and free voting were impossible under the Communist control of the North. This decision destroyed any hope for peaceful reunification, and it set the stage to escalate the conflict that led the United States to the Vietnam War.
While the Geneva Accords were a landmark in decolonising Southeast Asia, they also became a symbol for Cold War division. It was intended to be a temporary compromise, but it turned into an ideological and military standoff that would consume Vietnam over the next 20 years.
Vietnam War Timeline (Key Events)
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1945 – Vietnam declares independence from France. France and the U.S. refuse recognition. The U.S. supplies France with military aid.
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1954 – France is defeated at Dien Bien Phu. The Geneva Accords divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel into Communist North and U.S.-backed South.
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1957–1963 – The Viet Cong and North Vietnam fight South Vietnamese troops. U.S. military advisers increased from 900 (1960) to 11,000 (1962).
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1964 – The Gulf of Tonkin incident led to the U.S. Congress passing a resolution for full-scale intervention.
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1965–1969 – U.S. troop levels peak at 543,000. Anti-war protests grow as casualties rise.
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1968 – Tet Offensive hits 36 South Vietnamese cities, showing the war’s intensity. Public support in the U.S. declines. The My Lai Massacre killed 400 civilians.
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1970–1971 – U.S. invades Cambodia and Laos to disrupt supply routes, sparking nationwide protests, including the Kent State shootings.
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1973 – Cease-fire signed. U.S. withdraws combat troops.
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1975 – North Vietnam captures Saigon; Vietnam reunifies under Communist rule.
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2012 – President Obama launches a 13-year commemoration of Vietnam War veterans.