Vietnam War

The Vietnam War is regarded as one of the most complex and destructive conflicts of the 20th century. It affected not only the Asian continent but also global politics. The war, which began in 1955 and ended in 1975, was a long and bloody struggle between the communist forces of North Vietnam and the South Vietnamese government supported by the United States of America (USA). Vietnam became the stage for ideological, political and geopolitical calculations within the bipolar world of the Cold War and left a deep imprint on global public opinion. The war, in which the USA intervened under the framework of the “domino theory,” profoundly shook American society and turned into a major humanitarian tragedy for the Vietnamese people.

Vietnam: The Forgotten 50 Years (Al Jazeera)

Historical Background

Causes of the War

Vietnam had become a French colony from the late 19th century. French domination transformed the country’s political, economic and social structure. During this period, the Vietnamese people’s demand for independence grew steadily. The Viet Minh movement, led by Ho Chi Minh, gained strength especially during the Japanese occupation in World War II. In 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, but France refused to recognize this development and the war resumed in 1946.

In the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, Viet Minh forces inflicted a heavy defeat on the French. Following this development, the Geneva Conference was convened and Vietnam was temporarily divided along the 17th parallel: a communist administration under Ho Chi Minh in the north and a regime supported by France and the USA in the south. Although it was agreed that elections would be held within two years, these elections were never held and the foundations of the war became permanent.^【1】

US Intervention and the Domino Theory

The USA’s interest in Vietnam was shaped by its strategy to contain the spread of communism during the Cold War. Initiated under the Truman Doctrine, this strategy hardened further during the Eisenhower administration due to fears that communist regimes in Southeast Asia would follow one another like dominoes. The USA provided economic and military support to the Ngo Dinh Diem regime in South Vietnam. During the Kennedy administration, the number of military advisors reached thousands, and under the Johnson administration, the USA effectively entered the war following the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.^【2】

Course of the War

Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Operation Rolling Thunder

In 1964, the claim that the USS Maddox, a US Navy vessel, had been attacked by North Vietnam provided the Johnson administration with a pretext to obtain war powers. Congress granted the President authority to wage war through the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Following this incident, intensive aerial bombardments known as “Operation Rolling Thunder” began. The USA quickly deployed over half a million troops to Vietnam.^【3】

Tet Offensive and Shift in Public Opinion

In 1968, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces launched an unexpected attack during the Vietnamese New Year (Tet). Although the offensive ended in military failure in the short term, it created the perception in the American public that the war could not be won. This event led President Johnson to announce he would not seek re-election, initiated peace negotiations, and triggered a major fracture in American society over the war.^【4】

Paris Peace Talks and the End of the War

The Nixon administration, which came to power in 1969, aimed for the phased withdrawal of American troops and the transfer of defense responsibilities to South Vietnam through its “Vietnamization” policy. The Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973. However, two years after the agreement, in 1975, North Vietnam captured the capital Saigon. Thus, Vietnam became unified under a single communist administration.^【5】

Global Public Opinion and Perception Management

Hollywood and Propaganda

In the cultural front of the war, Hollywood cinema played a significant role. Early films such as “The Green Berets” (1968) emphasized the legitimacy of the war and the heroism of American soldiers, but this narrative changed as the war progressed. Films such as “Apocalypse Now” (1979) and the subsequent Rambo series reflected both the trauma of the war and efforts to rebuild America’s image. Films like Rambo became tools of perception management designed to make a lost war appear as a victory in the eyes of the public.^{【6】【7】}

Global Protests and the Role of the Media

The Vietnam War was the first war in history to be watched “live” through television. Elements such as napalm attacks, the My Lai Massacre, and chemical weapons generated strong public reactions. Mass protests occurred in the USA, Europe and even in Türkiye. Social actors such as youth movements, universities and labor unions united against the war.^【8】

Effects of the War on the Parties and the World

Consequences for the USA

The USA lost over 58,000 soldiers, spent hundreds of billions of dollars and ultimately suffered military failure. Public trust in the government in the USA collapsed. The traumatic psychological impact known as the “Vietnam Syndrome” made subsequent foreign interventions more difficult. Moreover, an anti-war culture remained influential for a long time in American media, art and academia.^【9】

Effects on Vietnam and the Region

After the war, unified Vietnam attempted to establish a socialist structure but struggled economically for many years. Approximately two million people lost their lives. An estimated 12 million Vietnamese were forced to leave their country as refugees.^【10】 Infrastructure was devastated and the environmental impact of chemical weapons persisted for generations. Neighboring countries such as Laos and Cambodia were also negatively affected by the conflicts.

Reflections of the War in Türkiye

Turkish-American Relations and Debates on Dependency

Türkiye, as a NATO member and part of the Western bloc, supported the USA. However, crises such as the Cyprus Issue (1964–1974) created tensions in relations and increased anti-American sentiment in Turkish public opinion. Türkiye’s position during the war developed within the context of its strategic partnership with the USA.

In the early years of the war, the Turkish press followed a pro-American editorial line, but this stance began to change after the 1964 Johnson Letter, and critical commentary on the war emerged. Especially from the 1970s onward, an anti-imperialist discourse became dominant, and left-wing media outlets assessed the war as an American occupation.^【11】

The Vietnam War is remembered in history as a critical event that shaped the dynamics of international relations and global power balances in the 20th century. The war prompted a reevaluation of the USA’s claim to global leadership and established public opinion and the media as decisive factors in foreign policy. For the Vietnamese people, the war acquired meaning as a hard-won struggle for independence, resulting in severe human and material destruction.