Fall of Saigon, rise of Vietnam

Time of India

01-05-2025

AP photo
At 7.53am on April 30, 1975, a US Marine Corps chopper made its final frantic flight out of
Saigon
, carrying the last US soldiers on Vietnamese soil. '
Operation Frequent Wind
' – named in an agony of flatulence, maybe – had ended with the safe removal of 1,373 Americans and 5,595 others from the besieged city over 30-odd hours. And with it, America's disastrous intervention in 'Nam. It's been 50 years, the world has moved on, and there are no new
Vietnam
ballads – 'I had a brother at Khe Sanh/ Fightin' off the Viet Cong/ They're still there, he's all gone.' Which is why a recap now is timely.
What was the
Vietnam war
all about?
Nothing really. In the words of a former US Senate majority leader, it was 'one of the most tragic, if not the most tragic, episodes in American history. It was unnecessary, uncalled for, it wasn't tied to our security or a vital interest.' But it was sold to Americans as a fight against communism. Dwight Eisenhower (US president 1953-61) pushed the 'Domino Theory', essentially that if one country turned communist, its neighbours could follow.
So how did America get sucked into it?
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Undo
Vietnam became a French colony in 1858, the same year that India came under the British Crown. But France's grip weakened when the Nazis defeated it in 1940. When WW-II ended in Aug 1945, Vietnam's communist leader Ho Chi Minh declared independence. The French were in no mood to give up, although the US under Franklin Roosevelt said no. They retook Saigon – now called Ho Chi Minh City – with some British help, and the First Indochina War with the communists started.
Where's the American connection?
America grew alarmed when China also turned communist in 1949. Vietnam lies directly to the south of China's Yunnan province. Mongolia and Russia above China were communist too. The map looked dreadful to the West. So, on May 8, 1950, America announced aid for the French, and wasted $4bn by the time of their defeat at Dien Bien Phu on May 7, 1954. With the French out of the picture, it became America's war.
Why did it go so badly for the Yanks?
Vietnamese on both sides of the 17th parallel – line dividing areas controlled by Ho Chi Minh and the French/Americans – wanted an end to colonialism. While American money brought prosperity to Saigon city in the south, the countryside was sympathetic to the nationalists. American troops had been drafted – 'they put a rifle in my hand/ Sent me off to a foreign land/ To go and kill the yellow man' – and sent to fight a meaningless war that had diminishing support at home. Although Americans exited completely on April 30, 1975, they had started withdrawing in June 1969, when 541,000 US troops were on the ground. By March 29, 1973 – eight years and 22 days after it joined the fight – America had withdrawn its combat troops. Only a few thousand personnel stayed behind in Saigon to assist the South Vietnamese against the North.
So, how much did the war cost America?
At least 58,200 men killed, over 303,000 wounded, more than $150bn in 1975 dollars, and thousands of psychologically scarred 'veterans'. Travis Bickle, the protagonist in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, is a Vietnam vet. As for the Vietnamese, over a million dead on Ho Chi Minh's side, and about 200,000 in the South, plus millions of wounded. That's after 90% of the 7.5mn tonnes of airdropped bombs missed their target.
What happened after America withdrew?
Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City. Govt took over farming and factories – Coca-Cola had left behind five – and entrepreneurs fled. Communist China briefly invaded Vietnam, and Vietnam invaded communist Cambodia, its western neighbour, and nearly bankrupted itself. So much for the brotherhood of nations. The food crisis and the US embargo made life so hard that the communist party in 1986 did a rethink. Why not remain communist in name, like China, keeping people on a tight leash, but allowing market forces to work? Maybe, even cosy up to America.
How did things pan out after the change?
Economically, very well. America lifted its trade embargo in 1994, but it was only a formality, judging by the fact that Pepsi rolled out its first lot of bottled-in-Vietnam drinks seven hours – that's right – after the ink dried. 'Su Lua Chon Cua The He Moi' – The Choice of a New Generation – its advertising said. Coke returned officially a few weeks later with the greeting 'Vui Mung Gap Lai Cac Ban' – Good to See You Again.
Vietnam now makes half of Nike's shoes. It exports $52bn worth of Samsung phones. Per capita income is higher than India's. It's an export powerhouse. With a GDP of $429bn – about one-ninth of India's – it exported $137bn worth of goods to America, as against $90bn worth of goods from India. The $124bn trade deficit is why Trump slapped a 46% 'reciprocal' tariff on Vietnam.
But for all its economic success, Vietnam remains a one-party state with no direct elections. There's 'systemic suppression of citizens' basic rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, movement, and religion,' according to Human Rights Watch. The Communist Party 'severely punishes anyone who challenges its monopoly on power'.
Why should you care?
As the crow flies, Aizawl is a lot closer to Hanoi than Jaisalmer. So, Vietnam is practically in our neighbourhood. And it feels threatened by China, which is why, like India, it kept Huawei out of its 5G network. Territorial disputes between Vietnam and China have repeatedly occurred since 1974. Meanwhile, in 2016, India and Vietnam raised their bilateral ties to the level of a 'comprehensive strategic partnership'. On the business front, mutual trade is limited to around $15bn, but India has invested $2bn in Vietnam. Also, both countries are fast-growing economies, wooing investors looking to shift some production out of China. That makes us natural allies, and competitors.
Haven't you been there yet?
The Thai baht is 2.5 times stronger than the Indian rupee, but the Vietnamese dong is a lot weaker, which makes Vietnam a good travel destination for Indians. Last year, more than five lakhIndians visited the country, and the increase in weekly flights – 74 currently – makes travelling easier. While cuisine and sightseeing are major draws, Vietnam's ancient ties with India are also a reason to visit. Buddhism is a major religion, of course, but the Cham dynasty built several Hindu temples that have survived the war and general decay.