Book Description

'Those who fail to learn from History, are forced to repeat it.' The last message to Washington from Saigon in 1975, from CIA Chief Thomas Polgar. It was the first time the United States had been defeated in a conflict. This book is a perfect guide to the Vietnam Conflict. With more recent wars in the Middle East having similar issues and style of warfare. This book hopes to pass on to the next generation the issues, mistakes and lessons learnt from the Vietnam conflict in order to avoid them in future conflicts. The book is a perfect addition to any classroom or to anyone wanting to learn about the events taking place in Vietnam or in the United States, from war to peace, to anti-war and pro-war protests. This book includes facts, a timeline of events, detailed pictures, mini-bios of key people involved, sources, quotes, it discusses who won the war, and how this was achieved. From 1945 to 1975 here is the IGCSE textbook on the Vietnam War 1945 to 1975.Contents:Chapter 1; The struggle against France for independence, 1945-54. The origins of the First Indochina War. The tactics of General Giap. The Search for a diplomatic solution. The French defeat at Dien Bien Phu.Chapter 2; US policy and intervention, 1954-64.US policy and intervention 1954-1964, Life in North and South Vietnam. Ho Ch Minh's policies to unite Vietnam, the Strategic Hamlets, and the Gulf of Tonkin Incidents.Chapter 3; Confrontation in the Vietnam War, escalation 1964-68.The nature of the Second Indochina War, the roles of McNamara, General Westmoreland and President Johnson, Guerrilla warfare theory, search and destroy and the bombing campaigns, including Operation Rolling Thunder and a televised war.Chapter 4; Nixon and Ford's policies - Vietnamisation, peace and Communist victory, 1969-75.Nixon and Ford's policies, including failure of the peace talks, widening the War in Cambodia and Laos, relations with China, the roles of Kissinger and Le Duc Tho in Paris, The renewed North Vietnamese Offensive, Vietnamisation, the effects of Ford's diplomatic response, the final offensive and the reasons for the Communist victory.Chapter 5; The impact of conflict on civilians in Vietnam and attitudes in the USA.The impact on civilians in Vietnam, including guerrilla warfare, hearts and minds, the Phoenix programme, My Lai, and bombing. The effects 0f the war in the USA, including opposition to the war, pro-war demonstrations and the Fulbright Hearings.This is the second military history book produced by Alex Kerr and his third book to date. All books are available on Amazon and Blackwells.