Overview
After World War II, the United States’ desire to dominate the world became increasingly strong. So he interfered in the government affairs of other countries and stirred up trouble. This is how the Vietnam War started. In this battle, the United States suffered heavy losses, losing hundreds of billions of dollars and tens of thousands of soldiers. And no benefit was gained from it. This was a losing battle for the United States.
After this battle, the US military also understood the situation in Vietnam. The US military describes the Vietnamese like this, "Vietnamese men are not scary, women are the most scary. They have knives."
(A paramilitary volunteer female soldier who graduated from a military school in Saigon in 1963. President Ho Chi Minh, then Chairman of the Communist Party of North Vietnam, made it clear that he hoped that women would mobilize and fight for the reunification of the country)
Many people joined the Vietnam People's Army and went to the front lines to nurse and fight. There are also people who have joined the Vietnam War, including a large number of women. They were located behind enemy lines in southern Vietnam, responsible for sabotage activities and underground tunnel work.
Why did a large number of Vietnamese women participate in the war? From 1945 to 1975, women in rural Vietnam fought together with their male counterparts in the Vietnam Alliance and the North Vietnamese military to fight against the South Vietnamese government, France, and American allies. The reason these women were able to go to war was because they were actually wives, mothers, or daughters and sisters of men serving in the military. Years of war have forced these women to learn some skills, such as shooting weapons and trapping. Some women who are not good at this work as intelligence agents and patrol police in the countryside, while others help with trivial tasks to ensure the smooth flow of supply lines.
The brave and fearless women in the Vietnam War are powerful in historical records, and they are not at a disadvantage on the battlefield because of their inherent physical weakness. These Vietnamese female soldiers even shocked the American troops. Vietnamese female soldiers often carry knives. Don’t underestimate the weapon. They perfectly utilize the power of their knives to kill everyone on the battlefield. They usually also train how to use knives to cause fatal damage to the enemy. Their professional stabbing skills made them so successful on the battlefield that even the US military felt scared when they talked about Vietnamese female soldiers.
(Vietnamese female soldiers are famous because as long as the Vietnamese people fought against foreign enemies, women were an important part of this struggle. It is said that the victory over the French in Vietnam involved hundreds of thousands of women, And in the roster of Vietnamese troops, many of the names are women. These women obey the old national saying: "When war comes, even women must fight.)
The difference between ideal and reality. : The United States was deeply mired in the Vietnam War
l The heavy cost of the Vietnam War
As we all know, the United States has rarely lost battles in the history of war, and the United States has always been at the forefront of the world in military affairs. Leading position. However, the United States, which was so powerful, suffered successive defeats in the Vietnam War from 1954 to 1975.
The outbreak of the Vietnam War was not temporary, but was accumulated day by day. The Vietnamese Communist Party government and its allies in South Vietnam want to declare war with the South Vietnamese government and their ally the United States. The conflicts of interest behind this war are complicated and defined by the Vietnamese people. The war to resist the United States and save the country.
(The Vietnam War was the longest war in the history of the United States, and the United States spent at least 250 billion U.S. dollars. Although the United States did not fail militarily, it showed the U.S. Cold War strategy. A major mistake. The Vietnam War greatly changed the dynamics of the Cold War.)
The trigger behind the sudden outbreak of the Vietnam War was actually the dismantling of French colonial rule in Vietnam in 1954. North Vietnam is eager to achieve national reunification like under the communist regimes of the Soviet Union and China, but the South Vietnamese government does not think so, and they prefer to integrate closely with Western countries.
In 1969, the United States stationed more than 500,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam, and U.S. military advisers also introduced a large number of combat troops to provide advice for combat command. At that time, China and the Soviet Union provided North Vietnam with a large number of weapons, supplies, and consultants, and the correct politics in the north Under favorable conditions such as guidance, the battle ended with the defeat of the United States and South Vietnam. This war caused heavy losses to the United States. In 1973, the United States' combat forces could not afford it. Withdrew from this battle.
In 1975, South Vietnam announced its surrender under the fierce attack of North Vietnam.
This war was painful for both South Vietnam and the United States. The cost, according to the casualty data released by the Vietnamese government in the war, was as high as more than 2 million, and the number of soldiers on both sides of Vietnam was estimated to be 1.1 million. This data showed is simply shocking, and the damage caused by the war is far away. It’s not what we can imagine. In 1982, a monument to soldiers who died in the Vietnam War was built in Washington, USA. The monument was engraved with the names of 57,939 soldiers who died in the war.
(As of January 15, 2018, 1,601 U.S. soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War were unaccounted for.
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In fact, the real casualties are far more than these. In the following years, the number of people on the sacrifice list increased a lot, and the total number of victims reached 58,200. Not all of the soldiers are from the U.S. military, there are also many Canadians. According to incomplete statistics, other countries involved in the Vietnam War also suffered a certain number of casualties. The death toll is more than 4,000 in South Korea, about 30 in New Zealand, 350 in Thailand, and more than 500 in Australia. That's what's so scary about war.
l The firepower of the US military was reduced to nothing
South Vietnam’s support for its ally the United States did not stop because of the Vietnam War, and even intensified. Between the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the U.S. presidential election in November 1964, the political situation in Vietnam was not optimistic. Those led by Johnson began to plan a plot to retaliate against North Vietnam. They wanted to use this method to overwhelm North Vietnam's momentum and establish South Vietnam's superior status, and this result could be explained to the United States.
South Vietnam’s planned actions are actually of no benefit to Vietnam as a whole. They did not know that doing so would only weaken North Vietnam's ability to provide supplies and military power to South Vietnam in the military field. Deputy Secretary of State George Ball, the president and all his aides and key military advisers all agreed, but they still had many differences on how to carry out the bombing. The military believed that it should be a quick victory and attack to the end in one fell swoop, directly weakening North Vietnam's military warfare capabilities. However, National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy and Assistant Secretary of Defense John McNaughton disagreed. They believed that a gradual air strike should be carried out, attacking layer by layer until the enemy forces could no longer retreat.
Under such circumstances, both Ball and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey advised the president not to conduct a large-scale bombing campaign. The consequences of doing so will only put the country into an even more embarrassing situation. Domestic political problems are bound to become more serious. But Johnson didn't listen at all. He only wanted to act quickly to prevent the landslide in Saigon. Then in mid-February, the United States took private action and launched continuous air strikes against North Vietnam.
(American high-altitude bomber Boeing B-52 dropped bombs on Vietnam. The total tonnage of bombs dropped by the United States in North Vietnam exceeded the total tonnage of bombs exploded by Germany, Italy and Japan during World War II. )
The United States’ plan is to use huge and violent fires to fight the enemy’s strongest troops in woods and mountains far away from densely populated areas. With the help and support of the United States, the South Vietnamese army can concentrate on dealing with Vietnamese personnel. In this operation, Vietnamese and North Vietnamese personnel will inevitably suffer heavy losses and be overwhelmed. In the end, they will work out a solution that benefits both parties at the negotiating table.
(U.S. Marines waded in the swamp during the Vietnam War in November 1965.)
From 1966 to 1967, the war fronts continued to lengthen. At that time, the American people could no longer hold back, because the number of American casualties in the war had been increasing, and the war situation was not very clear to the people, but rather a bit confusing. However, Washington in the United States claimed that victory was imminent in this battle.
After Vietnam experienced the war, it can be said that its vitality was severely damaged. Although in this battle, people saw the powerful power of the Vietnamese army. A large number of urban buildings were destroyed by bombs and weapons, rural towns were extensively damaged, and a series of industries such as industry, commerce, and agriculture in the country experienced considerable damage. It is not easy to return to the way it was before. Looking back at the United States, the United States returned home in defeat and its morale was greatly reduced. The United States had no choice but to order a withdrawal from Vietnam, unwilling to do so. Relations between the United States and Vietnam have been at a stalemate. It was not until 1995 that the United States announced the restoration of diplomatic relations with Vietnam.
(During a U.S. search and destroy patrol in Pho Hoituy Province, southern Vietnam, June 1966.)
Vietnamese women fighting for their country
l Strong Vietnamese female soldiers
In the entire social and historical process. People are not very appreciative of women going to the battlefield. They only accept women to engage in logistical matters related to the war, such as medical care, supplies, and housekeeping. Since ancient times, women's ability to go on the battlefield has been questioned due to social, cultural, physical fitness and other factors.
(What is unimaginable during the Vietnam War is that the proud American soldiers break into cold sweat whenever they mention Vietnamese female soldiers. Why are American soldiers most afraid of the most difficult female soldiers in this war? Because this In this war, countless Vietnamese women took up guns to defend their country because they were homeless, and they sometimes fought more bravely than male soldiers)
The same is true for the United States, and they are even more male. Supporters of authoritarianism. They believe that the inherent impression of women is that of gentleness and weakness. The bloody fighting on the battlefield is not suitable for women, and women do not have certain abilities to go into battle to kill the enemy. Therefore, in large-scale battles in history, women can be seen, but not on the battlefield, but in logistics and medical units. But this is not the case for Vietnamese women. They will not do behind-the-scenes work on the battlefield, but rush directly to the front line and kill the enemy heroically. During the war, they could be seen everywhere with their trouser legs rolled up and bamboo hats on their backs.
(South Vietnamese women collect tin roofs from the ruins of houses in their villages. Women do not have to join the army to risk their lives. Most women volunteer or hold positions in unofficial capacities.
These are young women, 15, 16, 17 years old. They were not in the military, so they did not wear uniforms and did not have the benefits of retirement after war. )
Vietnamese female soldiers appear on the battlefield as ordinary farming women, and they don’t even have any expressions. It is this image that makes people look weak and powerless, which makes the enemy relax their vigilance and think that they are just powerless farmers. In fact, once they relax, Vietnamese female soldiers will kill the enemy with the daggers and bombs hidden in their bodies. Vietnamese female soldiers are not the weak and gentle women in traditional society. Their usual style of doing things is to be ruthless and ruthless.
(Nguyen Thi Nghi was born in 1918 and lived in an area of southern Ho Chi Minh City. She was a member of the resistance in the war against the occupying French, who were defeated in 1954. Her duties It was to provide food and shelter to those who fought to free the country from French rule that she lost two sons during the conflict with the United States. She was one of 50,000 Vietnamese women who received the honorary title for their lives. 1. )
When the Vietnam War first broke out, Americans did not understand Vietnamese women and thought that they were weak women who could be exploited. At that time, the American soldiers were driving by and encountered several Vietnamese women who blocked the car. When the Americans saw that they were flower girls, they did not refuse. When the American soldiers were not paying attention, the Vietnamese woman took out a dagger and killed several of them in succession, and also attacked the soldiers with bombs.
Speaking of attacks, this is what Vietnamese women are best at. Females are petite and can easily hide in the woods. Vietnamese women took advantage of the enemy's rest and hid among them, waiting for the opportunity to suddenly come out and kill the soldiers.
(The performance of these female soldiers on the battlefield is no worse than that of men. They are good at using their female identities to hide themselves in order to confuse the US military. This trick is often used by them in future wars. In the photo They are a thin female Vietnamese soldier and the American soldier she captured. There is a huge difference in stature between the two. )
These Vietnamese women are not so-called soldiers, but more like assassins. They never wear military uniforms. They always wear the same clothes as ordinary people. There is nothing special about them. They pretended to be farmers and carried vegetable baskets with many knives and bombs hidden in them. He often takes the enemy by surprise and kills them. Therefore, American soldiers are particularly afraid of Vietnamese women because they have already suffered a lot from them.
Lynn Novick, an American filmmaker who once shot a documentary on the Vietnam War, said: "One of the inspirations for starting this project was the women on the North Vietnamese front. A group of women I met , they were driving trucks along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and it was a combat job, just like driving trucks in Iraq was a combat job because they were under fire.”
(Ngo. Tien volunteered for the Vietnam People's Army in 1971 as an elementary school teacher, eventually joining the 559th Brigade as a nurse. "Everyone should join the military to fight the United States," she said. "Sometimes, too many people get hurt. "It affected my thinking." But she feels lucky that her son was not affected by the U.S.'s use of chemical weapons, as many of her friends have children with birth defects.)
Novik also said:
“The military decided that they would recruit women who had been youth volunteers to do this work to inspire the morale that had been lost in this extraordinarily difficult battle. men. They put women in trucks and drove up and down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, basically showing them that if women can do it, you can persevere and these women are proud and strong for their service." p>
According to statistics from the Vietnam Women's Foundation, there are approximately 11,000 Vietnamese women engaged in such activities in Vietnam. They are all volunteers and not so-called soldiers. They volunteered to help the country when the country was at war. Of course, these Vietnamese women are not without any experience. Most of them have received certain training. They worked as truck drivers, smuggled goods and equipment across the border, and volunteered with the Red Cross and Catholic Relief Services. They always actively participate in various activities and serve the country.
(Nguyen Thi Thien (right) experienced the war with her husband, who was also a veteran. She was still in middle school when she joined the fighting, prompted by the bombing of her village "They attacked farmers and villagers were killed. I saw bombs blowing up everything and it made me angry," she said. She was responsible for transporting fuel through pipelines in the desolate jungle of Tongshun Mountain. "We always There are threats: enemies, diseases, dangerous animals. Our hair falls out due to malaria, and we don't have enough food to eat. But the strength of the mind becomes the strength of the body.")
l Vietnam has a long history of women’s activities
The Women’s Union was established in 1935, which brought together a large number of Vietnamese women to engage in different women’s association activities. In order to better promote the anti-colonial struggle and create a harmonious situation between communism and women's autonomy. It was not until 1975 that Vietnam achieved national reunification. Over the years, most of Vietnamese women's activities have revolved around these three elements, namely people, sovereignty, and cultural heritage.
Why are Vietnamese women so powerful in the war? These are inseparable from the roles they play behind the scenes.
They play the roles of wives, mothers, and daughters, and have the determination and obligation to protect their families and children. At the same time, they still have the mission of protecting their home and country in their hearts. These spiritual forces support them to go to the battlefield, kill the enemy bravely, and do many things that Vietnamese men can and even cannot do.
(These militiamen are usually civilians. They farm and work at home. Once they need to fight, they can pick up guns and grenades to attack the US military at any time. This makes it very difficult for the US military to judge whether the opponent is a civilian or a civilian during a battle. The enemy eventually opened fire on people whenever they saw them in the war zone, causing a lot of civilian casualties)
In the past, women in Vietnam were still used to doing things behind the scenes for people and their husbands on the front line, such as. Little things like feeding, dressing, etc. They play a role in taking care of men in these activities, so that men can have better physical strength to fight. Therefore, the performance of men on the battlefield cannot be separated from the care of women behind them.
In 1954, the Geneva Conference was held and ended the Indian War. Later, the territory of Vietnam was divided into two regions, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the north and the Democratic Republic of South Vietnam in the south. In 1955, Vietnam began to mobilize for confrontation after an armed conflict broke out with the United States. At this time, Vietnamese women established associations similar to the local committees of the female student movement. These women had diverse identities, mostly journalists, students, lawyers, teachers, etc. During the most famous Saigon Movement in history, they established hundreds of local women's federation committees and established many associations, including the "Committee for Women's Right to Live in Peace and Dignity", "Vietnamese Women's Right to Live", etc.
After 11 years of conflict, on March 22, 1965, the Women's League Annual Conference launched a conference on the "Three Responsibilities Movement", Vietnamese women's activities were reorganized, and their activities Set a new goal. Ho Chi Minh was also present when it was launched. Ho Chi Minh said at the conference that Vietnamese women are brave, loyal and responsible.
(Young guerrillas wear grenades on their belts, and there are many teenage girls among these guerrilla soldiers. They will pull out their guns when encountering a sparse US patrol or a lone US soldier. When attacking, they hide in the crowd when encountering large troops. The US military cannot search every Vietnamese they encounter. A second's hesitation during combat can mean the difference between life and death.)
Three Responsibilities The first point of the three responsibilities mentioned in the Movement Congress is to fight the enemy (performing support functions or fighting on the front line), while also encouraging men in the family to fight together. The second point is to engage in agricultural or industrial production. The third point The point is to continue to provide care for the family, support the elderly, educate children and support family members. According to relevant archives, about 1.7 million Vietnamese women have joined the three responsible movement conferences and along with social history. With the development and changes of the times, the first of the three responsibilities has become more and more popular, and Vietnamese women have gradually become part of the People's Army. During this period, more than 60,000 women participated in this movement. The movement is the Anti-U.S. Youth Volunteer Army. Its main tasks are to provide medical services, be responsible for communication between troops, build roads after air raids, and drive trucks to transport soldiers, weapons and equipment, etc.
(Vietnam) It paid a huge price for its independence. The Vietnam War caused the death of more than 1.6 million people in Vietnam and the displacement of more than 10 million refugees throughout Indochina. The 30-year war, including the Franco-Vietnamese War, caused the death of 5 million civilians. At the end of the Vietnam War, the war left 1 million widows and 200,000 disabled people in Vietnam, and the US military left a large number of Vietnamese and American mixed-race people in the local area)
Behind the Vietnam War was such a powerful Women's United Association. This campaign provided various services. After 1968, Vietnamese women were not content with this. They appeared on the front lines to fight the enemy. The victory of many wars was inseparable from their support and efforts. , so it is called the "Women's Spring" by the Vietnamese.
Conclusion
The outstanding contributions of Vietnamese women have been amazing throughout history. For many years. They have subverted our traditional understanding of women. Although they are not soldiers and have not experienced unified military management, they have long-term experience in various support activities, smart minds, and With their decisive will to kill, they have become a dazzling presence on the battlefield.
Picture | Vietnamese female soldiers
Vietnamese women have various tactics, such as surprise attacks in the fields. They used various forms of concealment and ambush, seducing the enemy and then attacking, which caught the enemy off guard and made them unable to defend themselves. The Vietnamese women were strong-willed and fought off the American soldiers time and time again without fear of sacrifice. It was precisely because they did this for the country. With desperate efforts to defend the country to the death, and with the strong support of China and the Soviet Union at that time, the United States' conspiracy to invade Vietnam failed.