Vietnam War: Turning Points

American History Hit

History Hit

America, History

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 7 April 2025

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Vietnam War is a defining chapter in American military history. But how did the US get so involved in this far away conflict? And when did those in command realise that they had to leave?

To answer these questions in this first episode of our series about the Vietnam War, Don if joined by returning guest, Mark Atwood Lawrence.

Mark is Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin and author of ‘The Vietnam War: A Concise International History’, ‘Assuming the Burden: Europe and the American Commitment to War in Vietnam’ and ‘The End of Ambition: The United States and the Third World in the Vietnam Era’.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

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Transcript

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0:34.7	A-cast is the home of podcasting, including such shows as,
0:38.5	blog books, the high-performance podcast, and the one you're listening to right now.
0:49.3	April 30th, 1975, 50 years ago this month.
0:54.5	Despite nearly two decades of war, Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, has remained
1:00.1	fairly intact.
1:01.6	There have been the occasional rockets fired, and restaurants have been bombed.
1:05.5	There was Tet, of course, back in 68, including the attack on the U.S. Embassy.
1:10.7	For all that, the city hasn't experienced the kind of frontal barrage one might expect in a
1:16.7	besieged nation. But that's about to change. Yesterday, U.S. helicopters circled the American
1:23.4	Embassy on Thunniott Boulevard, landing awkwardly on the tower roof to try and evacuate
1:29.1	as many as they could. But so many more were left behind in the chaotic throngs, pressing in on
1:35.1	the gated compound. Today, very soon, North Vietnamese tanks will roll into town. Their long-barreled
1:43.0	guns pointed toward the city center and the presidential palace.
1:47.2	By midday,
	...

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