VW11: The US Tries Again; North Vietnam Pulls Back

Key Battles of American History

History

4.7 • 861 Ratings

🗓️ 20 August 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1971 and 1972, American troop withdrawals accelerated under President Nixon’s Vietnamization policy. The South Vietnamese Army faced its first major test during Operation Lam Son 719 in Laos, which ended in a costly failure and revealed the ARVN’s limitations. Domestically, antiwar sentiment intensified, fueled by the Winter Soldier Investigation, rising drug use and fragging within the military, and the explosive release of the Pentagon Papers. In 1972, North Vietnam launched the massive Nguyen Hue (Easter) Offensive, aiming to decisively defeat the South. Despite initial successes, the offensive was repelled with significant help from U.S. air power, including Operation Linebacker and the mining of Haiphong Harbor. While the ARVN held its ground, the costly battle highlighted the fragility of Vietnamization and set the stage for the war’s final phase. Join Sean and James as they discuss the autumn of the Vietnam War.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone. Super Bowl champ Vernon Davis here from Legal Health Center. If you've been injured in an accident and thank you deserve conversation, listen up because we have legal professionals standing by right now to answer your questions for free. You can find out if you have a case and how much is potentially worth. Thanks, Vernon. You heard it, folks. If you've been injured, call and find out how much you
0:21.4	qualify for. Call 800-497-44-10. Advertisement, sponsored by Legal Help Center, may not be available
0:29.0	in all states. War has played a key role in the history of the United States, from the nation's founding
0:40.8	right down to the present. War made the U.S. independent, kept it together, increased its
0:46.4	size, and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America's wars is essential
0:51.8	for understanding American history.
0:59.0	Welcome to Key Battles of American History, a podcast in which we discuss American history through the lens of the most important battles of America's wars.
1:02.9	Here is your host, James Early.
1:19.6	Hello, everyone. Before we get started with today's episode, I wanted to share a major personal update with you.
1:30.4	I have just retired from my day job, where I worked for the past 24 years. I did this in part so that I can devote more time to the podcast. As you can imagine, my retirement has caused my income to be reduced significantly, and I'm going to
1:36.3	possibly have to get another job to make up the difference, at least until my youngest daughter is out
1:41.1	of college. I would like to not do that. I would like to go full-time with the podcast so that I can keep providing you with the same high-quality content to which you've grown accustomed.
1:51.7	But in order to do so, I will need your help.
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