The Thing They Carried by Tim O'Brien Historical Context
The Vietnam War a conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1955 to 1975 Also called the Second Indochina War Known in Vietnam as the Resistance War Against America or simply the American War
What was all the fighting for? While the U.S. perspective is usually that the Vietnam War was a cold war-era proxy war between America and the Soviets, this is only partially true. The real story of the Vietnam is much more complicated and nuanced, involving numerous sides and perspectives.
Crash Course History: The Cold War in Asia Video: Overview Crash Course History: The Cold War in Asia
The Main Players
The Viet Cong (based in south) North Vietnam Soviets, Chinese Ho Chi Minh The Viet Minh North Vietnam Army The Viet Cong (based in south) National Liberation Front
The United States Military President Ngo Dinh Diem South Vietnam JFK, Johnson, Nixon The United States Military President Ngo Dinh Diem The South Vietnam Army (SVA)
The Novel The Things They Carried focuses primarily on the lives of American soldiers fighting in Vietnam. CBS Evening News, 1970: Platoon Comes Under Fire Charlie Company: Bloodied and Trapped in Jungle of Vietnam