Ending the war
- The first US troop withdrawals from Vietnam began in June 1969 with further withdrawals in September. By the end of 1971, only 158,000 troops remained.
- At the end of March 1973, the remaining 691 prisoners in North Vietnamese hands had been handed back. The last American troops left Saigon on 29th March 1973.
- As the Americans were leaving, South Vietnam appeared to be in a strong position. It had the world’s fourth largest air force and an army of one million soldiers equipped with modern American weapons.
- The Communists, on the other hand, were in a weak position. They were short of men, weapons, ammunition and food.
- However, the situation changed dramatically and the South Vietnamese army soon began to collapse. By the summer of 1974, 90% of South Vietnamese were not being paid enough to support their families
- When the North Vietnamese and Vietcong forces moved further south, the South Vietnamese could not stop them.
- By late spring 1975, Saigon was surrounded. Van Thieu complained that the Americans had let the South down yet it still had plenty of guns and tanks.
- On 25th April 1975, Van Thieu fled South Vietnam with hundreds of government officials. They were all frightened that when the Communists took over, they would be captured, tortured or even killed.
- On 30th April, the last 6000 Americans to leave Vietnam were lifted out by helicopter.