325. Fall of Saigon: Apocalypse Now
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- čas přidán 25. 04. 2023
- “It is 105 degrees in Saigon, and rising.” This announcement, made through U.S. Armed Forces radio on a spring morning in 1975, is the cue for all Americans remaining in Saigon to head to the US embassy, in order to be evacuated. With up to a million South Vietnamese also expecting to be flown to safety, the city erupts into panic and unrest. The last U.S. troops barricade themselves on the roof of the embassy, waiting for the final helicopter to pick them up. Join Tom and Dominic as they dissect the final hours of American presence in Saigon, and the legacy of the war in Vietnam and abroad.
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Ken Burns reports that after the war, NVN generals met cordially with American generals. One general said, "you know, we could have won the war." To which a VN general replied, "that may be true, but it is also irrelevent."
Always loved that reply.
Well done. I lived for 14 years in Vietnam and left unwillingly in 2021. I long to go back and end my days there. Lovely place with wonderful people. It is FAR from perfect. There are lots of issues with corruption and no rights to protest or speak out against those in power. This is far from unique of course and the UK can no longer call out corruption abroad as that would be hypocritical. VN is still a poor country - the damage done in 30 years of war following 100+ years of colonisation can never be undone. And they are now one of the more vulnerable countries to climate change. What I try to impress on people is that if they think it would be better had the US puppet government prevailed somehow [South Korea is the oft touted example] they are hopelessly naive or disinformed. [New word I've invented as it seems to be needed.]
Thanks for a great channel.
Great work. Love the show. Keep it up!
Favourite cast.
DO come to the Midlands on one of your tours.
Superb conversation. Thank yoiu.
Platoon and full metal jacket
Loved this episode, love these two in action as always but their ill-considered conclusion right at the end, threatened to undermine all the great work. Of course there is a neat formula. We must never imagine there are any 'just' wars or noble interventions. Until the West is prepared to get behind the adjudication & prosecution of international law for EVERYONE, there will never be the realisation that every intervention is biased, self-serving and fundamentally unfair. Time for us to grow up before it's too late.
You can't compare Saigon with the British withdrawal from Kabul in 1842.
Officers, men, wives, camp followers and animals trekking miles across hostile terrain and winter weather being steadily attacked and decimated bears no comparison to the situation as the US abandons Saigon.
Terrible. I really like Vietnam. Saigon is a great city . I few there from Bangkok.
Skimming over the other comments - many of the usual delusions persist. This is a pity but sadly inevitable.
I think it is accurate to say that, had JFK lived, the US would never have gotten so deeply into the problems in Vietnam. LBJ had gone to Vietnam as VP and was shown a bill of goods and convinced the war could be won. And the US government was woefully unaware of Vietnamese history. In fact, Ho Chi Minh had, decades before, come to the US to seek help against the imperialist French and was not given the time of day by my government. Ho only sought help from communist countries because he felt he had to to take back his country.
A look at the terroristic murders committed by the communists during the Tet Offensive makes it plainly clear that fears of atrocities in Saigon were not ill founded.
I don't think that it would be fair to refer to the American military presence in South Vietnam as an occupation. They were there with permission from the internationally recognized government of South Vietnam.
I wouldn't compare the Fall of Saigon to the retreat from Kabul, really. The Americans got out, along with many many Vietnamese refugees.
@@ComedyJakob the parallel with people crossing the Channel these days is very relevant
Kurtz, if I remember rightly, is Russian.
The domino theory was not wrong. Together with South Vietnam also Kambodia and Laos fell.
I think if you exam it more deeply, you may conclude the domino theory was wrong. The North Vietnamese only sought help from Russia because the US would not help get the French out. Cambodia only fell because of US bombing and NVA infiltration due to the war. And Cambodia didn't fall to communism but to the Khmer Rouge. Laos was also a victim of the war....
I think you guys make a mistake trying to use Hollywood's productions to ascertain American sentiment post Vietnam. If anything, sentiments were led by Hollywood, rather than reflecting it.
I try to ignore the cowardly apologism for western imperialism you two spout but this one was too much.