Title: 1975 - Fall of Saigon

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About:  The Vietnam War finally came to an end when North Vietnamese troops sweep into Saigon, just as the last Americans, along with thousands of desperate refugees, evacuated the country.

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As the conflict in Vietnam entered the end-game, South Vietnamese forces, outnumbered and demoralized, collapsed under the rapid advancement of the North Vietnamese. By this time, Nixon had resigned from office and his successor, Gerald Ford, was unable to convince a hostile Congress to consider rescuing Saigon from a communist takeover.

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Despite some costly battles, by April the North Vietnamese had crushed the last major organized opposition before Saigon, and were positioned for a final assault. Meanwhile, planning was underway for the evacuation of American personnel.  In addition, efforts were made to remove as many friendly South Vietnamese refugees as possible. Operations Babylift and New Life were initiated in early April and flew out 2,000 orphans and 110,000 refugees respectively. 

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When the North Vietnamese attacked at dawn on April 30, they met little resistance.  As rockets began hitting the city, the American final evacuation, Operation Frequent Wind, was put into action. Throughout the day, buses moved through Saigon and delivered Americans and friendly South Vietnamese to evacuation points. By evening over 4,300 people had been airlifted out.

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The war finally ended when North Vietnamese tanks crashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace and forced the unconditional surrender of South Vietnam.  When General Duong Van Minh stated that he wished to transfer power, his North Vietnamese counterpart Colonel Bui Tin replied, “There is no question of your transferring power. Your power has crumbled. You cannot give up what you do not have.” 

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Decade: 1970s

Year: 1975

Region: Asia

Country: Vietnam + USA

Conflict: Cold War

Conflict: Civil War

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Type: Historical Event

Impact: 8

Artist: Fernando Nunez

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Group: Genesis

Number: 75/100

Price: 0.8 ETH

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