The Vietnam Civil War was a part of the broader Indochina Wars, which included conflicts in neighboring Laos and Cambodia.¹⁾

The conflict resulted from the division of Vietnam into two separate states after the Geneva Accords of 1954, which followed the French Indochina War.²⁾

The war's main participants were the communist forces of North Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, and the anti-communist forces of South Vietnam, led initially by Ngo Dinh Diem.³⁾

The war escalated as the United States became involved to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, marking the beginning of American involvement in the Vietnam War.⁴⁾

The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a network of supply routes used by North Vietnam to transport troops and supplies to the South.⁵⁾

The Viet Cong, also known as the National Liberation Front (NLF), were communist guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam.⁶⁾

Agent Orange and other chemical defoliants were used by the U.S. military to destroy dense jungle foliage and expose Viet Cong hiding spots, leading to severe environmental and health consequences.⁷⁾

The Tet Offensive in 1968 was a major turning point in the war, where the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces launched surprise attacks on South Vietnamese cities during the Lunar New Year.⁸⁾

The My Lai Massacre in 1968 shocked the world when U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed South Vietnamese civilians, including women and children.⁹⁾

The war brought forth strong anti-war protests and demonstrations in the United States and worldwide.¹⁰⁾

The phrase “Living Room War” was used to describe how television coverage of the conflict brought the war's realities into the homes of American citizens.¹¹⁾

The U.S. military used a draft system to conscript soldiers, leading to controversy and opposition to the war effort.¹²⁾

The war was highly controversial, and public opinion in the U.S. shifted over time from supporting the war to opposing it.¹³⁾

Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức's self-immolation in 1963 in protest against the Diem regime became a symbol of resistance and Buddhist discontent in South Vietnam.¹⁴⁾

The war was known by several names, including the Second Indochina War, the American War (in Vietnam), and the Vietnam War (in the West).¹⁵⁾