Black April : the fall of South Vietnam, 1973-1975

Format:

Book

Title:

Black April : the fall of South Vietnam, 1973-1975

Author:

Veith, George J., 1957-

ISBN:

9781594035722

9781594037047

Edition:

1st American ed.

Publication Information:

New York : Encounter Books, 2012.

Physical Description:

xxvi, 587 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Contents:

"The U.S. will react vigorously" : signing the Paris Peace Accords -- "South Vietnam will have both peace and war" : the collapse of the accords -- "Enough to make the angels weep" : trading ammunition for blood -- "A rainy season like no other" : the war resumes -- "Even the gods weep for Phuoc Long" : the beginning of the end -- "How can the free world abandon us?" : preparing for the strategic blow -- "Good-bye for now, Ban Me Thuot" : beginning the "Great Spring Offensive" -- "Light at the top, heavy at the bottom" : decisions that destroyed a nation -- "The road of blood and tears" : the retreat from the highlands -- "Chaos and disintegration" : surrounding Saigon -- "How could I abandon this rocky soil?" : fighting to save Hue -- "The hours of hell" : the collapse of I Corps -- "The sea is our only hope" : the battle for the coastal cities -- "Lightning speed, daring, surprise, certain victory" : the PAVN surrounds Saigon -- "Hold fast the remaining land" : the South Vietnamese fight back -- "No matter what happens, do not stop your attack!" : capturing Phan Rang -- "I will knock them down!" : the ARVN hold at Xuan Loc -- "Do not come home until victory is won" : the fall of Saigon.

Summary:

The defeat of South Vietnam was arguably America's worst foreign policy disaster of the 20th Century. Yet a complete understanding of the endgame, from the 27 January 1973 signing of the Paris Peace Accords to South Vietnam's surrender on 30 April 1975, has eluded us. This work addresses that deficit. It represents a culmination of exhaustive research in three distinct areas: primary source documents from American archives, North Vietnamese publications containing primary and secondary source material, and dozens of articles and numerous interviews with key South Vietnamese participants.

Subject(s):

Vietnam War, 1961-1975.

Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- United States.

Geographic Term:

United States.

Holds:

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Salem Main Library	959.7043 Veith 2012	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

The defeat of South Vietnam was arguably America's worst foreign policy disaster of the 20th Century. Yet a complete understanding of the endgame--from the 27 January 1973 signing of the Paris Peace Accords to South Vietnam's surrender on 30 April 1975--has eluded us.

Black April addresses that deficit. A culmination of exhaustive research in three distinct areas: primary source documents from American archives, North Vietnamese publications containing primary and secondary source material, and dozens of articles and numerous interviews with key South Vietnamese participants, this book represents one of the largest Vietnamese translation projects ever accomplished, including almost one hundred rarely or never seen before North Vietnamese unit histories, battle studies, and memoirs. Most important, to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of South Vietnam's conquest, the leaders in Hanoi released several compendiums of formerly highly classified cables and memorandum between the Politburo and its military commanders in the south. This treasure trove of primary source materials provides the most complete insight into North Vietnamese decision-making ever complied. While South Vietnamese deliberations remain less clear, enough material exists to provide a decent overview.

Ultimately, whatever errors occurred on the American and South Vietnamese side, the simple fact remains that the country was conquered by a North Vietnamese military invasion despite written pledges by Hanoi's leadership against such action. Hanoi's momentous choice to destroy the Paris Peace Accords and militarily end the war sent a generation of South Vietnamese into exile, and exacerbated a societal trauma in America over our long Vietnam involvement that reverberates to this day. How that transpired deserves deeper scrutiny.

Author Notes

George J. Veith, a former Army captain, has written extensively on the Vietnam War and POWs/MIAs. He is most recently the author of Leave No Man Behind: Bill Bell and the Search for American POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War (2004). He has presented papers at major conferences, including the May 2008 conference in Paris on "War, Diplomacy, and Public Opinion: The Paris Peace Talks on Vietnam and the End of the Vietnam War (1968-1975)." He testified twice on the POW/MIA issue before the Congress.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In the first of a projected two volumes, Veith (Code-Name Bright Light: The Untold Story of U.S. POW Rescue Efforts During the Vietnam War) provides "a comprehensive analysis of the finale of America's first lost war." That analysis mainly consists of a thorough recounting of the military action that took place after the United States withdrew its last combat troops in March 1973. He combed through official American sources as well as North Vietnamese material, including unit histories, battle studies, and memoirs that he translated into English for the first time. He also mined primary source material from South Vietnam, and conducted dozens of interviews. The result is a detailed account, heavy on descriptions of battlefield tactics of both sides. As for his political analysis, Veith contends-contrary to the prevailing wisdom-that the South Vietnamese in general fought well, and that the U.S. was primarily responsible for their defeat: due to "congressional restraints on aid" to South Vietnam, American "anti-war crusaders," and "major media institutions," as well as North Vietnamese perfidy and South Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Van Thieu's "military blunders." This will appeal to readers who want military details of the conclusion of the Vietnam War, as well as those who share Veith's anticommunism. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

The indelible images of the final U.S. failure in Vietnam include North Vietnamese tanks smashing into government compounds and the mad rush to board helicopters leaving our embassy. The Vietnam War was, of course, our tragedy, but this brilliant work reminds us that it was also a tragedy for millions of our South Vietnamese allies. This is the first volume of an anticipated two-volume history of the final years of the war, from the 1973 Paris Peace Accords to the 1975 surrender of South Vietnam. Veith's primary focus is the performance of the South Vietnamese army, with particular attention paid to the rapid collapse of that army preceding the surrender. Utilizing a variety of newly available source materials, including primary ones from North Vietnam, Veith contradicts the conventional portrait of the South Vietnamese army as unmotivated, poorly led, and hopelessly corrupt. He convincingly asserts that many officers and ordinary soldiers were both brave and effective soldiers, so Veith concentrates on other factors. This is an outstanding reexamination of a frequently neglected aspect of the war.--Freeman, Jay Copyright 2010 Booklist

Maps	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
List of Abbreviations	p. xv
List of Persons	p. xvii
Military Forces	p. xxi
Introduction	p. 1
Chapter 1 "The U.S. will react vigorously": Signing the Paris Peace Accords	p. 17
Chapter 2 "South Vietnam will have both peace and warö: The Collapse of the Accords	p. 35
Chapter 3 "Enough to make the angels weep": Trading Blood for Ammunition	p. 53
Chapter 4 "A rainy season like no other": The War Resumes	p. 71
Chapter 5 "Even the gods weep for Phuoc Long": The Beginning of the End	p. 91
Chapter 6 "How can the free world abandon us?": Preparing for the Strategic Blow	p. 115
Chapter 7 "Goodbye for now, Ban Me Thuot": Beginning the "Great Spring Offensive"	p. 141
Chapter 8 "Light at the top, heavy at the bottom": Decisions That Destroyed a Nation	p. 171
Chapter 9 "The Road of Blood and Tears": The Retreat from the Highlands	p. 203
Chapter 10 "Chaos and disintegration": Surrounding Saigon	p. 235
Chapter 11 "How could I abandon this rocky soil?": Fighting to Save Hue	p. 263
Chapter 12 "The hours of hell": The Collapse of I Corps	p. 299
Chapter 13 "The sea is our only hope": The Battle for the Coastal Cities	p. 331
Chapter 14 "Lightning speed, daring, surprise, certain victory": PAVN Surrounds Saigon	p. 357
Chapter 15 "Hold fast the remaining land": The South Vietnamese Fight Back	p. 383
Chapter 16 "No matter what happens, do not stop your attack": Capturing Phan Rang	p. 415
Chapter 17 "I will knock them down!": ARVN Holds at Xuan Loc	p. 435
Chapter 18 "Do not come home until victory is won": The Fall of Saigon	p. 463
Notes	p. 501
Selected Bibliography	p. 541
Index	p. 557

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Booklist Review

Table of Contents