Taking place from 1955 to 1975, the Vietnam War was a significant event for world and US history. The war was a result of the Cold War rivalry between the communist ideology of North Vietnam and the nationalist ideology of South Vietnam. The United States and its allies supported South Vietnam, while the Soviet Union and China supported North Vietnam. The US wanted to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, viewing it as an opportunity for the Soviet Union to gain support in that part of the world. Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) was the leader of Northern Vietnam, and through guerilla warfare tactics that relied on clandestine rather than overt warfare, his forces defeated the much greater military power of the United States.

The war resulted in significant casualties on all sides, including civilians. It sparked widespread antiwar protests in the US and around the world, becoming a focal point for the counterculture and anti-establishment movements of the 1960s and 1970s. The draft, which randomly selected young men for military service, fueled antiwar sentiments among American students and activists, who saw it as unjust and oppressive. This resistance grew into a widespread countercultural movement that questioned authority, traditional values, and the government’s motives.