The jumping-off point was Vinh, in southern North Vietnam. Trucks went west to one of three passes—Mu Gia, Ban Karai, or Ban Raving—that cut through the mountains north of the Demilitarized Zone. The trail began on the other side, in Laos. It was 80 miles from the Mu Gia Pass to Tchepone.
Which countries did the Ho Chi Minh Trail go through?
Ho Chi Minh Trail, elaborate system of mountain and jungle paths and trails used by North Vietnam to infiltrate troops and supplies into South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos during the Vietnam War.
Why did Laos allow the Ho Chi Minh trail?
The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a network of roads built from North Vietnam to South Vietnam through the neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia, to provide logistical support to the Vietcong and the North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War.
Why was the Ho Chi Minh Trail difficult?
Mu Gia and other strategic spots along the Ho Chi Minh trail became a struggle between American attempts to shut down the supply route and Vietnamese ones to keep them going. Defending the route was a core of committed laborers, who protected the trail by making it physically hard to bomb.
How wide was the Ho Chi Minh trail?
In total the ‘trail’ was about 1,000 kilometres in length and consisted of many parts. The ‘trail’ consisted of dummy routes that served the only purpose of confusing the Americans but was, in places, 80 kilometres (50 miles) wide. It is thought that up to 40,000 people were used to keep the route open.
What made fighting in Vietnam so difficult?
Explanation: Firstly most of the war was fought as a guerrilla war. This is a type of war which conventional forces such as the US army in Vietnam, find notoriously difficult to fight. … The Americans, laden down with conventional weapons and uniform were not equipped to fight in the paddy fields and jungles.
How many died on the Ho Chi Minh trail?
Police say 30 Vietnamese war veterans and a driver were killed in a bus crash Thursday while en route to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
Can you walk the Ho Chi Minh trail?
And a great experience! After having a long trip in Vietnam you will have some free time to walk around Ho Chi Minh city to get more experience or just relax at hotel before the driver drops you off the airport for taking flight departure Ho Chi Minh.
How many US soldiers died in Laos?
Current Status of Unaccounted-for Americans Lost in the Vietnam War
| Vietnam | Laos | |
|---|---|---|
| Original Missing | 1,973 | 573 |
| Repatriated and Identified | 729 | 288 |
| Remaining Missing | 1,244 | 285 |
Can Vietnam invade Laos?
It also helped the Pathet Lao win against the Kingdom of Laos, even though the Kingdom of Laos had American support.
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North Vietnamese invasion of Laos.
| Kingdom of Laos | 1946–1975 |
|---|---|
| North Vietnamese invasion of Laos | 1958–1959 |
| Anti-Communist Insurgency | 1975–2007 |
| Lao People’s Democratic Republic | 1975–1991 |
| Laos after Soviet dominance | 1991–present |
What incident started the Vietnam War?
The Gulf of Tonkin incident (Vietnamese: Sự kiện Vịnh Bắc Bộ), also known as the USS Maddox incident, was an international confrontation that led to the United States engaging more directly in the Vietnam War.
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Gulf of Tonkin incident.
| Date | August 2, 1964 |
|---|---|
| Result | Gulf of Tonkin Resolution; escalation of the War in Vietnam |
What was the effect of the Ho Chi Minh trail?
It was the main route for weapons, troops and supplies that were infiltrated into South Vietnam from North Vietnam. The route began in North Vietnam in a gorge called “Heaven’s Gate”. The main aim of the US military actions in the Vietnam War was to disrupt the movement of supplies along the trail.
Is Ho Chi Minh Trail open?
The trail is primarily used for hiking and is accessible year-round.
Which country won the Vietnam War?
Opposition to the war in the United States bitterly divided Americans, even after President Richard Nixon ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973. Communist forces ended the war by seizing control of South Vietnam in 1975, and the country was unified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam the following year.
What was the most important impact of the Vietnam War?
The most immediate effect of the Vietnam War was the staggering death toll. The war killed an estimated 2 million Vietnamese civilians, 1. 1 million North Vietnamese troops, 200,000 South Vietnamese troops, and 58,000 U.S. troops. Those wounded in combat numbered tens of thousands more.
Why did Rolling Thunder fail?
The Air Force simply could not effectively interdict North Vietnam’s supply routes to the South. In Clausewitzian terms, Rolling Thunder failed because it was not an effective political instrument—it did not achieve its stated goal of compelling the North Vietnamese to do our will.