This film also covers the long career of vietnamese nationalist ho chi minh, the leader of north vietnam who would. The first installment of a 10part, 18hour history of the vietnam war. In an immersive 360degree narrative, burns and novick tell the epic story of the vietnam war as it has never before been told on film. Covers background to the vietnam war focus on ho chi minh and the communists in vietnam. In history class, they only really taught us about vietnam in the late 60s to 70s and its easy to start seeing the conflict as something that america made, but after watching this, its interesting to see how america initially supported ho chi minh and his quest for independence from colonialism. The vietnam war 2017 ken burns first five episodes.
Coming home from the war was close to as traumatic as the war. Nationalist resentment in vietnam was on the rise by the early 20th century. Therefore, pbs also made an effort to make the vietnam war available on as many platforms as possible. The episode covers the period 1858 to 1961, primarily the period of french rule in indochina. Maos aid had turned the viet minh into a serious modern fighting force, so the us sent the french transport planes and jeeps and 35 military advisors. In 196263, the period examined in this studys first episode, senior us decisionmakers came to believe that american military participation in vietnam might be completed by the end of 1965 and that, as a first step, some 1,000 us military personnel could be withdrawn by the end of 1963. National archives identifier 66956835 the vietnam war 195575 was a time of great controversy in the united states. The gulf of tonkin resolution effectively launched americas fullscale involvement in the vietnam war. Ho chi minh, president of the democratic republic of vietnam, 1946 at the end of world war ii, ho chi minhthe vietnamese communist leaderseized an opportunity to escape decades of french rule. The unedited version is very hard to find and i am happy to share it here. Episode 1 includes bob dylans a hard rains agonna fall. Oregon experience explores the stories of a wide variety of people, from combat veterans, nurses and support personnel, to antiwar protestors and outspoken political leaders, grieving family members and todays vietnamese community all deeply affected by the events of those times. Kennedy and his advisors consider how deeply the u. Todays post comes from madie ward in the national archives history office.
Bbc four the vietnam war, series 1, deja vu 18581961. Vietnam war 195475, conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam and its allies in south vietnam, the viet cong, against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. Tran ngoc toan, a south vietnamese marine veteran, spoke about their history there. This series is one of the few pbs series to carry a tvma rating. Resolve january 1966june 1967 us soldiers discover vietnam is unlike their fathers war, as. After a long and brutal war, vietnamese revolutionaries led by ho chi minh end nearly a century of french colonial. The first indochina war generally known as the indochina war in france, and as the antifrench resistance war in vietnam began in french indochina on december 19, 1946, and lasted until july 20, 1954. How many americans were in vietnam by early 1968, only 3 years after ground troops were first brought there. During the introduction, it was emphasized that the music would be important.
In 1919, a young ho chi minh delivers a letter to the american delegation. Ho moved to paris in 1917 and joined the communist party in 1920. The vietnam war features testimony from nearly 100 witnesses, including many americans who fought in the war and. Series 1 the vietnam war ten years in the making, this immersive series tells the epic story of the vietnam war, bringing the war and the chaotic epoch it encompassed viscerally to life. Season 1, episode 8 the history of the world april 1969may 1970 first aired. After nearly a century of french colonial rule, vietnam emerges independent, but divided. The graphic in the film shows the amount of us aid to the french war growing from 23 million to 336 million. The conflict pitted a range of forces, including the french unions french far east. It comprised two main engagements, centered on two previously scouted helicopter landing zones lzs, known as lz xray and lz albany. Nearly 50 years after the end of combat operations in vietnam, oregonians remain deeply affected by the events of those times. By 1885 the french were in control of indochina and over 20 years or so pacified the population. After a long and brutal war, vietnamese revolutionaries led by ho chi minh end nearly a century of french colonial occupation. Ninh fought on different sides in the war, they agree upon one point.
Across the nation, americans watched, captivated by the surprise tet offensive and the slowmotion tragedy of the 77day battle. Vietnamese revolutionaries led by ho chi minh end french colonial occupation. All songs featured in the vietnam war season 1 episode 1. After a long and brutal war, vietnamese revolutionaries led by ho. Watch vietnam war story season 1, episode 1 the mine. The vietnam war season 1 episode 2 riding the tiger 19611963 as a communist insurgency gains strength, jfk wrestles with american involvement in south vietnam. The vietnam war was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. Truman sides with france truman aids france in its war to recolonize vietnamthe beginning of a 25year involvement we must sacrifice to our last drop of blood to save our country. It also marked the first time tv journalists ventured out to the frontlines to bring the spectacle of combat into american living rooms. September 26, 2017 with morale plummeting in vietnam. The vietnam war explicit language the vietnam war is a tenpart, 18hour documentary film series directed by ken burns and lynn novick that will air on pbs this fall sunday, september 17, 2017. Most of it is devoted to vietnams colonial history, the rise of ho chi minh and frances. The vietnam war, a 10part, 18hour documentary film series directed by ken burns and lynn novick, premiered in september 2017 on pbs stations nationwide in an immersive narrative, burns and novick tell the epic story of the vietnam war as it has neverbefore been told on film. Nearly 50 years after the end of combat operations in vietnam.
Vietnam war debut is best performing pbs episode since. The vietnam war he is likely to be shipped out to is barely known back home, with most of the people in dales hometown uncertain where in the world it is. I talked to burns about some of the moments that stood out for me in the first episode, and why they decided to tackle the vietnam war at all. I thought it was well done and extremely informative about the french colonialism and geopolitics that preceded american involvement and escalation of the war. Cold war tensions ran high as the country relentlessly. Oregon experience the vietnam war oregon remembers. Vietnam needed to be free and independent and the french needed to just leave. The first episode premiered on pbs on september 17, 2017. The first voice we hear is that of karl marlantes, an american veteran, saying. The first episode, which airs sunday on pbs, pedals back to 1858 and the french conquest of indochina. By 1964, vietnam was embroiled in a decadeslong civil war, and the gulf of tonkin. Ken burns and lynn novick present an epic chronicle of the. The battle of ia drang was the first major battle between the united states army and the peoples army of vietnam pavn, also referred to as the north vietnamese army nva, and was part of the pleiku campaign conducted early in the vietnam war. Riding the tiger 19611963 the vietnam war, episode 2 in this episode, the documentary focuses on a twoyear period 19611963.
Oregon experience explores the stories of a wide variety of people, from combat veterans, nurses and support personnel, to antiwar protestors and outspoken political leaders, grieving family members and todays vietnamese community all coming to terms with this. Im really looking forward to the rest of the series. Dale and his friends and family celebrate at a party in honor of his shipping out, and while most of the people dale knows seem either oblivious or ignorant of the war, dale has an. The vietnam war, episode 1, deja vu 18581961 alexander. Marines landed in south vietnam, the first american combat troops on the ground in a conflict that had been building for decades. Though she didnt know it yet, shed found a key location in the story of the vietnam war. Ken burns vietnam war documentary explores the human dimensions of the war told through revelatory testimony of firsthand witnesses. The vietnam war by ken burns and lynn novick provides an indepth look at one of the most divisive events in united states history. All 177 songs featured in the vietnam war season 1 soundtrack, listed by episode with scene descriptions. They concluded the first episode with bob dylans classic song, and i could think of none more appropriate.
With south vietnam near collapse, lbj bombs the north and sends us troops to the south. This first episode in the series deals with the history of vietnam up to 1954. It was the second of the indochina wars and was officially fought. What did william westmoreland and lyndon johnson tell the american people about a possible victory in vietnam at the beginning of the year. The vietnam war is a 10part american television documentary series about the vietnam war written by geoffrey c.
146 301 1572 138 1155 447 1140 412 1182 648 570 473 276 290 1022 1426 1214 1503 811 780 290 925 588 614 237 716 328 1347 214 1467 686 506 818 1387 39 221 638 631 1430 701 490 13 1157