Impacts of Vietnam war

 Vietnam

 Approximately 500,000 civilians died.

 Agent Orange( Chemical used by US army to clear forest and trees ) caused birth
defects in children and this chemical continues to have a negative effect on Vietnam.
 The country was reunified after the communist takeover of the South in 1976.
 Before the war, Vietnam had been a major rice exporter. The destruction of land
during the war meant that the country could not produce enough food for the
population.
 Many skilled and professional workers connected to the South Vietnamese regime left
the country in fear of being persecuted.
 The communist forces established concentration camps for enemies of communism
and supporters of the South Vietnamese Government, where many were sent to be ‘re-
educated’.
 USA
 Across the world, the USA'S reputation had been destroyed. It was criticised for
supporting a corrupt government and the media had shown the world how brutal
American tactics were.
 Approximately 58,000 American soldiers were killed and another 153,000 were
wounded.
 During the Vietnam War, the USA spent $828 billion on its military. From 1965, it
was spending more than $50 billion per year. The additional spending to fund the
USA's involvement in Vietnam has been estimated at $111 billion.
 Psychological effects

 Over 100,000 US troops lost limbs in the war and required treatment.
 American troops returning from the war were also subject to ill-treatment. Many
civilians treated them as brutal thugs who should be punished or avoided.
 The fact that the USA, the great superpower, had lost to a much smaller and less
powerful country was greatly demoralising. There was a loss of confidence in
American military abilities.