Vietnam: The 10,000 Day War (Parts 14-26)

Synopsis

Part 14: The 77-day siege of US Marines at Khe Sanh which intensifies anti-war sentiment in America. The day-by-day drama of the most widely debated battle of the Vietnam war.
Part 15: The Tet Offensive as the watershed of the war; the period of highest US casualties transmitted by television swings the US public against the war. A study of the dilemmas of modern war.
Part 16: The American public division and civil violence over Vietnam, which perhaps more than any other factor makes the war unwinnable. The ‘Battle of the Pentagon’ as a thousand GIs die each month in Vietnam.
Part 17: The battlefield conditions and declining morale of the American troops in Vietnam, leading to widespread indiscipline, drug use and ‘fragging’ - the battlefield murder of officers.
Part 18: America’s effort at Vietnamization - handing back the war to South Vietnam, and its test of arms - the invasion of Laos ending in defeat.
Part 19: President Nixon’s determination ('My policy is to issue only one warning’) to obtain peace through pressure. Peace is obtained after four years of widening war - and near civil war in America.
Part 20: The B-52 bombing of Hanoi - the 12 days of Christmas which end America’s 12 years of military involvement in Vietnam. The bombing is followed by a peace settlement which leaves earlier terms unaltered and leaves 150,000 communist troops in South Vietnam.
Part 21: The ‘ceasefire-in-place’ signed in Paris is seen by Washington as ‘peace with honour’; by Saigon as a sell-out. A behind-the-scenes account of the Nixon-Kissinger secret peace negotiations - and the consequences.
Part 22: With the release of some 500 American POWs the war is finally over for the US but the controversy surrounding the prisoners mirrors the nation’s bitter divisions. A profile of two POWs who give contrasting accounts of their treatment and actions at the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ camp.
Part 23: The readjustment from jungle to mainstreet of 2.8 million Vietnam veterans. For the veterans it is a silent homecoming. America wants to forget Vietnam: the soldiers cannot.
Part 24: The chronology of events from the start of the Spring 1975 communist offensive to the collapse of South Vietnam’s cities within 55 days - the rout of South Vietnam’s army abandoned by its officers.
Part 25: The fall of Saigon and the chain of blame in the final days as the last Americans hastily evacuate the city after 20 years of US involvement.
Part 26: Past and future. The principals - the policy makers, generals, ambassadors and combatants - reflect on two questions: what went wrong and what are the lessons of Vietnam in any future war? The response reveals the deep divisions over Vietnam which still remain.

Distributor’s ref:
DD 234 - Part 14 (Vol 7 - retail)
DD 235 - Part 19 (Vol 8 - retail)
DD 236 - Part 17 (Vol 9 - retail)
DD 237 - Part 18 (Vol 10 - retail)
DD 238 - Part 20 (Vol 11 - retail)
DD 239 - Part 24 (Vol 12 - retail)
DD 240 - Part 23 (Vol 13 - retail)
HE/VC 127 (Part 14 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 128 (Part 15 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 129 (Part 16 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 130 (Part 17 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 131 (Part 18 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 132 (Part 19 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 133 (Part 20 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 134 (Part 21 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 135 (Part 22 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 136 (Part 23 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 137 (Part 24 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 138 (Part 25 - HEFVL)
HE/VC 139 (Part 26 - HEFVL)

Language

English

Country

Canada

Medium

Video; Videocassette. U-matic. col. 13 x 30 min (HEFVL). Videocassette. VHS. 6 x ? min (retail).

Year of production

1980

Availability

Hire (U-matic - HEFVL)
Sale (VHS - retail)

Notes

Producers: Ron Kelly, parts 13, 17, 18, 19, 26; Don North, parts 14, 15, 16; Paul Lang, parts 20, 21, 22; Michael MacLear, part 23; Ian McLeod, parts 24, 25.

Subjects

History

Keywords

armed forces; United States of America; Vietnam war; war

Credits

Producer

Don North; Michael Maclear; Paul Lang; Ron Kelly

Writer

Peter Arnett

Contributor

Ian McLeod; Michael Maclear

Cast

Richard Basehart

Sections

Title

Siege 1968

Synopsis

Part 14: The 77-day siege of US Marines at Khe Sanh which intensifies anti-war sentiment in America. The day-by-day drama of the most widely debated battle of the Vietnam war.

Title

Tet 1968

Synopsis

Part 15: The Tet Offensive as the watershed of the war; the period of highest US casualties transmitted by television swings the US public against the war. A study of the dilemmas of modern war.

Title

Frontline America 1967-68

Synopsis

Part 16: The American public division and civil violence over Vietnam, which perhaps more than any other factor makes the war unwinnable. The 'Battle of the Pentagon' as a thousand GIs die each month in Vietnam.

Title

Soldiering on 1965-69

Synopsis

Part 17: The battlefield conditions and declining morale of the American troops in Vietnam, leading to widespread indiscipline, drug use and 'fragging' - the battlefield murder of officers.

Title

Changing the guard 1971

Synopsis

Part 18: America's effort at Vietnamization - handing back the war to South Vietnam, and its test of arms - the invasion of Laos ending in defeat.

Title

Wanting out 1969-71

Synopsis

Part 19: President Nixon's determination ('My policy is to issue only one warning') to obtain peace through pressure. Peace is obtained after four years of widening war - and near civil war in America.

Title

Bombing of Hanoi 1972

Synopsis

Part 20: The B-52 bombing of Hanoi - the 12 days of Christmas which end America's 12 years of military involvement in Vietnam. The bombing is followed by a peace settlement which leaves earlier terms unaltered and leaves 150,000 communist troops in South

Title

Peace 1973

Synopsis

Part 21: The 'ceasefire-in-place' signed in Paris is seen by Washington as 'peace with honour'; by Saigon as a sell-out. A behind-the-scenes account of the Nixon-Kissinger secret peace negotiations - and the consequences.

Title

Prisoners 1973, The

Synopsis

Part 22: With the release of some 500 American POWs the war is finally over for the US but the controversy surrounding the prisoners mirrors the nation's bitter divisions. A profile of two POWs who give contrasting accounts of their treatment and actions

Title

Unsung soldiers 1973, The

Synopsis

Part 23: The readjustment from jungle to mainstreet of 2.8 million Vietnam veterans. For the veterans it is a silent homecoming. America wants to forget Vietnam: the soldiers cannot.

Title

Final offensive 1974-75

Synopsis

Part 24: The chronology of events from the start of the Spring 1975 communist offensive to the collapse of South Vietnam's cities within 55 days - the rout of South Vietnam's army abandoned by its officers.

Title

Surrender, April 1975

Synopsis

Part 25: The fall of Saigon and the chain of blame in the final days as the last Americans hastily evacuate the city after 20 years of US involvement.

Title

Vietnam recalled 1975-80

Synopsis

Part 26: Past and future. The principals - the policy makers, generals, ambassadors and combatants - reflect on two questions: what went wrong and what are the lessons of Vietnam in any future war? The response reveals the deep divisions over Vietnam whic

Distributor

Name

Higher Education Film & Video Library

Email

services@bufvc.ac.uk

Web

http://bufvc.ac. External site opens in new window

Phone

020 7393 1503

Fax

020 7393 1555

Address

c/o British Universities Film & Video Council
77 Wells Street
London
W1T 3QJ

Notes

Catalogue available from British Universities Film & Video Council.

 

Available from retail outlets

Name

Simply Media

Contact

Laura Smith

Email

info@simplymedia.tv

Web

http://www.simplymedia.tv/ External site opens in new window

Phone

0203 542 3722

Address

Highlight House
57 Margaret Street
London W1W 8SJ

Notes

Formerly known as DD Home Entertainment or DDHE