when did the vietham war end

The Vietnam War is generally considered to have ended on 30 April 1975, when North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon and the South Vietnamese government surrendered.

Why that specific date?

• On 30 April 1975, North Vietnamese troops entered Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, and raised their flag over the presidential palace.

• The South Vietnamese president, Dương Văn Minh, announced an unconditional surrender, effectively ending organized South Vietnamese resistance.

• Many historians and commemorations mark this event—the fall of Saigon—as the end of the Vietnam War.

But you might also see other “end” dates

Sometimes you’ll see different dates mentioned, and it can be confusing:

• 29 March 1973 – The United States ended its direct military involvement and withdrew its combat troops after the Paris Peace Accords.

• 30 April 1975 – The Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) collapsed with the fall of Saigon; this is the most common answer to “when did the Vietnam War end?”.

• 2 July 1976 – North and South Vietnam were formally reunified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a political milestone after the fighting had already ended.

In everyday usage, when people ask “when did the Vietnam War end,” the accepted answer is 30 April 1975.