TET Offinsive, Battle for HUE (old imperial capital), Khe San, Battle of the Adrang Valley (spelling?)
Which 3 major battles?
See response below.
the conflict in North Vietnam
North Vietnam defeated South Vietnam on 30 April 1975 with a conventional tank & infantry attack.
About 51000 Americans died in the Vietnam conflict.
The Gulf of Tonkin
The official beginning of the conventional war (infantry, tanks, jets, etc.) and war between America and North Vietnam were the Tonkin Gulf naval battles (called incidents) in August 1964.
The US is NOT at war with Iraq. The US was at war with North Vietnam.
For the US, it's not anymore important than the other wars. Each war has it's own purpose in history.
The term "escalation" is the accepted historically accurate term. But what really happened was the shifting of a "guerrilla" war in South Vietnam (RVN=Republic of South Vietnam) to a "conventional" war in South Vietnam AND open warfare against North Vietnam on or after the Tonkin Gulf sea battles (called incidents) on 02 & 04 August 1964. Vietnam was so touchy, that special terms had to be applied by the US administration, some examples follow: 1. The two sea battles in August 1964 were called "incidents." 2. The invasion of Cambodia on 01 May 1970 was called an "incursion." 3. Vietnam War is sometimes called "Vietnam Conflict"; which would also make the US Civil War a "Conflict" since it was not a declared war either.
South Africa had a rightwing govt, and supported the US invasion of Vietnam. Other than that. the conflict was of no concern to SAfrica
1975.