The Fall of Saigon

The fall of Saigon on April 30th 1975 came as a surprise to everyone.
It brought to an end the 20 year old Vietnam war.
The war between the Communist North Vietnam and Pro-American South Vietnam had looked as if it would continue for years.
The two parts of Vietman has signed a peace deal in Paris in 1973.
American troops had largely departed Vietnam in the years following the signing of the Paris Treaty.
South Vietnam had signed the peace treaty only after US President Richard Nixon had promised that America would return with lethal force. But by 1975 Nixon was no longer president. He had to resign due to the Watergate scandal.
The South Vietnam army suffered from the absence of US air cover. Morale had been soaked by the corruption of their government. Units of the army began to collapse. The North Vietnamese and their Southern Allies (the Viet Cong) continued to advance on all fronts.
President Thieu resigned on April 21st and left the sinking ship that was South Vietnam.
At this time attention moved to the US embassy. Not only were there 5,000 Americans, but tens of thousands of Vietnamese who had worked with the Americans feared the arrivals of the Communists.
The only method of escape was a helicopter to naval vessels based offshore. South Vietnamese soldiers transported their families to these ships. Corruption paid a large role in who was saved. At one stage there were so many helicopters aboard one ship that they were pushed into the sea. Eventually as the Communists closed in on the city, the American Embassy decreed that only Americans would be flown to safety.
Nothing could prevent the victory of the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong. When they took power, they changed the city's name to
"Ho Chi Minh" City in honour of their leader.