The History Hour

Surviving the fall of Saigon


Listen Later

When South Vietnam fell in 1975, most could not escape. In the last days, the US airlifted its remaining personnel and some high ranking Vietnamese officials - but millions were left behind to await their fate. Hear the account of one South Vietnamese veteran who remained in Saigon as North Vietnamese forces took the city. Also on the programme: the 1990s electric car that was taken out of production, we go up close with North Korea's Kim Il Sung, the Gdansk shipyard strike in Poland, and the Sicilian businessman who tried to defy the Mafia.

Photo: A South Vietnamese soldier helps his wounded friend during fighting with communist forces in Saigon, 28th April 1975 (Bettmann/Getty Images)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The History HourBy BBC World Service

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

542 ratings


More shows like The History Hour

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,422 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

378 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,855 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,810 Listeners

History Extra podcast by Immediate Media

History Extra podcast

3,189 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

497 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,766 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,063 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

590 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

953 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,962 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,061 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,907 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

710 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

355 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

746 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,594 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

801 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

775 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,029 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

2,866 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

12,265 Listeners

History's Heroes by BBC Radio 4

History's Heroes

481 Listeners