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

554 ratings


More shows like The History Hour

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,459 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

370 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,804 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,690 Listeners

History Extra podcast by Immediate Media

History Extra podcast

3,217 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

503 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,795 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,082 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

957 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

605 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

959 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,940 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,055 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,885 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

845 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

355 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

429 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

748 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,780 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,195 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

733 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,167 Listeners

History's Heroes by BBC Radio 4

History's Heroes

504 Listeners