There are indeed differences in the perspective and content of history textbooks on the Vietnam War in different countries, and this difference is often influenced by political, cultural, and national narratives. The following is an objective analysis from three aspects: the comparison of textbooks in multiple countries, the facts that may be weakened, and the reflection of the academic community.： ###1. Narrative differences in different countries **1. Characteristics of Vietnamese textbooks** Vietnam's official textbook takes the "War of Resistance to the United States and the Salvation of the Country" as the framework, emphasizing three points： -The justice of war: positioned as a war of national liberation against foreign aggression and achieving national unity -The spirit of sacrifice of the people: highlighting the logistics miracle of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the national guerrilla war, etc. Narratives -Support from the socialist camp: Focus on recording Sino-Soviet assistance, but completely avoid the Sino-Vietnamese war in 1979 **2. The evolution of American textbooks** According to a comparative study by the Institute of Education at Stanford University, American textbooks have undergone three stages of transformation.： -1970s: Focus on the description of military processes and avoid the characterization of "failure" -1990s: Increase the anti-war movement, the influence of agent orange, the massacre in Meilai Village, etc. - 21st century: The dispute over the legality of the war began to be discussed, but the corruption of the South Vietnamese regime is still less inked. **3. Third-party country perspective** Korean textbooks will record in detail the history of the participation of the Qinglong Army and others in the war; the 2018 edition of the Chinese textbook outlines in 437 words, emphasizing "supporting the Vietnamese people in the fight against American aggression," but does not mention the historical connection of the Sino-Vietnamese border conflict in 1979. ###2. Historical dimensions that may be weakened **1. Simplification of war complexity** -The social foundation of the South Vietnam regime (Buddhists, intellectuals) and its reform attempts -North Vietnam's internal line struggle (the game between pro-Chinese and pro-Soviet factions) -Linkage between the battlefields of Laos and Cambodia and the Vietnam War **2. Humanitarian disaster** -Violence against civilians in the war zone by both sides: the liquidation of North Vietnam's "land reform", South Vietnam's Phoenix Plan -The scale of re-education camps in South Vietnam after 1975 (it is estimated that about 300,000 people were detained) -Up to 15% of the maritime mortality rate in the wave of boat people fleeing **3. International political game** -Sino-Soviet cooperation in assistance to North Vietnam (China sent 320,000 air defense and engineering troops from 1965 to 1971) -Secret diplomatic channels between the United States and North Vietnam during the Paris Peace Talks (1968-1973) -The establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the strategic association of the Vietnam War ###3. Research progress in academia In recent years, research has discovered through the decryption of multinational archives： 1. **Military strategy level**: The North Vietnamese Regular Army (PAVN) has gone south on a large scale as early as 1964, challenging the traditional narrative that "North Vietnam only entered the war in the late stage". 2. **Economic dimension**: U.S. direct military spending reached 111 billion U.S. dollars (the currency value is about 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023), resulting in the deep impact of the decoupling of the U.S. dollar from gold. 3. **Cultural memory**: Vietnam's "War Relics Museum" added an anti-war statement area for US military veterans in 2019 to show narrative inclusiveness ### Conclusion The nature of the construction of historical education determines that there must be a selective narrative. To break through a single perspective, you can refer to David Eliot's "Double-sided War: A Vietnam Perspective", Loren Baritz's "Back to the Sea of Fire: How the United States was Lost in Vietnam" and other comparative research works. The latest research trends emphasize cross-border archival mutual certification, civilian oral history collection, and environmental impact research (such as unexploded ordnance that still pollutes 19% of Vietnam's land). These dimensions have yet to be fully reflected in textbooks.