Cold War Storm: The U.S. Navy at the Fall of Vietnam and the Looming Soviet Threat

This expertly curated volume explores how the U.S. Navy transformed in the wake of Vietnam, from dramatic evacuation operations in Southeast Asia to Cold War recalibration against the Soviet threat.Cold War Storm offers a compelling look at how naval leaders redefined doctrine, strategy, and institutional culture to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global order.The end of the Vietnam War in April 1975 marked a turning point in the modern history of the U.S.Navy. During the final months of the conflict, naval forces carried out large-scale evacuations of Americans and Vietnamese under extraordinary conditions.The fall of Saigon not only closed the long war in Southeast Asia, but also forced the service to reassess its purpose, structure, and global responsibilities. In the aftermath, the Navy faced a different kind of challenge.The Soviet Union’s expanding naval power demanded a new strategy, new ships, and a redefined mission.Cold War Storm details how Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. an