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Dien Bien Phu
Location: City Northwesterb Vietnam
Important facts: French Command post, battle lasted 55 days, 3,000 French troops killed, Vietminh 8,000 dead,12,000 wounded.
Importance to the war: French ceased fire, Vietnamese victory shattered France's resolove to carry on the war. -
Creation of the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Location: From North to South Vietnam (Vietnamese/Combodian border)
Important facts: A supply route built by North Vietnames army
Importance to war: Off shoots into Vietnam (convient) -
United States becomes actively involved
Location: South Vietnam
Important facts: United States backed South Bietnames with new equipment and more than 3,000 military advisors/ support personel
Importance to war: We have now "entered" the war -
Operation Ranchand
Location: Alongside highways
Important facts: Ranchand clear vegetation make it difficult for the Vietcong to conceal themselves in ambushes.
Importance to the war: relatively effective, guerrilla trails exposed, crops destroyed. -
Gulf of Tonkin Attack
Location: Two small Vietnames islands/ Gulf of Tonkin
Important facts: South Vietnam attacked North islands with commamdos
Importance to the war: U.S envolvement -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Location: United States
Important facts: Gave President Johnson power to take whatever actions needed to defend southesat Asia.
Importance to the war: Big contriversey -
Period: to
Rolling Thunder Begins
Location: North Vietnam
Important information: Bombing offensive, aim to force North Vietnam to stop supporting Vietcong in the South.
Importance to the war: had cost more than 900 American aircraft. Eight hundred and eighteen pilots are dead or missing, and hundreds are in captivity. Nearly 120 Vietnamese planes have been destroyed in air combat or accidents, or by friendly fire,182,000 North Vietnamese civilians have been killed. 20,000Chinese support personnel also have been casualties. -
U.S. offers peace for economic aid proposal
Locaiton: U.S./North Vietnam
Important facts: Offer refected Johnson raises America's combat strength in Vietnam.
Importance to the war: See where we stand as far as peace. -
First major battle of Vietnam War for American Units
Location: U.S. Marine base, Chu Lai
Important facts: Vietcong trader reveals attack (Operation Starlite) U.S. victory.
Importance to the war: Our first big battle and won -
President Johnson commits over 60,000 troops to Vietnam
Location: Vietnam
Important facts: 60,000 sailors stationed offshore
Importance to the war: Troops numbered over 280,000 -
Operation Junction City
Location: Tay Ninh province
Important facts: Goal to destroy Vietcong bases and Vietcong headquarters. Ends in 72 days.
Importance to the war: U.S. forces succeed in capturing stores, and equipment/ weapons, no major battles. -
Khe Sanh attacked by Vietcong
Location: South of the DMZ
Important facts: ZNV divisions launch heavy bombardments of American bases south of DMZ. Constant assults.
Importance to the war: 18 marines killed instantly, 40 wounded, continues for 2 days and after. -
Period: to
Tet Offensive begins
Location:Length and breadth of South Vietnam
Important facts: 37,000 Vietcong troops killed, 500,000 civillian refugees.
Importance to the war: Tet ws a catasrophe, Americans lost 2,500 men blow to public support. -
My Lai massacre
Location: My Lai
Important facts: U.S. Charlie Company kills about 200 civillians
Importance to the war: Made U.S look bad and soldiers raised unsettling questions about the conduct of war. -
Nixon takes office
Location: United States
Important facts: Nixon promises to achieve "Peace with Honor" 500,000 U.S. troops will be withdrawn still allowing South Vietnam to survive
Importance to the war: does not look very promising -
Operation Menu
Important facts: the bombing of North Vietnamese and Vietcong bases within Cambodia.
Importance to the war: Over the following four years, U.S. forces will drop more than a half million tons of bombs on Cambodia. -
All but 133,000 US troops have come home
Important facts: Two thirds of America's troops have gone in two years.
Importance to the war: ground war is now almost exclusively the responsibility of South Vietnam, which has over 1,000,000 men enlisted in its armed forces. -
Peace talks break down
Location: Paris
Important facts: peace talks between the North Vietnamese and the Americans breakdown.
Importance to war: may or may not come to a decision -
Peace talks resume
Location: Paris
Important facts: North Vietnam and the United States resume peace talks.
Importance to the war: may end the war -
Cease fire signed
Location: Paris?
Important facts: All warring parties in the Vietnam War sign a cease fire.
Importance in the war: Cease Fire! -
Nixon Resigns
Location: United States
Important facts: resigning meant leaving South Vietnam without its strongest advocate.
Importance to the war: who to fight? -
Last casualties for the U.S. and final evacuation
Location: Saigon's Tan Son Nhut airport.
Important facts: Two U.S. Marines are killed in rocket attack,last Americans to die in the Vietnam War. Last marines lift off at dawn.
Importance to the war: War ended. 15 year span, nearly a million NVA and Vietcong troops and a quarter of a million South Vietnamese soldiers have died. Hundreds of thousands of civilians had been killed.