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Vietnam Declares Independence
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam's president, declares independence of Vietnam at the same day when Japan formally surrendered to the Allies. Ho's followers showed their determination over the next three decades, fighting France to reestablish colonial rule, and the United States, which see them as a communist enemy. -
US military aid to French Indochina
For blocking any further commjnist advance in Asia, Truman called for an increase in military aid to French Indochina. This aid rose from $10 million in 1950, to $100 million in 1951. By 1954, the US paid 80% of the cost of the war in Indochina. -
Battle of dien bien phu
The war began in March 1954, when Viet Minh, the independence movement, launched a surprise attack on French military base at Dien Bien Phu. By April, up to 12,000 French soldiers ready to gave up. The loss at Dien Bien phu may knock France out of war. On May 7, 1954, the Viet Minh overran the French base, ending the battle and shattered French morale. The lack of public support at home is the main reason of pulling France out of north Vienam -
Geneva Accords
The representatives of France and Viet Minh meet in Geneva and began talks after the French lost the battle of Dien Bien Phu. The Viet Minh demanded France leave the country completely. They finally signed the Geneva Accords in July, 1954, and Vietnam split along the 17th parallel, which Viet Minh moved up to the North, and France withdraw to the south. -
Gulf of Tonkin accident
The Gulf of Tonkin accident is the name given to two separate confrontations involving Vietnam ( North ) and the US on the ocean of the gulf of Tonkin. On August 2, 1964, the destroyer “USS Maddox”, while performing a signals intelligence patrol as part of an operations, confronted three North Vietnamese Navy torpedo boats which later on, a sea battle resulted, 4 sailors died and 6 harmed from Vietnam, however, there were no US causalities. -
Gulf of Tonkin resolution
Effective on 1964 August 10 was a resolution that the United States Congress passed on August 7, 1964, in response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident that happened a few days ago. It is seen as historical significance because thisi resolution gave Lyndon B. Johnson authorization, without a formal declaration of war by Congress, for the use of "conventional'' military force in Southeast Asia. -
Americanisation of the war
The US took over the main responsibility for fighting the war, adopting a two pronged stately. US marines would take cities and transform them into modern military basis, , they would use these bases to launch search and destroy mission against the Viet Cong. After that, the South Vietnam only played a supporting role. -
Doves argue against involvement
The doves contended that escalating the war would not auarantee victory , argued that the war was unable to be won. Which they pointed to the case of Korea which US troops had fought a costly war for 3 years but achieved a little. The doves predicted that the war would be more deadly. And they argued that the involvement of war is not in the nation’s interest and feared that china might counter the entry of US ground troops -
Hawks argue against involvement
Hawks are people who support spreading US military influence in Vietnam because they thought by doing so it would help containing communism, most LBJ’s advisers were hawks. -
Operation rolling thunder (continued)
to destroy North Vietnam's transportation system, industrial base, and air defenses, and 4, to cease the flow of men and materiel into South Vietnam. -
Operation rolling thunder
2 March 1965-2 November 1968
This was during the Vietnam war, the US 2nd Air Division, US Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force aerial bombardment campaign conducted against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam ( North ). The four objectives were to 1, boost the sagging morale of the Saigon regime in the Republic of Vietnam 2, to persuade North Vietnam to cease its support for the communist insurgency in South Vietnam without actually taking any ground forces into communist North Vietnam 3, -
US troops arrive in Vietnam
First US marines waded ashore and set foot on beach near Da Nang, South Vietnam. Their job switch from defending the air base at Da Nang, to find and eliminate enemy force. These missions causes the first firefights between the US and with Viet Cong. The US was about to undertake a full-scale war, as the US troop levels increased. -
Operation Starlite
Operation Starlite is the first major assault by US ground troops, which is against 1,500 Viet Cong who were prepared to attack US air base near the coast. The marines successfully destroyed the enemy force, more than 600 Viet Cong were killed, while only 45 US soldiers died. The strategy of delivering troops by helicopter while battering the enemy with fire power was used continually through out the war.