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The beginning of the Vietnam War
The Geneva Peace accord was signed beween France and Vietnam after 100 years of colonial occupation. It was agreed that a division of North and Suth Vietnam would take place. The division was at the 17th parallel and was to end in 1956 after general elections took place. -
Southern Vietnam was born
The US supported SEATO and with large amonunts of US military, political, and economic aid the Republic of Vietnam was born. -
Ngo Dinh Diem Elected
Ngo Dinh Diem was voted president. He was anti-communist and highly corrupt. He claimed North Vietnam was attacking his country. -
US aided counter attack against North Vietnam
US military assists in counter attack against North Vietnam.
CIA helps identify those who were against Preisdent Diem resultingin the arrest of thousands, Secreat police and corruption was pressent in South Vietnam's government. -
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Ho Chi Minh Trail A specialized North Vietnamese Army unit, Group 559, is formed to create a supply route from North Vietnam to Vietcong forces in South Vietnam. With the approval of Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia, Group 559 develops a primitive route along the Vietnamese/Cambodian border, with offshoots into Vietnam along its entire length. This eventually becomes known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. -
Violence approved by North Vietanam
North Vietnamese government approves violence to over throw South Vietnamese government to liberate the south. -
NLA is born
North Liberation Front is born. Its sole purpose is to oppose Ngo Dinh Diem and to unify Vietnam
Alternative name given this group: Viet Cong -
White Papers
President Kennedy sends a team to report on conditions in Vietnam. "White Papers" aruged for more support-miliary, technical and economic. -
Monks burn themselves
Buddist monks/monostaries are raided due to suspicion of monks hiding communists.
Monks take to the streets and burned themselves in public. causing an outcry by th epublic and the US support of Diem's government diminishes. -
Deathof President Diem
President Diem is captured and killed.
Three weeks later US President Kennedyis assasinated. -
President Johnson
Predient Johnson thought more aggressive action was needed in Vietnam and orders more military support.
Esculation of military personel. -
Draft Resisitance
Students began burning thier draft cards as acts of defiance. By 1969 student body presidents of 253 universities wrote to the white house to say that they persoanlly planned to refuse induction..
Draft resisiters filed for conscientious objector status, didn't report for induction when called, or feld to Canada -
NaPalm used in Vietnam War
NaPalm in Vietnam
** Warning the content can be graphic
NaPalm also known as Agent Orange was introduce by the US between 1965-1972. It is a highly flammable material that sticks to anything and can burn for up to ten minutes. Many times during the war villages were accidentally hit with NaPalm and many people, including children, were serverely burned. -
Troop Deployment
US combat troops are deployed -
200,000 US troops sents to Vietnam
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US Students Protest
At American Universities protests are seen on campuses to strongly protest US Policy in Vietnam -
Bombong byB-52s
Bomb North Vietnam for the next three years -
Protests
Student portests continue and they a re joined by US Veterans in Anit-War Rallies -
Operation Cedar Falls
The Iron Triangle of Vietcong tunnels is discovered -
Tet Offensive
The Vietcong score a psychological victory.
Tet Offensive beigns on the Tet Holiday.
Vietcong units surge into action over the length and breadth of South Vietnam. In more than 100 cities and towns, shock attacks by Vietcong sapper-commandos are followed by wave after wave of supporting troops. By the end of the city battles, 37,000 Vietcong troops deployed for Tet have been killed. Many more had been wounded or captured, and the fighting had created more than a half million civilian refugees. -
Battle for Hue
mass greaves are found.
A division-sized force of North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) soldiers launched a well coordinated multi-pronged attack on the city of Hué.
the city was the symbol of a unified Vietnam. The people of Hué turned their backs on the Communists as did people in other parts of Vietnam during the Tet offensive, and the ensuing 26-day effort by the U.S. Marines, U.S. Army and ARVN to recapture the Citadel produced a stunning military defeat for the invaders. The scen -
My Lai Village Masscre
My Lai Village MassacreIn the hamlet of My Lai, U.S. Charlie Company kills about two hundred civilians. Although only one member of the division is tried and found guilty of war crimes, the repercussions of the atrocity is felt throughout the Army. However rare, such acts undid the benefit of countless hours of civic action by Army units and individual soldiers and raised unsettling questions about the conduct of the war. -
News Coverage impacts Americans at home
News coverage of the My Lai village by US Toops shocks America in to large scale Anti-War deomnstrations -
Draft
A lottery drawing- the first since 1942 was held at selective service national headquarters in Washington, DC. The event determined the oder of call for the calendar year of 1970. -
War extends into Cambodia
President Nixon extends the war into Camodia. Bombing continues in Cambodia in hopes to breakup supply routes -
Kent State Tragedy
Kent State TragedyNatinal Guard open fire on protesting students at Kent State Unviveristy killing 5 stdents -
Kent State Tragedy
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Pressure to end involvement in VIetnam
Pressure on Nixon increases to end the involvement of the US in Vietnam and secret peace talks are initiated. US forces apply pressure on North Vietnam by heavy bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong. Henry Kissinger is optimistic about the peace talks despite Vietnam opposition -
Paris Peace Accords
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Fall of Saigon
On April 30th, the North Vietnamese Army took over Saigon with little resistance, and it was quickly renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of their revolutionary leader -
Mayaguez Incident