-
Ho Chi Minh founds Indochinese Communist Party
Ho Chi Minh founded the Indochinese Communist Party to help stage revolts. The French condemned Ho Chi Minh to death for his rebellious activity, he fled Vietnam and orchestrated Vietnam’s growing independence movement from exile in the Soviet Union and later from China. -
Japan occupies Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh returned home and helped form the Vietminh, an organization whose goal was to win Vietnam’s independence from foreign rule. When the Allied defeat Japan in August 1945, they forced the Japanese to leave Vietnam. -
Ho Chi Minh founds Viet Minh
Vietmin is an organization whose goal it was to win Vietnam’s independence from foreign rule. On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh stood in the middle of a huge crowd in the northern city of Hanoi and declared Vietnam an independent nation. -
Viet Minh defeat French at Dien Bien Phu
Despite massive U.S. aid, the French could not retake Vietnam. They were forced to surrender in May of 1954, when the Vietminh overran the French outpost at Dien Bien Phu, in northwestern Vietnam. -
Eisenhower introduces domino theory
Eisenhower likened the countries on the brink of communism to a row of dominoes waiting to fall one after the other. “You have a row of dominoes set up,” the president said. “You knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly.” -
Viet Minh captures Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh establishes the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
The Communists controlled North Vietnam from the capital of Hanoi. Ho Chi Minh stood in the middle of a huge crowd in the northern city of Hanoi and declared Vietnam an independent nation. -
Vietcong begin attacks on Diem government
A Communist group from the south, known as the Vietcong, had begun attacks on the Diem government. They assassinated thousands of South Vietnamese government officials. -
Ngo Dinh Diem overthrown in U.S.-backed coup
A U.S.-supported military coup toppled Diem’s regime. Against Kennedy’s wishes, Diem was assassinated. -
U.S. Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The alleged attack on the U.S. ships prompted President Johnson to launch bombing strikes on North Vietnam. It was not a declaration of war but it granted Johnson military powers in Vietnam. -
U.S. forces begin Operation Rolling Thunder bombing campaign
Johnson unleashed "Operation Thunder" in response to a Vietcong attack. This was the first sustained bombing in North Vietnam and the war became Americanized.
