Conflict in Indochina 1954 - 79 By NSGG 1916 Ho Chi Minh settles in Paris and joins the Communist Party 1925 Ho Chi Minh moves to China and forms the Vietnamese Communist party 1940 Japanese forces invade Vietnam Aug 10, 1945 Japanese surrender Aug 19, 1945 Ho Chi Minh's forces enter Saigon to sieze power Sep 2, 1945 Ho Chi Minh declares the Democratic Republic of Vietnam Aug 19, 1947 The First Indochina War breaks out 1949 China becomes Communist 1953 Eisenhower comes to power Period: Jan 20, 1953 to Jan 20, 1961 Eisenhower is president of the USA 1954 The Geneva Conference for Vietnam 1954 Battle of Dien Bien Phu 1955 Ngo Dinh Diem moves against the Cao Dai, Hoa Hao and Binh Xuyen private army 1957 Ho Chi Minh introduced land reform policies 1958 Land reform pursued through a cooperative strategy 1959 Ngo Dinh Diem establishes the Agroville Program 1959 The Ho Chi Minh trail enters use 1960 National Liberation Front established 1960 John F Kennedy comes to power 1961 JFK increases the number of US advisors in Vietnam from 900 to 1025 Period: Jan 20, 1961 to Nov 22, 1963 JFK is president of the USA 1962 Diem introduces the Strategic Hamlet Program Nov 1, 1963 Ngo Dinh Diem assassinated Period: Nov 22, 1963 to Jan 20, 1969 LBJ is president of the USA Aug 2, 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident begins Aug 4, 1964 USS Turner Joy reports coming under fire from North Vietnamese vessels Aug 7, 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed 1967 General Nguyen Van Thieu becomes Prime Minister of South Vietnam 1967 The Battle for Hill 875 Period: Jan 21, 1968 to Jul 9, 1968 The Battle of Khe San Period: Jan 30, 1968 to Sep 23, 1968 The Tet Offensive