The Vietnam War

  • American Involvement in Vietnam

    Japan invaded Vietnam, becoming one of a series of foreign nations to rule the Asian country. The Chinese had control led the region for hundreds of years. Then, from the late 1800s until World War II, the French ruled Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia-a region then known as French Indochina.
  • Defeat at Dien Bien Phu

    Defeat at Dien Bien Phu

    The French forces fell to the Vietnam. The defeat convinced the French to make peace and withdraw from Indochina.
  • Kennedy Takes Over

    When President Kennedy took office in 1961, he continued to support South Vietnam, believing the country was vital in the battle against communism. Form 1961 to 1963, the number of U.S military personal in South Vietnam jumped from about 2,000 to around 15,000. Yet they failed to shore up the floundering biemresime.
  • The Overthrow of Diem

    The Overthrow of Diem

    Diem banned the traditional religious flags for the Buddha's birthday.
  • Johnson and Vietnam

    Johnson asked Congress for the authority to defend American forces and allies in Southeast Asia.
  • Teach-ins Begin

    Teach-ins Begin

    A group of faculty members and students at the University of Michigan discussed the issues surrounding the war and reaffirmed their reasons for opposing it.
  • Johnson Leaves the Race

    McCarthy made a strong showing in the New Hampshire Primary, winning more than 40 percent of the vote. Realizing that Johnson was vulnerable, Senator Robert Kennedy, who opposed the war, quickly entered the race for the Democratic nomination.
  • The Tet Offensive

    The Tet was celebrated by many people in Vietnam. There were lots of battles
  • A Season of Violence

    On April 4, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis by James Earl Ray. On June 5, Robert Kennedy, who appeared likely to win the Democratic nomination, was gunned down by Sirhan Sirhan, an Arab Nationalist.
  • Nixon wins the Presidency

    Humphrey's increasingly antiwar Stance and Strong campaign helped turn his numbers around. A week before the election, President Johnson announced that the bombing of North Vietnam had halted and that a cease fire would follow. Nixon defeated him by 100 electoral votes, although he only won the popular vote by a slim margin of 43 percent to 42 percent.