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France's military forces establish a grip on the countries of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos (Indochina) after their victory of the Sino-French War.
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Three years after the establishment of French Indochina, the future communist leader of North Vietnam (then the whole country) Ho Chi Minh is born. He opposed the French rule in his birthplace, so he fled to Russia when he was old enough. This is where he learned about Karl Marx's ideology of Communism
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The Soviet Union was formed after the Bolsheviks overthrew the Russian czars. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were members of the Russian Social Democratic Party (which was renamed to the Communist Party).
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French and Vietminh forces start to battle each other over control of Indochina. The Vietminh have a tactical advantage since Indochina is their home, and the French are the clueless about anything pertaining to the country.
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The Chinese Civil War between Mao's communist and Chiang's noncommunist forces is fought, which results in victory for the communists. Mao Zedong is declared leader of China. Chiang Kai-shek flees from China and establishes an oppressive regime in Taiwan.
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The US, in the era of Harry Truman's presidency, starts to aid France against the communist Vietminh forces. The US sends over $2.6 billion worth of aid for France over the course of four years. This wasn't enough, however, as the French lost their war against the communists.
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The Vietminh forces trap French forces at the military base Dien Bien Phu and start a long, bloody 55-day siege.
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After 15,000 casualties, the French finally surrender. Afterwards, both France and the Indochina nations go to Geneva, Switzerland to try and resolve the conflict peacefully.
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In Geneva, Switzerland, an international peace conference was held where France sued for peace, then granting independence to the former Indochina countries (Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam).
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In an attempt to aid South Vietnam, as well as containing communism in S.E. Asia, America forms the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
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Both North and South Vietnam held elections for who would lead and unify the divided country. The two candidates were Ho Chi Minh (North Vietnam, Communist), and Ngo Dinh Diem (South Vietnam, Noncommunist). Under the assumption that he would lose spectacularly, Diem refused to participate in the election.
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A South Vietnamese rebel group, called the National Liberation Front, is established. They want to overthrow Diem's government and unite Vietnam under a Hammer-and-Sickle flag. To do this, the NLF used guerrilla fighters called the Vietcong. The Vietcong assassinated government officials and destroyed roadways crucial for transportation of military forces and goods.
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US President John F. Kennedy is elected into office in a close election with former vice president of Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Milhouse Nixon. This election is significant since it was the first televised.
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JFK sends troops from the Special Forces to Vietnam. More than 15,000 of these troops were sent to advise the South Vietnamese army, named the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).
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With help from the US, South Vietnamese generals overthrow unpopular South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem and his non-Buddhist regime. Diem is assassinated shortly afterwards.
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After the assassination of Kennedy, his vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, is sworn in as the new commander-in-chief. Lyndon has much on his plate, since the war is still raging on.
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North Vietnamese boats fire torpedoes at the USS Maddox, an American destroyer.The Maddox, unscathed by the torpedoes, returned fire on the Northern boats in response.
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Johnson and Congress enact the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which authorized Johnson to assist any Southeastern Asian ally to repel any attack. This means that he could send troops to these territories without the need of asking Congress for a declaration of war.
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In retaliation of a Vietcong attack at Pleiku, Johnson orders the first sustained bombing campaign, called Operation Rolling Thunder. LBJ hoped that this would persuade the North Vietnamese to staunch the flow of reinforcements. that failed miserably.
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After four Presidents, many a sustained US bombing, and numerous casualties on both sides, the United States and North Vietnam sign the Paris Peace Accords, effectively ending all American involvement in the war.
