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The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was created in 1945 by leader of the time Ho Chi Minh. Originally the territory was colonized by the French. The French were then pushed out and Ho Chi Minh stepped into place declaring independence from France. The Geneva Accords were then signed withdrawing French troops and establishing Vietnam. -
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu, which took place in Dien Bien Phu Vietnam, was between the French colonist and the Viet Minh communist revolutionist. This revolution took place over 3 months with the Viet Minh coming up victorious. After The Viet Minh sieged control of Dien Bien Phu the French withdrew their forces from Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh declared independence.
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The 17th parallel was a DMZ boundary created to separate North and South Vietnam. It was created in 1954 during the Geneva Convention when the accords were set in place on April 26th. This spilt the country into a Communist North backed by China. As well as a Democratic South backed by the U.S. After the creation of the line both sides had 2 year election periods to decide a leader. -
The National Liberation Front was created in December of 1960. It was a rebellion of communist Vietnamese people in the South. There goal was to overthrow the South Vietnam government. They were backed by North Vietnam in hopes of reunifying Vietnam. -
During the Vietnam War America was “attacked” by Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. The U.S. was angered by this and intended to respond. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was then signed allowing the President to retaliate with what he thought to be necessary. -
Operation Rolling Thunder was a series of airstrikes by the U.S. over Vietnam in hopes of cutting off the North from the South. These strikes lasted over 3 years. The operation unfortunately failed as it didn’t cut off North supply routes to the South.
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In 1965 President Johnson sent 3500 American troops to Da Nang Vietnam. The goal was to assist South Vietnam as well as protect U.S. airbases from Viet Cong attacks. The were the first troops committed to the Vietnam War. -
The Tet Offensive was a series of attacks led by the North on hundreds of South cities. The goal was to spark rebellion in the South and push back the U.S. Although they captured many cities, none were held and all were reclaimed by the U.S. This was a big military loss for the North and a big moral loss for the U.S.
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The My Lai Massacre was a horrific event in our time. U.S. soldiers entered into a Vietnamese village thinking there were hidden Viet Cong soldiers. The U.S. troops slaughtered the entire village including all the women and children. They then burned down the whole village. It was found that there were no Viet Cong soldiers and no shots were fired back at U.S. soldiers. The American public was horrified by the event. -
The 1968 Democratic National Convention was held to nominate a candidate for president and vice president. During the convention hippies and yippies showed up to protest the War in Vietnam. Police were sent out and the beat and arrested a large number of protesters. -
The 1968 Presidential election took place between Nixon, Humphrey and Wallace. This election was during a very concerning time as the Vietnam war was going on at the exact same time. Nixon would end up winning the race and become President. -
Tinker v. Des Moines was a court ruling after students at Des Moines sued the school. The students wore black arm bands in protest of the Vietnam War. As a result they were sent home and suspended for doing so. After suing the school the court ruled that the school violated the students First Amendment rights. -
Woodstock was a very large musical event held in New York. There was around 400,000 people in attendance for the music and fun. It was a place to express peace and unity and do lots of drugs.
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The Kent State University Protest was a protest held by Kent State students. They gathered to protest the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. National Guard was sent out to control the protest. Unfortunately they opened fire killing 4 students and injuring more. -
The Jackson State College Protest took place in May of 1970. Students protested the invasion of Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Police officers were sent out to control the protest. Shortly after midnight they opened fire and killed 2 students. -
The Pentagon Papers was released and leaked information that was hid from the public. It was shared to the US by the Times news paper. It revealed that the U.S. had secretly enlarged the scope of its actions in the Vietnam War with coastal raids on North Vietnam and Marine Corps attacks -
The Watergate Scandal was when there was a break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices carried out by White house officials. Nixon tried to cover it up but got caught. The robbers were connected to Nixons reelection campaign.
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The 1973 Paris Peace Accords ended the war in Vietnam. U.S. troops were withdrawn from South Vietnam. The DMZ at the 17th parallel would be there till the country was reunified peacefully. -
In a court case where the US was investigating the Watergate scandal President Nixon was hiding tapes that showed that he was a part of it. The Supreme Court ruled that Nixon had to produce the tape recordings and couldn't hide them. This showed that, "The President cannot shield himself from producing evidence in a criminal prosecution based on the doctrine of executive privilege." -
Saigon was the capital of South Vietnam and the fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War. North Vietnam forces took over the capital and the country became unified. US forces evacuated thousands of South Vietnam citizens via helicopter.