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World War 2
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Viet Minh
Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi, or better known as the Viet Minh, was the organization that led the struggle for Vietnamese independence from French rule, and was founded by Ho Chi Minh. They fought and won decisive battles in the Indochina War and was eventually absorbed into the Lao Dong. Elements of the Viet Minh joined with the Viet Cong against the U.S.-supported government of South Vietnam and the United States in the Vietnam War (or Second Indochina War) -
Ho Chi Minh
Born Nguyen Tat Thanh, and later changed his name to Ho Chi Minh on May 19, 1890. His home village was Kimlien, Annam (central Vietnam). Ho attended school in Hue and then briefly taught at a private school in Phan Thiet. In his later years of political service, he was able to become president. On September 3, 1969, he died in Hanoi of heart failure. In his honor, after the Communist conquest of the South in 1975, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. -
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First Indochina War
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Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Battle of Dien Bien Phu a decisive engagement in the first Indochina War (1946–54). The Viet Minh's victory effectively ended the eight-year-old war. -
The Geneva Accords
The Geneca Accords are a collection of documents relating to Indochina and issuing from the Geneva Conference of April 26–July 21, 1954, attended by representatives of Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, France, Laos, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, the Viet Minh (i.e., the North Vietnamese), and the State of Vietnam (i.e., the South Vietnamese). Talks of peace, ceasefire at the 17th parallel, and eventually reunify Vietnam under a communist goverment. -
End of Battle of Dien Bien Phu
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Vietcong
After the end of the Geneca Accords of 1954, the countries that were involved were unable to make peace, and the South along with the US didn't sign the documents because the North still occupied their territory. Viet Cong, also know as the National Liberation Front, was the political army that fought in the Vietnam War against the South and the US. The Viet Cong were able to manage to beat the US by the end of the war using mobility and guerrilla warfare that the US were not yet accustomed to. -
End of Geneva Conference
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Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem became the first preisdent of south Vietnam after the hasty withdrawal that the French made because of the 1954 Geneva Accords. He made it his mission to create a Republic of Vietnam and was very anti-communist. During his time as president, he became very baised and that evetually lead to his downfall, on Nov 2nd, 1963, him and his brother were assassinated by rebellion wanting to replace his government. -
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Vietnam War
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Ho Chi Minh Trail
Ho Chi Minh Trail was the name for a logistical system that ran from North Vietnam to South Vietnam through neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia. The system provided men and supplies for the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. In the previous war that Vietnam was engaged in, the Viet Minh were able to maintain their communications with others within their group via this trial. In 1959, the 559th Transportaion Group was founded to imporce and maintain the transportation system. -
Agent Orange
Agent Orange was the name of the herbicide that was used by the US military in Operation Ranch Hand during the Vietnam war. This substance got its name from the colour of the barrels it was shipped in. The purpose of using this herbicide was to clear the jungle environment so that the US army could expose and pinpoint exactly where the Viet Cong or NLF were hiding so they may bomb them. Agent Orange has a side effect though because around 400,000 people were killed or maimed. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a joint resoution that the Congress passed in response to a sea battle between the North Vietnamese Navy's Topedo Squadron 135 voats and the U.S. destroyers USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy. This resolution was signed and what it did was it gave the president to do whatever necessary in order to assist members of the Southeast Asia Collective Defence Treaty. When presented to the House of Representatives, the vote was 416-0 for the resolution. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was the name of the campain that involved the US 2nd Air Division, US Navy, and the Republic of Vietnam Air Force against North Vietnam. the four objetives of the operation were to boost the low morale of the Saigon regime, to persuade North Vietnam to cease its support for the communitst insurgency, to destory North Vietnam's transportation system, industrial base, and air defences, and to cease the flow of men and materials into South Vietnam. -
The Tet Offensive
The Tet Offence was a military campain launched by the People's Army of Vietnam against the South. The purpose of the offensive was to utilize the element of surprise and strike military and civilian command and control centers throughout South Vietnam, during a period when no attacks were supposed to take place. The operations are referred to as the Tet Offensive because there was a prior agreement to "cease fire" during the Tet festivities (Lunar New Year Celebrations). -
The Tet Offensive
More than 80,000 communist troops striking more than 100 towns and cities, including 36 of 44 provincial capitals, five of the six autonomous cities, 72 of 245 district towns, and the southern capital. The main objective of this massive offence was not to completely win the war, but it showed that the North was able to launch a huge offensive even though they were badly outnumbered and it showed that they are willing to die for their cause. -
My Lai Massacre
My Lai Massacre was the mass massacre of villagers who lived in the My Lai hamlet by United States Army soldiers of "Charlie" Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the Americal Division. Only 26 soldier that commited this act was charged, and only 1 was convicted, and even then, he was give 3 and a half years of house arrest. When the global public found out about this, many were enraged and it further increased domestic opposition of US' involvement in the war. -
Vietnamization
Vietnamization was a policy devised President Nixon in response to the North's Tet Offence. This policy was to "expand, equip, and train South Vietnam's forces and assign to them an ever-increasing combat role, at the same time steadily reducing the number of U.S. combat troops." The goverment implemeted this policy because of the distrust and growing opposition that did not want US involved in the war. This way, the US would still be supporting the South, but they would not be losing men. -
Death of Ho Chi Minh
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Operation Linebacker
Operation Linebacker was the name of the operation that involved the US Seventh Air Force and the US Navy Task Force 77. The purpose of this operation was to slow down or completely stop the transportation of supplies from North Vietnam foir the Nguyen Hu Offensive (an invasion of South Vietnam). Operation Linebacker was the first continous bombing edfort conducted against the North since Operation Rolling Thunder. -
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of the South's capital by the Viet Cong and it signified that the Vietnam War had come to an end and Vietnam was now reunified under a communist government. The city was later named Ho Chi Minh City and right after it was captured, all American personnel and all Vietnamese personnel involved in the regime were evacuated which was known as Operation Frequent Wind, which was largest helicopter evacuation in history.