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Period: to
Viet Nam: Moving Towards Conflict
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Ho Chi Minh Founds the Indochinese Communist Party
Ho Chi Minh founded the ICP to protest French colonialism and to try to work towards independence for Viet Nam but the French tried to discredit them with the people. -
Japan Occupation of Japan
Japan took over Viet Nam from the French after the Vichy government in France surrendered to Germany. Their occupation of Viet Nam was one of the main causes for the U.S. to put embargoes of steel and oil on Japan. -
Ho Chi Minh Founds the Viet Minh
Was supported by the U.S. and China to fight the Japanese and do what they could to drive them out of Viet Nam. -
Viet Minh Defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu
The French unit at this fort were badly outnumbered and surrounded by the Viet Minh. Their defeat eventually led the U.S. get involved in Viet Nam as a NATO ally of France and to help stop the advance of communism in Southeast Asia -
President Eisenhower Announces the Domino Theory
President Eisenhower announced the concept of the Domino Theory during a news conference which said that if one country became communist it was possible for neighboring countries to fall too.. It justified U.S. intervention to prevent the spread of communism. -
Viet Minh Capture Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh Establishes Democratic Republic of Viet Nam
The establishment of a soverign communist nation in Indochina gave the Viet Minh a safe base of operations to spread their communist revolution, first to the south to reunite Viet Nam, then the rest of Southeast Asia. -
Vietcong Begin Attacking the Diem Government
Vietcong attacks began with bombings of government buildings ans assassinations of government officials. It started in response to arrests of communists by the Diem government. -
Ngo Dinh Diem Overthrown In U.S.-backed Coup
Protests against the government began because of Diem's oppression of Buddhists. As the protests got worse, the U.S. decided to back a coup by generals of the Army of Viet Nam -
U.S. Congress Passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
U.S. Navy ships were attacked by North Vietnamese Navy torpedo boats.President Johnson sought and got approval of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which authorized him to send conventional forces to Viet Nam without a Declaration of War. -
U.S. Begins Operation Rolling Thunder Bombing Campaign
This was the first significant bombing of North Viet Nam by the U.S. with the intentions of destroying the North's ability to provide supplies to rebels in Souh Viet Nam and to break the will of the communist government.
