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Vietnam After WWII
Ho Chi Minh found of the Indochina Communist Party in 1930 (Viet Minh or the League for the Independence of Vietnam). In 1945 when Viet Minh forces seized a northern city in Vietnam, they declared a Democratic State of Vietnam (or North Vietnam) and Ho as president, declaring independence from France. -
First Indochina War
During the end of the nineteenth century, Vietnam was gradually conquered by the French.Vietnamese rule would not return to the country until Sept. 2, 1945, when the Nationalist leader Ho Chi Minh proclaimed independence. Between 1946 to 1954, the French opposed independence, and Ho Chi Minh led guerrilla warfare against, this was considered the first Indochina War which ended in the Vietnamese victory at Dien Bien Phu on May 7, 1954. -
The Geneva Conference/ Accords
Conference in 1954 in Geneva Switzerland which focused primarily on resolving the war between French forces and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), led by Ho. Under the terms of the accords, the French agreed to remove their troops from Vietnam and Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel for a period of two years because of pending elections within two years to choose a president and reunite the country. -
Second Indochina War/ Vietnam War
The Second Indochina War is also known as the Vietnam War. It started when Ho Chi Minh's forces defeated the French in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu -
The Assassination of Diem
President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam and his brother are captured and killed by a group of soldiers, after their government is overthrown. The United States subsequently became more heavily involved in Vietnam in attempt of stabilizing the South Vietnamese government and beat the communist rebels from becoming an increasingly powerful threat. Later it was discovered American officials met with the generals who organized the plot, giving them encouragement to go through with their plans. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident was when two North Vietnamese supposedly fired at US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin. Johnson presented this to Congress as an act of aggression by the North Vietnamese. This led to escalation of the war in Vietnam -
Pentagon Papers
They were commissioned by US Sec. Defense Robert S McNamara in 1967. It contained records of US involvement in Indochina from WWII until May 1968. They were leaked to the NY Times. They US Dept of Justice got a restraining order to stop them from publishing after the 3rd set of leaks, but the NY Times and the Washington Post fought it in the courts. It is significant because the Supreme Court (1971) decision favored the press and helped uphold freedom of press. -
The Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a coordinated series of North Vietnamese attacks on more than 100 cities and outposts in South Vietnam. The offensive was an attempt to agitate rebellion among the South Vietnamese population and encourage the United States to scale back its involvement in the Vietnam War. -
My Lai Massacre
American soldiers brutally killed more than 500 people in the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968. Army officers covered up the massacre for a year before it was reported in the American press, which sparked a firestorm of international outrage. The My Lai killings and the official cover-up fueled anti-war sentiment and further divided the United States over the Vietnam War. -
Vietnam Under Nixon
President Nixon believe in "Vietnamization". Vietnamization included building up South Vietnam's forces, while withdrawing the US troops. This was in hope of preparing the South Vietnamese to act in their own defense against communist forces. -
Bombing in Combodia
President Nixon approved the mission–Operation Breakfast–at a meeting on March 15. This mission allowed for B-52 strikes inside Cambodia known as the “Menu” bombings. A total of 110,000 bombs were dropped during a 14-month period through April 1970. The bombing of Cambodia and all follow up “Menu” operations were kept secret from the American public and the U.S. Congress since Cambodia was ostensibly neutral. -
Kent State Shooting
Shootings of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard at Kent State University during a mass protest against the bombing of Cambodia by United States military forces. -
Launch of Operation Homecoming
Following the Paris peace accords on January 27, 1973, the United States and North Vietnam made a mutual agreement to mass release all prisoners of war (POW). The mission was renamed "Operation Homecoming". -
Withdrawal of Last American Troops
The last American troops left, two months after signing the Vietnam peace agreement. The last American prisoners of war held in North Vietnam were also freed. -
Fall of Saigon
Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, was captured by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces. Many South Vietnamese tried to escape on U.S. helicopters used for the evacuation of Americans. The city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City, and Ho announced the Saigon government to be dissolved. This lead to the end of the Vietnam War and the reunification of Vietnam under Communist rule. The new Communist government planned to make Vietnam a socialist country.
