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The Geneva Conference
This took place after the end of WWII. It promised that France would withdraw all troops. It also resulted in Vietnam being split into two parts: democratic South Vietnam under the rule of Ngo Dinh Diem, and communist North Vietnam under the rule of Ho Chi Minh. This conference also stated that North and South Vietnam were set to unify after a vote deciding which form of government to move forward with in two years. -
Construction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail
This trail is an important military offensive of the war because this trail was the main supplier of materials for the North Vietnamese war efforts. Not only did this trail support them with food, but it also supplied the war effort with over 2 million troops by the end of the war. -
Assassination of President Kennedy
While driving through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, TX, President Kennedy was shot. Later he was declared dead at Parkland Hospital. -
Gulf of Tonkin
While in the Gulf of Tonkin, U.S. ships are rumored to have been attacked. This causes President Johnson to call for airstrikes against Vietnamese patrol boat bases. Two U.S. aircraft are shot down during the attacks. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The incident in the Gulf of Tonkin resulted in this resolution by Congress. In this resolution, it is stated that President Johnson has “take all necessary measures, including the use of armed force.” In passing this, Congress gives President Johnson full authority over the military, effectively starting the official war with Vietnam. -
Operation Rolling Thunder Begins
Operation Rolling Thunder was a long-term bombing campaign. It consisted of continuously bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail in order to limit North Vietnam's capacity to support the war. This campaign lasted until November 2, 1968. -
The Tet Offensive
This was the largest attack made by the North Vietnamese and Vietminh forces. Tet is a holiday celebrated by the Vietnamese people, where there had previously been an informal ceasefire. North Vietnamese forces ignored this though and attacked over 100 cities in South Vietnam as well as the U.S. embassy. These attacks marked the beginning of the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam. -
President Johnson Declares That He Will Not Run For Re-election
After facing backlash for the failures of the war, Lyndon B. Johnson decides not to run for re-election. Both American political parties opposed him. The Right believed that he had overloaded America's systems with his plans, inhibiting the freedoms of individuals, while the Left disliked him for forcing them into the war against Vietnam. -
Richard Nixon Wins the Presidency
After Lyndon B. Johnson did not run, Richard Nixon became the next president of the United States. He promises to restore order and abolish the draft. This would appeal to the Right who wanted to return to the norm after the systems put in place by President Johnson, and the Left who did not support the Vietnam War. -
Battle of Hamburger Hill
This battle lasted 11 days and was part of Operation Apache Snow. The hill itself had no tactical advantage except to sweep Shau Valley. It gained the name "Hamburger Hill" by journalists because of the carnage. -
Withdrawal of American Troops
President Nixon recognized that in order to succeed as president, he had to end the Vietnam war. As a result, he began gradually withdrawing troops. He continued to withdraw troops until 1972, leaving approximately 69,000 out of the original 549,000 troops. -
Repeal of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
After the majority of the withdrawal was complete, the Senate repealed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This ended the authority that the President held over the military, returning the power to Congress. -
Leak of the Pentagon Papers
On this date, the New York Times leaked a number of excerpts from documents from the Pentagon. They received the excerpts from the military analyst Daniel Ellsberg. This article outlined many of the goings-on of the war and resulted in further opposition to the war by the American people. -
President Nixon Resigns
After the Watergate scandal, President Nixon is likely to be impeached. Because of this, he resigns, leaving Gerald Ford as the next president of the United States. -
Gerald Ford Fully Removes the United States from Vietnam
Once he becomes president after the resignation of President Nixon, Gerald Ford rules out any further military action within Vietnam, marking the complete end of the Vietnam War for the American people.