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Geneva Conference
Held in Geneva Switzerland. the Geneva Accords temporarily divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel, with Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh in control of the north Vietnam and a pro-Western regime in control of the south. In the 1956 elections the reunion of the country was under a single government. The Geneva Conference also recognized Cambodia’s independence. -
Operation Chopper
Helicopters flown by US Army pilots carried 1,000 South Vietnamese soldiers to sweep a stronghold near Saigon. It marks America’s first combat missions against the Vietcong. -
The Overthrow of Diem
American ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge arrived in Vietnam. He found of that Diem’s unpopularity had alarmed several Vietnamese generals that were planning to overthrow him.The general launched a military coup, that seized power and executed Diem shortly afterward. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
Congress passed a resolution drafted by the administration authorizing all necessary measures to repel attacks against U.S. forces and all steps necessary for the defense of U.S. allies in Southeast Asia. Although there was disagreement in Congress over the precise meaning of the Tonkin Gulf resolution, Presidents Johnson and Richard M. Nixon used it to justify later military action in Southeast Asia. The measure was repealed by Congress in 1970. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was a frequently interrupted bombing campaign. During this period U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft engaged in a bombing campaign designed to force Ho Chi Minh to abandon his ambition to take over South Vietnam. -
Teach In
A group of faculty members and students at the University of Michigan abandoned their classes and joined together in a teach-in. This is where they discussed the issues surrounding the war and reinforced their reasons for opposing it. -
Dong Xai
At Dong Xai, Sought Vietnamese Army district base and American Special Forces camp was overrun by a full Vietcong regiment. The US air attacks eventually drove the Vietcongs away. -
Operation Crimp
US forces launch Operation Crimp. It had deployed nearly 8,000 troops, it is the largest American operation of the war. The goal of the Launch was to capture the Vietcong’s headquarters for the Saigon area, which was believed to be located in the district of Chu Chi. American forces failed to locate any important Vietcong bases. -
Tet Offensive
Series of surprise attacks by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces, launched a massive countrywide attack on scores of cities, towns, and hamlets throughout South Vietnam. It was considered to be a turning point in the Vietnam War. Though the Communists failed to achieve their tactical and operational objectives. The offensive proved that America's progress was grossly overstated and caused many Americans and key presidential advisors to question the wisdom of prolonging combat. -
Bloody Stalemate
More than 180,000 American combat troops were fighting in Vietnam. the American military was extremely strong, and Marched into Vietnam with great confidence. The Vietcong frustrated American troops by blending in with general population and used their knowledge of the countryside to their advantage. But the US planned to take that ability to hide away and drop napalms. Leaving both sides evenly matched. -
Massacre at My Lai
videoIn November of 1969, Americans learned of a horrifying event. A report came out saying in spring of 1968, an American platoon under the command of Lieutenant William Calley had massacred possibly more than 200 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians in the hamlet of My Lai. -
Hawks and Doves
At this time the nation seemed to be divided into two camps. Those who wanted the US to withdraw from Vietnam were known as the Doves. The people who insisted that the US stays and fights came to be known as the Hawks. As the two groups debated, the war took a wrong turn and the nation endured a year of shock and crisis. -
U.S. Withdrawal of Troops
Nixon Announced the withdrawal of 25,000 soldiers. Nixon refused to view this troop withdrawal as a form of surrender. He was determined to maintain a strong American presence in Vietnam to ensure bargaining power during peace negotiation. In support of the goal, the president increased air strikes against North Vietnam. Finally, in January 1973 a peace treaty was signed by the United States and all three Vietnamese parties. It provided for the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops within 60 days a -
Vietnamization
President Nixon gave this speech on November 3, 1969 this plan was to encourage the South Vietnamese to take more responsibility for fighting the war. It was hoped that this policy would eventually enable the United States to withdraw gradually all their soldiers from Vietnam. -
Kent State Massacre
Many people thought the Invasion of Cambodia was widening the war, and it set off many protesters Ohio National Guard soldiers, armed with tear gas and rifles, fired on demonstrators without an order to do so. The soldiers killed four students and wounded at least nine others. -
26th Amendment
The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, allowing millions of young people to participate actively in the democratic process and to have a powerful voice in shaping their political future. The average age of a soldier in Vietnam was about 19, the argument was that if they could fight and die for their country at 18 and 19 they should be able vote. -
End of the War
After pressuring South Vietnam to accept the peace deal, Nixon announced the end of offensive operations against North Vietnam. -
The Paris Peace Accords
The terms of the accords called for a complete ceasefire in South Vietnam, allowed North Vietnamese forces to retain the territory they had captured, released US prisoners of war, and called for both sides to find a political solution to the conflict. -
War Powers Act
A way to establish some limits on executive powers. The act required the president to inform Congress of any commitment of troops aboard within 48 hours and to withdraw them in 60 to 90 days unless Congress explicitly approved the troop commitment. -
South Vietnam Surrenders
orth Vietnamese army launched a full-scale invasion of the south. On April 30, the North Vietnamese captured Saigon, South Vietnam’s capital, and united Vietnam under Communist rule. They then renamed Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City. They were overrun by the North Vietnamese after the US ground forces withdrew. The event marked the end of the Vietnam War and the start of a transition period leading to the formal reunification of Vietnam into a communist state.
