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Period: to
Vietnam War
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Vietnam declares independence
Japan surrendered to the allies ending WW2 in 1945; Japan departed Vietnam the same year. Vietnam declared its independence from France in 1945. Vietnam was occupied by Japan during WW2, but it had been a French colony for more than a century prior. -
Geneva Accords
A meeting between the Soviet Union, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and the People's Republic of China, to descuss how to deal with Vietnam. The Geneva Accords were what split Vietnam into the communist north and democratic south. -
Eisenhower's re-election
President Eisenhower ran for re-election against Adlai Stevenson who he had won against in the previous election. He again won most of the votes for his re-election -
JFK elected President
John F Kennedy was the youngest man to be elected president. He beat Richard Nixon in the running, but not by much. -
National Liberation Front organized in South Vietnam
Also known as the VietCong, it was an army that was formed that fought against the United States and the South Vietnamese governments in South Vietnam. -
Kennedy is assassinated
President Kennedy was fataly shot while in a presidential motorcade. His murderer was Lee Harvey Oswald. He was in the car with his wife and the Texas govenor when he was shot. -
100,000 demonstrate against the war in New York City
This was the first major student demonstration. 100,000 people marched through Time Square in New York City. People also protested on the same day in Wisconsin and Seattle. -
Gulf of Tonkin Agreement
The agreement that gave the U.S. president at the time, Lindon B. Johnson, complete control of the U.S. army and could bypass congress. This resulted in more troops being sent to Vietnam, and more conflict going on there. -
President Johnson is re-elected
After President JFK was assasinated, Johnson was imediately inaugorated into office. After when JFK's term would normally be up, Johnson ran for re-election and won, to become president for a second term. -
First US ground troops go to Vietnam
The first United States grount troops are ordered to Vietnam, and this is when most of the violence starts. This is also the start of when most lives are lost in during the war. -
Vietnamization
This took place during 1961-1971. This what th policy that president Richard Nixon ordered that gradually pulled U.S. soldiers out of Vietnam and gave the South Vietnamese army the bulk of the struggle. After Vietnamization, South Vietnam was forced to surrender to North Vietnam since it was not strong enough to fight them on their own. -
Senate Hearings on War
These are also known as the Fulbright hearings, and they were about concerns having to do with the Vietnam War and Vietnam. -
Massive demonstrations at Pentagon
70,000 Anti-war people gathered in Washington D.C. They went to the Pentagon to "confront the War Makers" (see #1). -
Viet Cong launch Tet Offensive
This was a military campaign that was launched by the VietCong. Many of the battles occured in abandoned cities and towns, and fighting was not very organized. -
Nixon is elected President
Nixon was elected President in 1968 and he esentially ended the was in 1973 althought he had previously escelated it. -
Nixon orders invasion of Cambodia
This invastion lasted from April 24-30th. Nixon decided the right decision was to invade so bombers were sent in to defeat many of the VietCong that were there. -
Four students are killed during antiwar protests at Kent University
During an antiwar protest at the Kent University in Ohio, four students were killed by the Ohio national guard. -
War Powers Act
This gave the president the power to send U.S. forces to places with only the concent of the Congress. -
Paris Accord
The government of the North Vietnam, the South Vietnam, and also the United States got together to establish a treaty. This was what finally established peace within Vietnam and ended the Vietnam war. -
South Vietnam surrenders to Communists
Without the support of the United States army, South Vietnam is not strong enough to withstand the pressure of the VietCong, and thereby are forced to surrender.
