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Eisenhower Coins Domino Theory in Light of Vietnam
The Domino Theory, in light of Vietnam, was the theory that the fall of Indochina to communism would rapidly lead to the collapse of other nations in Southeast Asia. During the decisive battle between Viet Minh and French forces at Dien Bien Phu, President Dwight D. Eisenhower articulated this theory as the “falling domino” principle. Eisenhower used this theory to justify beginning conflicts in Vietnam. -
Assassination of Diem
In a military coup, South Vietnam's President, Ngo Dinh Diem, was overthrown. The coup took place with the approval of the United States. Diem was killed during the coup, despite assurances that he would not be. A group of Vietnamese army officers, led by General Duong Van Minh not only killed Diem but his brother too. The brothers were killed to prevent a later political comeback. The death of Diem caused celebration among many people in South Vietnam and led to political chaos in the nation. -
Geneva Accords
Diplomats from almost a hundred nations attended a conference in Geneva, Switzerland. On July 20th, 1954, the Geneva Agreements were signed. As part of the agreement, the French agreed to withdraw their troops from northern Vietnam. Vietnam would be temporarily divided at the 17th parallel, pending elections within two years to choose a president and reunite the country. It brought an end to the First Indochina War and was the end of French influence in Southeast Asia. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
North Vietnamese warships attacked the United States following warships: the U.S.S. Maddox and the U.S.S. C. Turner Joy. The ships were attacked on two separate occasions in the Gulf of Tonkin (a body of water neighboring modern-day Vietnam). Congress then passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which authorized President Johnson to take any measures he believed necessary to retaliate and promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia. -
LBJ Orders 1st Troops to Vietnam
3,500 U.S. Marines landed near Da Nang in South Vietnam. This was significant because they were the first American combat troops on the ground of the conflict that had been building for decades. North Vietnam's communist government, which was backed by the Soviet Union and China, was locked in battle with South Vietnam in a Cold War proxy fight. The U.S. had been providing aid and advisors to the South since the 1950s, slowly escalating operations to include bombing runs and ground troops. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive consisted of simultaneous attacks by 85,000 troops under the North Vietnamese government. The attacks were against five major South Vietnamese cities, military installations, as well as towns and villages throughout South Vietnam. The Tet Offensive played an important role in weakening US public support for the war in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh and others led Tet Offensive hoping to achieve a decisive victory that would end the conflict that frustrated military leaders on both sides. -
My Lai Massacre
The purpose was to force civilians who had begun leaving the area back to My Lai in search of cover. The My Lai massacre was a horrific incident of violence against unarmed civilians in the Vietnam War. American soldiers brutally killed most of the people in the village of My Lai. They killed women, children, and old men. US Army officers covered it up for a year until it was reported in the press, which fueled anti-war sentiment and further divided the United States over the Vietnam War. -
Nixon’s Vietnamization Policy
The Vietnamization policy reduced the number of American troops in Vietnam and provided military training to the South Vietnamese to expand their military and defense. Vietnamization was introduced by Nixon and carried out by his administration starting in 1963. Its purpose was to end US involvement in the Vietnam War through a program to expand, equip, and train South Vietnamese forces, assign an ever-increasing combat role and steadily reduce the number of U.S. combat troops. -
Nixon Sends Troops Into Cambodia
The operation would provide six to eight months of time for training South Vietnamese forces and thus would shorten the war for Americans. Nixon announced his decision to launch American forces into Cambodia with the special objective of capturing COSVN, "the headquarters of the entire Communist military operation in South Vietnam." In America, the announcement that U.S. and South Vietnamese troops had invaded Cambodia resulted in protests and gave the antiwar movement a new rallying point. -
Kent State Shooting
The killings took place during a peace rally opposing the expanding involvement of the Vietnam War in Cambodia by US military forces as well as protesting the National Guard's presence on campus. Members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine Kent State students. The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close. -
Hard Hat Riot
Students were protesting the May 4th Kent State shootings as well as the Vietnam War, following the late April announcement by President Richard Nixon of the U.S. invasion of neutral Cambodia. Some construction came to the protest carrying U.S. flags and chanting "USA, All the way" and "America, love it or leave it". The Hard Hats supported Nixon and the continuation of the war. Together with Wall Street office workers, the hard hats confronted anti-war demonstrators on the streets of Manhattan. -
Nixon’s Christmas Bombing
The Christmas bombing campaign, officially called “Operation Linebacker II”, lasted for 11 days. More than 20,000 tons of explosives were dropped, including on civilians. The impact of the “Christmas Bombings” on the final agreement has been difficult to assess. Some historians argue that the bombings forced the North Vietnamese back to the negotiating table. While others suggest that the attacks had little impact, beyond the additional death and destruction they caused. -
Paris Peace Accords
The United States, South Vietnam, Viet Cong, and North Vietnam formally signed an agreement that would end the war and restore peace in Vietnam. The settlement included a cease-fire throughout Vietnam. In addition, the United States agreed to withdraw all U.S. troops and dismantle all U.S. bases. In return, the North Vietnamese agreed to release all U.S. and other prisoners of war. Many said the treaty was doomed from the start, and that another war was well on its way. -
War Powers Act
The War Powers Act of 1973 was a congressional resolution designed to limit the U.S. president's ability to initiate or escalate military actions abroad. This resolution made congressional expectations clear to the president so that whoever holds the office understands when they must notify Congress and how forces can be in foreign countries. This act has been violated by many presidents however, now they are more accountable to Congress than they were before this resolution. -
Saigon Falls
The fall of Saigon refers to the takeover of the city by the Viet Cong, two years after the US removed troops from Vietnam. The fall of Saigon became a symbol of the war's futility. The US was forced to abandon its embassy in the city and evacuate more than 7,000 US citizens and South Vietnamese by helicopter. This event marked the end of the Vietnam war as a loss for the US.