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Beginning of Conflict
During WWII French rule was interrupted when Japan occupied Vietnam. Japanese Surrender and the Vietnamese saw the Japanese defeat as an opportunity to free them from French colonial rule. Ho (a communist) asked Americans for help. Ho proclaimed Independence on Vietnam. -
Period: to
Beggning of War to End
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Indochina War
Vietnam wanted to be free form French control. The United States supported the French in having control of Vietnam to stop the spread of Communism. France and Vietnam fought for 8 years. The French were forced to surrender after a 56 daylong battle in Northern Vietnam. French agreed to a settlement and French control was then over. -
Eisenhower Cites Domino Theory
After WWII China came under communist rule in 1949. North Korea attacked South Korea creating the “Korean War”. U.S. political leaders feared a widespread Communist takeover in South West Asia when Ho defeated the French. If one country fell to the communists, it was thought that neighboring countries would follow. The U.S. hoped that stopping communism in Vietnam would prevent a communist takeover in South East Asia. -
Campaign of Terror by Diem
Terror in villages controlled by Diem. Diem governed over South Vietnam in Saigon. There was to be an election to unify Vietnam but the Diem government blocked the voting. South Vietnamese opposed Diem and launched a armed revolt. Guerrillas sent a rain of terror to Diem villages. The north was giving the guerrillas supplies. They then became known as the Vietcong. -
Vietcong Formed
Vietcong was the Guierrillas who were people that carried out hit and run attacks. North Vietnam used secret supply lines to send the Vietcong troops. They were followers of DIem. -
Agent Orange
Agent Orange was a herbicide used to defoliate 4.5 million acres of land. Agent orange was told to be harmless to humans. It contained the chemical dioxin, which is one of the most effective herbicides. Agent orange didn’t seem to harm people at the time, but had long term health problems. Agent Orange was linked to birth defects and many types of cancers. In 1975 they quit using this chemical. -
Gulf of Tonkin
The North Vietnamese torpedo boats had attacked American destroyers in the gulf of Tonkin. They questioned the reports and assumed that attacks may not have been taken place. President Johnson was eager to do something about it. He confirmed that U.S. forces would stage air strikes against North Vietnam. Congress helped Johnson and passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Only congress can declare war but however when Johnson was given authority from the resolution it was not declared war. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Rolling Thunder VideoOperation Rolling thunder was the bombing of North Vietnam transportation roads. They wanted to stop the spread of people and supplies into south Vietnam. They also bombed ammunition dumps, oil storages, factories, power plants, and airfields. 634,000 tons of bombs were dropped on North Vietnam. -
First US Ground Troops Sent to Vietnam
President Johnson realized they needed to take a bigger commitment and take action. He sent 3,500 marines to protect an American air base in Da Nang. They were the first American combat troops in Vietnam. He later allowed 50,000 American ground troops. There were a total of 184,000 troops in Vietnam. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a Vietnamese holiday celebrating the New Year. Vietcong and North Vietnamese used the holiday to their advantage by launching attacks on every major city in South Vietnam. They broke into the American Embassy and attacked the Presidential Palace in Saigon. The communists also seized Hue, the former home of Vietnamese emperors. Although it was a surprise attack, the South Vietnamese and Americans responded quickly. -
Vietnamization
Nixon announced this policy to reduce American involvement. American troops gradually withdrew from Vietnam and S.V. assumed responsible for fighting the war. The following month the first U.S. troops left Vietnam. 150,000 soldiers had left Vietnam by April 1970. Nixon expanded the war to Cambodia. N.V. soldiers were carrying arms and supplies along the mountainous route Ho Chi Minh Trail. The U.S. began bombing Communist bases in Cambodia. Nixon hoped this would pressure NV to negotiate peace. -
Kent State Incident
Kent State Incident was where an Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of people at Kent State University. He ended up killing 4 students and wounding 9. The shooting triggered a nation wide student strike. -
Watergate Scandal
5 men were hired by Nixon’s committee to spy on the democrats. Burglars were paid “hush money” to keep quiet. The scandal was out. He testified that Nixon himself had approved the cover up. Another scandal was revealed that he recorded all conversations in his office. He refused to release the tapes but later on he was forced to. Nixon resigned once he realized there were enough votes impeach him. Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. Gerald Ford became president. -
Troops Withdrawn from Vietnam
The US had been trying to get the troops out of Vietnam for months. Peace talks had been held in Paris to try and come to an agreement. Neither US or North Vietnam could agree on what they wanted. Nixon ordered more bombings of North Vietnam which caused the North Vietnamese to return to the bargaining table and come to an agreement. -
Works Cited
