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This agreement included the withdrawal of French troops in the Northern Vietnam area, and ultimately started the divide that caused the Vietnam War. At the 17th parallel, there would be a border between North and South Vietnam. It also scheduled a newer election to be put in place two years in the future. The US felt that an election would almost guarantee a win for the communist leader Ho Chi Minh, so they decided to intervene.
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Under Ho Chi Minh, the leader of North Vietnam, The National Liberation Front was formed. This front was formed as the political wing that held government rebels in South Vietnam. The military part of the group was later named the Vietcong by The United States. This force was viewed as a branch of Northern Vietnam's army and would be the guerilla group The US fought against.
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Diem, the leader of South Vietnam, grew unpopular as a leader due to Catholic bias and protest silencing. Diem's government is overthrown by his own generals and is later executed on November 2, 1963. Not only did this dramatically change the political climate of the country, but it sparked controversy due to the fact that the United States tried to hide its involvement in the coup.
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On August 2nd, a destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin known as U.S.S. Maddox is attacked by torpedoes belonging to Northern Vietnam forces. On the 7th, Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This authorized President Johnson to take any measures necessary (including armed) to prevent aggression. Public support grew as fear of Vietnam forces became prominent.
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Norman Morrison was a Pacifist Quaker from Baltimore. On November 9th, 1965, Norman Morrison lit himself on fire in front of the Pentagon. The purpose of this was to demonstrate to the American public the true cost of carpet bombing and show what it looks like to burn a human being alive (like in Vietnam). This was just the beginning of anti-war protests.
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On October 21st, 1967, around 100,000 protestors in the D.C area gathered around the Lincoln Memorial and later the pentagon to form one of the biggest anti-war demonstrations. Hundreds of protestors were arrested after confrontations with U.S Marshalls. This protest popularized the anti-war movement.
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During the Vietnamese holiday "Tet", Viet Cong and Northern Vietnamese armies began to strike against five major cities in the South. Due to the guerilla tactics they used, these forces were playing into Southern Vietnamese and U.S advantages. This led Northern casualty rates to grow up to 60%, painting the image that the North was desperate. At this time, over 20,000 U.S troops in Vietnam had been killed.
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On March 16th, an attack from the hands of U.S soldiers occurred on innocent unarmed citizens in the Southern Vietnamese village of My Lai. Over 500 people were killed in the My Lai massacre. Young girls and women were raped before being killed. The U.S army managed to cover this up for over a year before it was released, leading to public outrage.
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In December of 1969, the United States creates the first draft since World War II. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million men. Later in 1973, the draft would be ended and the military would consist of all volunteers.
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In a speech on April 30th, 1970, President Nixon announced that he had ordered troops to invade Cambodia. Criticism erupted from the American public. Many argued that Nixon had avoided Congress to declare war, (this led to the eventual passing of the War Powers Act).
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In Ohio in 1970 occurred the Kent State shooting. Members of the Ohio National Guard shot at unarmed college students. 4 students were killed, 9 wounded, this event shocked the nation and allowed the anti-war movement to grow.
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In 1971, The New York Times published the Pentagon Papers. These writings revealed the United States slowly and secretly became more and more involved in Vietnam. Public outburst was expected as dissent for the war was growing at the time of publication. After several court cases and the government giving a temporary halt to the leaking of these writings, the supreme court ordered that it had no reason to withhold it, becoming a very influential court case.
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In December of 1972, President Nixon orders the biggest air attack of the war. Operation Linebacker bombed the areas of Hanoi and Haipong. Around 20,000 pounds of bombs were dropped in populated areas. This proved the success of air warfare.
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At Tulane University, President Ford delivers a speech declaring that America is done with the Vietnam war. To many on the domestic front, this was good news. Many wondered why so many American soldiers had to die for little result. Southern Vietnam leaders grew upset as this was the last straw before their necessary surrender at Saigon.
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Despite Southern Vietnamese efforts as well as U.S intervention, Northern Vietnamese forces ultimately came on top and declared both territories as the Unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This was due to the surrender of Saigon. Around 1 million people are imprisoned on behalf of not supporting the Communist war efforts (without trial). The United States would eventually once again be involved in Vietnam.
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