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Beginning of Conflict
The Japanese seized control of Vietnam and removed the French government. After the end of WWII, the Allies separated Vietnam into 2 different countries to remove Japan’s control. Japan completely surrendered in August, and Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence in September and set himself up as president. President Truman did not recognize him as the true leader though. The British and US arrived to help restore French rule in South Vietnam. (historyplace.com) -
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Pre-Vietnam War
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Indochina War
December 1946 – August 1954: The Viet Minh and the French and her allies – the British and US – fought over the control of Vietnam. The Viet Minh, although ill equipped in weapons and not organized in military, were able to defeat the French. The French were forced to create an independent government in Vietnam in order to weaken the Viet Minh’s power. However, in May 1954, using guerrilla war tactics, the Viet Minh surrounded and defeated the French forces at Dien Bien Phu. (alphahistory.com) -
Eisenhower - Domino Theory
In April 1954, while the Viet Minh were defeating the French forces at Dien Bien Phu, President Eisenhower claimed that losing Vietnam to Communism would cause all of Southeast Asia to fall into Communist control. Eisenhower called it the “falling domino” theory. Because he believed this, he and the US government secretly supplied monetary aid to the French for their military. (history.com) -
Terror against Villages Controlled by Diem
While Communist Ho Chi Minh was running North Vietnam, US-supported Ngo Dinh Diem became the leader of South Vietnam. Diem’s administration blocked elections that would have united all of Vietnam, and in 1959, a revolt broke out. Guerillas (later called the Vietcong) were supplied weapons by the North Vietnamese and carried out brutal attacks against villages controlled by Diem and his officials. -
Formation of Vietcong
The Viet Cong – short for Viet Nam Cong San (Vietnamese Communist) – began carrying out attacks against foreigners and political targets in 1957. The organization slowly grew in numbers and military support. By 1959, they had gained the support of Moscow and the North Vietnamese. On December 20, 1960, the revolutionary group was formally formed as the National Liberation Front, or Viet Cong as they were called. (alphahistory.com) -
Gulf of Tonkin
On August 2, 1964, the US destroyer Maddox was attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats while it was spying on them. A couple days later, it was supposedly attacked again, but now those reports seem to have been mistaken. President Johnson ordered air strikes against the North Vietnamese and issued the famous Gulf of Tonkin Resolution speech the next day. (history.com) -
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American Involvement Escalates
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Agent Orange
US troops used Agent Orange to destroy cover for their enemies. From January 1965 – April 1970, 11 to 13 million gallons were sprayed over 4.5 million acres of forested land. The herbicide was very effective, but it also caused severe health problems – tumors, birth defects, and cancer – in both Vietnamese and American people. (history.com) -
Operation Rolling Thunder
From March 1965 – October 1968, US military aircraft bombed North Vietnamese targets as part of the strategic campaign called Operation Rolling Thunder. It greatly increased US involvement in the war and was used as a tactic to put pressure of the North Vietnamese to limit their war efforts. It officially started on March 2 and was retaliation for the assault of the US Air Base Pleiku. (history.com) -
Arrival of US Ground Troops
[Vietnam War Video](www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpWEv9Q0XQ4)Continuously throughout 1965, US Marines began to pour into Vietnam. The first group of 3,500 Marines landed near Da Nang on March 8th. When the troops first arrived, they were tasked with defending South Vietnamese and US bases, but soon they switched to offensive measures instead of defensive measures. Because of this, by the end of 1965, US forces had grown to more than 180,000 men, a fact the President Johnson never shared with the public. (alphahistory.com) -
Tet Offensive
While the South Vietnamese were celebrating Tet – the New Year – 70,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong attacked more than 100 cities in South Vietnam. Although US and South Vietnamese troops were able to stop the Communists, coverage of the attack surprised Americans and injured support for the war. In the past, the South and North Vietnamese had honored Tet with a shaky truce, but the Tet Offensive on January 31, 1968, proved to be a not-so-good turning point in the war. (history.com) -
Vietnamization
Nixon introduced this plan on November 3, 1969, a strategy that would end American involvement in Vietnam and give the South Vietnamese full responsibility for the war. The US would gradually strengthen the South Vietnamese soldiers while also strengthening the government by organizing reforms and elections. The Vietnamization was complete by 1973, with the US signing a treaty with the North Vietnamese and withdrawing all troops. (history.com) -
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America's Slow Withdrawl
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Kent State Shooting
During an antiwar protest on May 7, 1970, at Kent State University in Ohio, the Ohio National Guard opened fire on the crowd. 4 students were killed, and 9 others were wounded. Because of this shooting, hundreds of schools were forced to close as students across the nation went on a no-school strike. (dept.kent.edu) -
Watergate Scandal
The Watergate Scandal began on June 17, 1972, when men were caught attempting to break into the Democratic National Committee and plant wiretaps and steal important files. President Nixon paid them “hush money” and kept the FBI from investigating the break in. However, when his involvement was uncovered, Nixon was forced to resign on August 8th, or face impeachment. (history.com) -
US Troops Leave Vietnam
On March 29, 1973, the last of the US troops left Vietnam, a process that had started with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on January 27, 1973. That same day, the draft was officially ended and the last US soldier, Lt. Col. William B. Nolde, died in action in Vietnam. By April 1st, all POWs had been released. What had become America’s longest war ever claimed over 47,000 American lives and injured over 150,000 others. (historyplace.com)
