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Geneva Accords
The Geneva Accords was made to solve several issues across Asia. One of them involved Vietnam becoming independent. However, the Accords also split Vietnam in half, across the 17th Parallel. -
Assassination of Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem, leader of South Vietnam, was assassinated during a military coup. He was assassinated because, although fighting against Communism and alongside the U.S, he was acting like a dictatorial leader, putting down any political opposition, and losing lots of popularity from the South Vietnamese, especially the Buddhists. Lack of popularity led the military to kill Diem for the greater good. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
After a U.S. Warship was attacked, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which would let President Johnson take any military actions he thought was necessary in order to keep peace in Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam. -
LBJ orders first troops to Vietnam
Lyndon B. Johnson sends the first troops into Vietnam, during the time Operation Rolling Thunder was still active. This marks America's official entrance into the war, as America still has the mindset of containing Communism. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was an all-out surprise attack from North Vietnam. They attacked and took over hundreds of cities across South Vietnam. South Vietnam quickly booted them out, though, so the Tet Offensive failed. However, the Americans were heavily demoralized, because the Offensive proved that the war is far from over. -
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre was the killing of around 500 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians cause by U.S. troops in the Son Tinh District. The troops were tasked with invading My Lai as Vietcong was suspected to be in the area. The troops were told that civilians evacuated from the area and were told to kill on sight, but they weren't evacuated. What makes it worse was that there was a real Vietcong outpost just a few miles away from My Lai. -
Nixon's Vietnamization
Nixon's policy of Vietnamization was the act of slowly withdrawing U.S. troops from Vietnam, while training South Vietnam soldiers and preparing them to do war without the help of America, as Vietnamization was America slowly exiting the war. -
Nixon becomes President
Richard Nixon wins the Election, due to the Democrats having split their votes between two choices instead of just one, which practically gave the win to the Republicans, and Nixon. -
Nixon orders troops to Cambodia
Nixon orders troops to enter Cambodia, a neighbor of Vietnam, in an attempt to capture the headquarters of the Communist military hidden within South Vietnam. Americans were angered by Nixon invading a neutral nation, and felt betrayed because they thought Nixon would pull them out of the war. -
Hard Hat Riot
A riot in New York City. 400 construction workers and 800 office workers got angered by 1,000 anti-war student protesters, and the workers attacked the protesters. Once the protesters fled and dispersed, the workers were praised by New York City, now called the Hard Hats. -
Nixon visits China
Nixon visiting China was a diplomatic move in an attempt to normalize relations between the U.S. and China, after isolating themselves from China for years. This was also an attempt to ease China into convincing North Vietnam to stop fighting. -
Nixon's Christmas Bombing
After North Vietnam and the U.S. failed peace talks, Nixon ordered massive bombings on North Vietnam, named Operation Linebacker II. They continued until December 29, which is when North Vietnam agreed to return to peace talks in exchange for the bombings to stop. -
Paris Peace Accords
A treaty between North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the U.S. This was an agreement to end the war peacefully. The treaty was signed and agreed, but it was constantly broken by North and South Vietnam for the next two years. The U.S. kept far from the fighting, and did not continue their fighting. -
Nixon resigns
Due to having failed to cover up the Watergate incident, and because everyone knew what happened and wanted him impeached, Nixon resigns his position as President before they got the chance to impeach him. -
Saigon falls
Breaking the Paris Peace Accords treaty, North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam after America left the war. In almost no time at all, North Vietnam captured Saigon, South Vietnam's capital. South Vietnam surrendered, and the two Vietnams were forcefully merged into the communist Socialist Republic of Vietnam.