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Ho Chi Minh's Rise to Power
First rising to power as the Chairman of the Worker's Party of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh became a revolutionary communist leader, appealing to the poor and underprivileged members of Vietnamese society. With his insurmountable support, Ho Chi Minh became the first president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam after declaring independence from France. Ho Chi Minh's rise to power becomes the fuel America sparks to become involved in Vietnamese affairs, particularly to contain communism. -
Vietnam Declares Independence
Fighting against French colonialists, the Vietnamese banded together to free themselves from French rule. Then, in 1945, Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh overthrow the French and declare independence, creating ripples in the international network. The United States sees this as a threat to our own safety, as communism has become quite popular in their new independence, and we vied to contain the spread of communism at all costs; thus, U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War begins. -
Burning of the Draft Cards
The first incident of major, public opposition to the Vietnam War occurred when 12 New York young men burned their draft cards at an anti-war rally in order to protest, in their eyes, the unwinnable war. This sparked the beginning of hundreds of anti-war protests nationally and internationally where thousands of men and women publicly defied the draft, and pleaded for peace and love with everyone. Peace marches became exponentially popular in public settings throughout the country. -
Gulf of Tonkin Battle
While in Vietnamese waters, the U.S.S. Maddox reported a sea battle between 3 North-Vietnamese torpedo ships and the U.S.S. Maddox itself; reportedly, the 3 ships were sunk and the Maddox only reported minor damage. Later, a second incident reported which became known as the "Tonkin Ghosts" as very little evidence of the battle was confirmed, and was thought to be a propaganda ploy against the Vietnamese to rally war support. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Known also as the "South East Asia Resolution," was passed on August 7, 1964 in response to the battle(s) that occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin on August 2, 1964. This resolution gave the president ultimate power in regards to assisting south east Asian countries against communists threat. However, this resolution gave the president extreme leniency in debating what was considered a "threat" and was widely regarded as a major discrepancy and abuse of power. -
National Mall War Protest
For the first time in the Vietnam Era, polls returned results of a less than 50% approval rating of the war and a waning support for president Lyndon B. Johnson's actions. On Oct. 21, 1967, 150,000-200,000 anti-war protesters marched on Washington (Pentagon, National Mall, White House, etc.) against the Vietnam War in a mostly peaceful rally; this peace movement showed the commitment Americans held to ending this futile war. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive, occurring in three separate waves (Phase 1: January 30 – March 28, 1968/Phase 2: May 5 – June 15, 1968/Phase 3: August 17 – September 23, 1968) was an attack led by Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces on US military bases houses in My Lai. Hundreds of civilians and soldiers alike were killed during this offensive under the attack on Hue. -
Martin Luther King Jr.'s Assassination
On April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, TN, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray while on the second floor, speaking with friends. Pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. CST, this civil rights leader was revered for his work towards equality of all races, genders, ethnic origins, etc. -
Ho Chi Minh's Death
Dead on Spetember 2, 1969, this marked Nixon's beginning to pull troops out of Vietnam as public opposition of the war grew drastically as too many resources and lives were being lost. Ho Chi Minh's death marked the beginning of the exodus out of Vietnam by American troops under Nixon. Ho Chi Minh's death was regarded in a near martyr-like fashion by the North-Vietnamese and Vietcong forces, inciting an even greater war-cry from the communist-Vietnamese forces. -
Paris Peace Accords
Nixon had been pulling troops out of Vietnam for years in order to establish South-Vietnamese troops in their own war; however, American fighting still occurred. The Paris Peace Accords, signed Jan. 27, 1973, were created to reestablish peace and relations in Vietnam and under the Accords, U.S. troops were pulled completely from Vietnam. Fighting between North and South-Vietnamese troops lasted for 2 years longer, ending the war in 1975. Peace was on the horizon for the first time in 25 years! -
Nixon's Resignation
After being involved in many scandals, most notably "Watergate" in which Republican spies were sent to tamper with the DNC's (Democratic National Committee's) classified documents, Nixon's public support decreased drastically. As tensions peaked, Nixon resigned from office (the only president to ever do so) on Aug. 9, 1974 to avoid further contempt. Gerald Ford (immediately succeeding Nixon), then pardoned Nixon for any wrongdoings and Nixon's presidency remains ambiguously corrupted today. -
Fall of Saigon
After U.S. troops were pulled from Vietnam under the Paris Peace Accords, North and South Vietnamese forces continued fighting for two years longer. The capture of the major city Saigon by North-Vietnamese forces on Apr. 30, 1975, marked the end of the Vietnam War, and one year later, Vietnam reunified under Tôn Đức Thắng. The Vietnam War ultimately claimed the lives of 2 million civilians on both sides, 1.1 million North-Vietnamese/Vietcong forces, and about 200,000 South-Vietnamese troops.
