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Eisenhower explains the Domino Theory
During a conference in 1954, Eisenhower explained the Domino Theory which compared countries to a line of dominoes ready to tip over by the spread of communism. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
After a conflict between the US and the North Vietnamese in the Tonkin Gulf, LBJ requested congress to give him the authority to order attacks against the North Vietnamese in the war. This became known as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which gave President Johnson additional military control. -
Operation Rolling Thunder Begins
With his newly granted military powers, President Johnson used this to retaliate against the Vietcong by continuously bombing North Vietnam in February. In March, the operation was executed only to result in failure three years afterwards. -
Tet Offensive
During the Vietnamese New Year's Eve holiday known as Tet, the Vietcong launched a full-scale surprise attack on South Vietnam. Although the US government reports that all was going well, the media said otherwise thus caused a credibility gap to emerge along with the decrease in public opinion. -
Johnson announces he will not run for re-election
As more and more Americans began to oppose the war, President Johnson quickly became the one to blame for all of the US' involvement in the Vietnam war As a result, President Johnson lost all the people's support and had to withdraw from re-election. -
Nixon wins the Presidency
Although he had lost a presidential debate to Kennedy long ago, Nixon was not willing to give up and in 1968, he had won the Republican party's nomination for president. One major deciding factor of his victory revolved around his policy of pulling the US out of the Vietnam war. -
Fall of Saigon
As the war raged on after several failed cease-fire agreements and the United States' withdrawal, the North Vietnamese settled the score by launching a mass attack in which had led them to capture South Vietnamese capital Saigon. The war had ended when South Vietnam surrendered afterwards.
