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Japan surrendered to the allies
The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. This was a political decision because if they didn’t then the war would continue. -
The Vietcong was formed
The Vietcong (also known as National Liberation Front) were a communist group who were lead by Ho Chi Minh. The Vietcong were skilled soldiers who used Guerrilla tactics to beat the USA. An example of Guerrilla tactics was that the Vietcong would wear everyday normal clothes so that the USA wouldn't know who were the Vietcong and who were Vietnamese Citizens. This is military because it is a group of soldiers. -
America started their first combat mission
They were fighting against the Vietcong. The USA wanted to go to Vietnam to stop communism spreading through into neighbouring countries such as: Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and China. This was called the Domino Theory. This is political because it is about stopping communism. -
The Gulf of Tonkin incident.
A USA boat was attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin. The president exaggerated the damage in order to promote further attacks on Vietnam. This is political because it is about promotion attacks on an enemy. -
American B-52 bombers strike areas in North Vietnam
Another bombing tactic that the USA used was bombing with herbicides. The USA would bomb land with herbicides, killing plants and poisoning animals. The herbicides contained chemicals that could possibly harm humans, it could give them cancer. This is a military action because it was a bombing. -
The my Lai shootings by the US troops
The USA 11th brigade were carrying out a search and destroy mission (spontaneous raids on villages in aim to uncover hiding Vietcong members), they thought that Vietcong members were hiding out in My Lai. They killed around 347 men, women, children and infants. They found no Vietcong. This is a military action because there were people killed. -
Reaching an agreement
The USA apply pressure on North Vietnam to reach an agreement. They did this by bombing cities in North Vietnam such as: Hanoi and Haiphong. This was political, economic, and military because it would affect all three if an agreement was reached. -
Vietnam Veteran's memorial dedicated in Washington, DC
Dedicated in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was a revolutionary minimalist design for a war memorial. From afar, the memorial appears as a gash on the landscape, an unhealed wound. This falls under the military category because it was to appreciate those who died in war.