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After the Battle of Dien Bien Phu ends, the French surrenders, and Communist Vietnam takes it over under Ho Chi Minh.
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The "peace plan" for Vietnam is signed. The Geneva Accords divides Vietnam into Communist North Vietnam and Anti-Communist South Vietnam.
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The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization forms. The purpose of the organization was to prevent the spread of communism, similar to NATO.
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The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gives Lyndon B Johnson the power to launch full-scale war on Vietnam.
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Operation Rolling Thunder, the 1st sustained bombing of North Vietnam, begins. U.S. continues these bombings for 3 years.
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The Vietcong and North Vietnamese launch a series of surprise attacks on major cities in South Vietnam.
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300 civilians killed in the South Vietnamese village of My Lai. After this massacre, Americans are angry, and view soldiers as "baby killers", thus giving them a bad reputation upon their return.
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Nixon becomes President of US, and begins planning the withdrawal of US troops.
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Nixon announces the 1st US Troops withdrawal from Vietnam.
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The Paris Peace Accords announce the "end" of the Vietnam War. This did temporarily end the fighting between North and South Vietnam, but the fighting continued again soon after.
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The War Powers Resolution limits the power of the president in military affairs. All military actions must now go through Congress.