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Ho Chi Minh Creates Provisional Government
Following the surrender of Japan to Allied forces, Ho Chi Minh and his People's Congress create the National Liberation Committee of Vietnam to form a provisional government. Japan transfers all power to Ho's Vietminh. -
French and Vietminh Reach Accord
France recognizes Vietnam as a "free state" within the French Union. French troops replace Chinese in the North. -
Marshall Plan Announced
Speaking at Harvard commencement exercises, Secretary of State George C. Marshall lays out the details of a Truman administration plan to assist Europe in rebuilding in the aftermath of World War II. -
Truman Commits U.S. Troops to Korea
When Communist forces from North Korea invade the Republic of South Korea on June 25, President Truman appeals to the United Nations to take action. The U.N. quickly brands North Korea the aggressor, and Truman immediately follows up by sending U.S. air and naval support to Korea. -
Eisenhower Cites "Domino Theory" Regarding Southeast Asia
Responding to the defeat of the French by the Vietminh at Dienbienphu, President Eisenhower outlines the Domino Theory: "You have a row of dominoes set up. You knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly." -
Geneva Conference
was a conference which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, whose purpose was to attempt to find a way to settle outstanding issues on the Korean peninsula and to unify Vietnam and discuss the possibility of restoring peace in Indochina. -
Diem Urged to Negotiate with North
Britain, France, and United States covertly urge Ngo Dinh Diem to respect the Geneva accords and enter discussions with the North. -
U.S. Training South Vietnamese
The U.S. Military Assistance Advisor Group (M.A.A.G.) assumes responsibility from the French for training South Vietnamese forces. -
Weapons Moving Along Ho Chi Minh Trail
North Vietnam forms Group 559 to begin infiltrating cadres and weapons into South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The Trail will become a strategic target for future military attacks. -
Kennedy Elected President
John F. Kennedy narrowly defeats Richard Nixon for the presidency. In his inaugural address, Kennedy declares that Americans will be ready to "...bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." -
Elysée Agreement Signed
Bao Dai and President Vincent Auriol of France sign the Elysée Agreement. The French pledge to assist in the building of a national anti-Communist army. -
Tonkin Resolution
It is of historical significance because it gave U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson authorization, without a formal declaration of war by Congress, for the use of "conventional'' military force in Southeast Asia. Specifically, the resolution authorized the President to do whatever necessary in order to assist "any member or protocol state of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty". This included involving armed forces. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
The four objectives of the operation (which evolved over time) were to boost the sagging morale of the Saigon regime in the Republic of Vietnam, to persuade North Vietnam to cease its support for the communist insurgency in South Vietnam without actually taking any ground forces into communist North Vietnam, to destroy North Vietnam's transportation system, industrial base, and air defenses, and to cease the flow of men and materiel into South Vietnam. -
Tet Offensive
was one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War, launched on January 30, 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army against the forces of South Vietnam, the United States, and their allies. It was a campaign of surprise attacks against military and civilian commands and control centers throughout South Vietnam. -
Vietnamization
was a policy of the Richard Nixon administration during the Vietnam War to end the U.S.' involvement in the war and "expand, equip, and train South Vietnam's forces and assign to them an ever-increasing combat role, at the same time steadily reducing the number of U.S. combat troops". -
War Powers Act, Kent State
According to a national scientific study by the Urban Institute in May of 1970, the Kent State massacre was the single factor which triggered the only national student strike in US history. Over four million students protested and over 850 US colleges and universities shut down during the effective student strike. -
26th Amendment
to the United States Constitution prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right of US citizens, eighteen years of age or older, to vote on account of age. -
US withdrawl of troops
The last of the troops were withdrawled from the war. Many of the troops made it home safely. -
South Vietnam surrender
North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops had taken over almost all of South Vietnam including the Presidential Palace in Saigon. They captured South Vietnam's last President, General Duong Van Minh and his entire cabinet.
