-
Period: to
Signing of Geneva Accords
April 26-July 20, 1954
The Geneva Accords were signed on the morning of July 21 but were dated on the 20th to meet a deadline. These documents temporarily separated Vietnam into two zones; the north governed by the Viet Minh, and the south governed by the State of Vietnam, headed by Bao Dai. Three separate ceasefires covering Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam were also signed. -
Period: to
Eisenhower sends military advisors to Vietnam
The US sent the Military Assistant Advisor Group(MAAG) to Vietnam to aid the French. It was tasked to supervise issuance and deployment of $10 million worth of military supplies. By 1953 the amount had jumped to $350 million and had replaced the French’s worn WWII gear. -
Beginning of NLF/Vietcong rebellion against Ngo Dinh Diem
Designed to replicate success of the Viet Minh. The National Liberation Front(NLF) was dominated by the North Vietnamese Communist party, which led to many of their followers being communist as well. The NLF reached out to the parts of South Vietnam’s society who were displeased with the government and policies of Ngo Din Diem. -
Period: to
JFK increases number of advisors/Special Forces in Vietnam
JFK sent advisors to train local militia for self-defense. JFK also sent many vehicles over to South Vietnam, but he would never commit US troops. In return for the aid, JFK requested Diem(South Vietnam’s president) to liberalize his regime and carry out land reforms. -
Coup of military officials overthrows Ngo Dinh Diem
Because of the way he outlawed Buddhism, many celebrated when Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated, however, many political problems arose. The US became more involved in the struggle as it did it’s best to beat back the communist rebels and stabilize the South Vietnamese Government. From this point on the US became more involved in the struggle to hold off the communist rebels. -
JFK Assassination
Many conspiracy theories were made on this incident. Two bullets from Lee Harvey Oswald’s sniper struck JFK’s neck and head. The Governor was also struck in the chest. Many people believe there was only one bullet to cause it, and some have theorized it was a magical bullet, based on its impossible trajectory -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Involved originally two separate incidents, between 3 Vietnamese subs and a US destroyer. Some claimed that the subs attacked first, and that the US defended itself. Later there was some controversy of both incidents being false.
Note: It is actually from August 2-4, however, it doesn't show up well on the timeline. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by Congress
This resolution allowed President Johnson the authority to assist any southeastern Asian country that was threatened by communist aggression. It held a big role in expanding the US’s military’s role in the country of and surrounding Vietnam. This resolution helped the Johnson administration to start the heavy bombing of North Vietnam. -
Attack on Pleiku
The attack on Camp Holloway(located in Pleiku) was at night and had critically wounded the camp. The attack prompted the US to launch Operation Flaming Dart. -
Period: to
Operation Rolling Thunder begins
Operation Rolling Thunder was partly caused by the Attack on Pleiku. The planes under Operation Rolling Thunder were assigned to bomb specific targets. The Operation’s goal itself was to put military pressure on North Vietnam. -
First American ground troops arrive at Da Nang Air Base
American troops were sent to Da Nang to defend it. A force of 2000 men came to Da Nang. It took them almost an entire day to bring their men into the base. -
Period: to
Battle of La Drang; first major confrontation b/t US and NVA forces
The US and North Vietnamese forces met each other at location X-ray. At first the US were losing and were expected to be defeated. However, after help from allied airstrikes, and artillery the tide turned for US’s victory. -
Period: to
Battle of Khe Sanh
The battle of Khe Sanh was the longest, deadliest and most controversial battle of the war. The People’s Army of North Vietnam (PAVN) launched an artillery attack on a Khe Sanh military base. While the US and South Vietnam were focused on this battle, the North Vietnamese, and Viet Cong launched the Tet Offensive. -
Tet Offensive
The goals of the Tet Offensive were to form a coordinated offensive of surprise attacks. They had also hoped for feelings of discontent and rebellion to affect South Vietnamese people. 13 cities in central South Vietnam were attacked. -
Election of Richard Nixon as President
Richard Nixon won the election of 1968. He had won by a landslide. There wasn't any hope for other candidates to win. -
Period: to
Beginning of “secret war” over Laos and Cambodia
Operation Menu was an attack over sanctuaries and bases of PAVN. These bases were used for resupply, training, and resting between campaigns. There is a lot of controversy over the impact on civilians. -
Invasion of Cambodia by U.S. forces
President Nixon approved committing of troops to fight PAVN camps in Cambodia. He deemed it necessary to stall North Vietnamese attacks. His announcement on April 30th, set off a wave of anti-war demonstrations. -
Kent State/Jackson State Massacres
The city and state police confronted a violent group of students, that were pelting rocks at white motorists. The police opened fire, killing two students. The Kent State massacre was similar to the Jackson State massacre. -
Period: to
Easter Offensive at DMZ
Compared to the Battle of the Bulge, in that it was an intelligence failure. The South Vietnam and US commanders were caught off guard by the surprise attack. -
Period: to
Christmas bombings of Hanoi, N. Vietnam
Operation Linebacker II was a maximum effort campaign to destroy complex facilities. The emphasis of this campaign shifted from using small, tactical planes to using B-52 bombers. These attacks proved to be much more successful than Operation Rolling Thunder. -
Signing of Paris Accords
The Paris Accords were intended to end the Vietnam war. It had temporarily stopped the fight in North and South Vietnam. On January 27, 1973, all parties signed the document and the war had ended. -
Last American troops leave Vietnam
Two months after the signing of the Paris Accords, the last US troops leave Vietnam. Afterwards, Hanoi releases American POWs. America’s 8-year war had finally ended. -
President Johnson orders suspension of Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder fails to achieve its goals. Instead it has done minimal damage. -
Saigon falls to NVA
The PAVN and the NLF finally captured Saigon on April 30, 1975. The city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Before the capture of Saigon, all military and civilian Americans, along with thousands of South Vietnamese were evacuated. -
Invasion of Laos by AVRN forces (S. Vietnamese Army)
The air force fought in this section of the war. They dropped bombs on bases in Laos.
