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Ho Chi Minh is born
Led the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941 onward, establishing the Communist Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and defeating the French Union in 1954 in the battle of Dien Bien Phu. -
Vietnam declares independence from France, but neither France nor the U.S. recognize Vietnam as a separate nation
Because the French did not recognized their independence, Vietnam launched an attack on the French to try and win they independence. -
The Geneva Accords cause Vietnam to be split into North and South
After the French were defeated, the Geneva Accords were created and Vietnam was split into North and South at the 17th parallel. -
President Eisenhower declares "Domino Theory"
The Domino Theory was the idea that if South Vietnam fell to Communism then the rest of Asia would become Communist as well. -
The Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu
The French were defeated and the U.S. didn't know whether to support the French, their ally, or the Vietnamese, who they understood because they had also fought for their independence, until they found out Ho Chi Minh was Communist and decided to help South Vietnam so it didn't also become Communist. -
Ngo Dinh Diem cancels elections in Vietnam
Diem cancelled the 1956 election that would decide if North and South Vietnam reunited again because he didn't want Ho Chi Minh to lead Vietnam and he wanted power. -
The National Liberation Front is formed
They are also known as the Viet Cong and are part of South Vietnam, but support North Vietnam and Communism and eventually are controlled by the North Vietnamese. -
U.S. withdraws support of Ngo Dinh Diem (leader of South Vietnam)
The U.S. stops supporting Diem because he was killing innocent people just for their religion. Soon after he is kill in a coup. -
South Vietnamese monk sets himself on fire
A Buddhist monk in South Vietnam set himself on fire to get the United States' attention so they would intervene and stop Ngo Dinh Diem from killing anyone who wasn't a Christian. -
President JFK is assassinated/LBJ becomes president
If JFK had not been assassinated we may not have entered the Vietnam war because he didn't plan on joining. -
LBJ claims a U.S. ship has been attacked by North Vietnamese
LBJ claimed that the U.S.S. Madoxx had been attacked by North Vietnamese gunboats and the Tonkin Gulf Resolution was created, allowing the president to do whatever he wanted in Vietnam. -
The first combat troops arrive in Vietnam
The U.S sent troops to Vietnam in 1965 but they had already sent military advisers a year before that.
