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Ho Chi Minh is born
Established the Communist-ruled Democratic Republic of USA in 1945. He stopped working because he had some health problems. -
Vietnam declares independence from France, but neither France nor the United States recognize Vietnam as a separate nation
North Vietnam and the Viet Cong successfully South Vietnam's regimes and beginning in 1964 withstood a decade-long military intervention by the United States. -
Geneva Accords cause Vietnam to be split into North and South Vietnam
17th parallel north is where the two Vietnams were split. -
Ngo Dinh Diem cancels elections in Vietnam
He wanted to unify the country. The Geneva accords were getting voted on. -
President Eisenhower declares "Domino Theory"
The idea behind this was that if communism was spread to one country it would get influenced by countries around it and keep spreading. -
The Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu.
The United States soon stepped up to fill the vacuum, increasing military aid to South Vietnam and sending the first U.S. military advisers to the country in 1959. -
The National Liberation Front is formed
The National Liberation Front is also known as the Viet Cong. The Viet Cong was located in South Vietnam. -
The first combat troops arrive in Vietnam
The U.S. military advisory effort in Vietnam had a modest beginning in September 1950, when the United States Military Assistance Advisory Group was established in Saigon. -
A south Vietnamese monk sets himself on fire
Buddism was the religion that the monk supported. He was attempting to show that to fight all forms of oppression on equal terms -
President Kennedy is assassinated, leading to presidency of London B. Johnson
If Kennedy had lived, the debate over the Civil Rights Act would have occurred during an election year. The combination of Kennedy and Johnson would have tackled the bill, which would have been a protracted battle. -
President Johnson claims a U.S.ship had been fired upon the North Vietnamese.
USS Maddox is the ship that was fired upon. President Johnson took to the airwaves to inform the American public of the attack and to announce his intention to retaliate. -
The United States withdraws support of Ngo Dinh Diem, leader of South Vietnam
On November 1, those evaluations became moot as a group of Vietnamese army officers, led by General Duong Van Minh, assassinated Diem and Nhu.
