-
Ho Chi Minh is born
Ho Chi Minh was born on May 19, 1890. He would go on to travel the world for a way to free Vietnam. He finds this through communism in the USSR, and returns to Vietnam to set it free in the Vietnam war. -
Vietnam declares independence from France, but neither France nor the United States recognize Vietnam as a separate nation
On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam independence from France in Hanoi's Ba Dinh square. Both the United States and France didn't recognize them as their own country. The north Vietnamese responded by rebelling against the french rule. -
The Geneva Accords cause Vietnam to be split into North and South
The Geneva Accords of 1954 were used to slip Vietnam into a northern communist and southern democratic country. Vietnam was divided on the 17th parallel. -
President Eisenhower declares ¨Domino Theory¨
On April 7, 1954, President Eisenhower gave a speech refering to Vietnam and the ¨Domino Theory¨. This is the idea that if one coutry falls to communism, then other countries will do the same. The United States already saw the USSR influence China and Korea to turn communist. -
The Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh defeat the French an Dien Bien Phu
On May 7, 1954 the Viet Minh finally overran the french to destroy colonial rule in Vietnam. The United States acted by providing aid to South Vietnam and sending military advisers there. -
Ngo Dinh Diem cancles elections in Vietnam
Diem canceled the elections for his reelection and the unification of Vietnam. Diem did this because he knew that the communists had more support and the democratic did. -
The National Liberation Front is Formed
On December 29, 1960, the National Liberation Front (or Viet Cong) was formed. The Viet Cong They occupied in southern Vietnam in a secret location. -
A South Vietnamese monk sets himself on fire
On June 6, 1963, a southern Vietnamese monk set himself on fire in the southern capital of Saigon. This was a severe protest in response to the Ngo Dinh Diem's policy of killing people who were not catholic (Buddhists). -
The United States withdraws support of Ngo Dinh Diem, leader of South Vietnam
On November 2, 1963, Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated by the northern military and citizens wanting communism. This comes after the United States withdrew its support for Diem after he started killing his own people because of their religion. -
President Kennedy is Assassinated
On November 22, 1963, JFK was assassinated in Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. This greatly effected the Vietnam was because Kennedy was going to pull the United States out of the war. However, once Johnson was sworn in as president, he send even more troops to Vietnam. -
President Johnson claims that the Vietnam have fired on a United States ship
On August 2, 1964, Vietnam ships opened fired on the U.S.S. Maddox causing outrage. This event Johnson used as a pushing point to get more involved in Vietnam. Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which authorized President Johnson to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.¨ -
The first combat troops arrive in Vietnam
On March 3,1965 the fist United States combat troops landed in Vietnam. They met with 23,000 military advisers already in the country.
