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Ho Chi Minh is born
Hồ Chí Minh led the Việt Minh independence movement from 1941 onward, winning independence from the French. He would later unite Vietnam into one communist nation. -
Vietnam declares independence from France, But neither France nor the United States recognize Vietnam as a separate nation
In response, the Viet Minh launch an attack against the French. But because they were not recognized as its own country French and US forces did not leave Vietnam. -
President Eisenhower declares "Domino Theory"
The Domino Theory is that if one nation is to fall to communism then the countries around there will also fall. This is significant to the war because it is what the U.S used to explain why the fought the spread of communism. -
The Geneva Accords cause Vietnam to be split into North and South
The nation was divided at the 17th parallel. Communism in the North and Democracy in the South. Also, a vote in tow years would decide if Vietnam would unite as a nation or not. -
The Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu
In northwest Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh forces decisively defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu, a French stronghold besieged by the Vietnamese communists for 57 days. The Viet Minh victory at Dien Bien Phu signaled the end of French colonial influence in Indochina and cleared the way for the division of Vietnam along the 17th parallel at the conference of Geneva. They supported the Vietnamese in their revolution. -
Ngo Dinh Diem cancels elections in Vietnam
Diem and his supporters canceled the election because he realized that he would lose and democracy would fall to communism. A vote on if the country would be separate or join together was getting voted on. -
The United States Withdraws support of Ngo Dinh Diem, leader of South Vietnam
Diem was shortly assassinated after the US withdrew support. He did not have enough protection from enemies when the US withdrew. -
The National Liberation Front is Formed
They were also known as the Viet Cong. They occupied North Vietnam. -
A South Vietnamese monk sets himself on fire
This monk set himself on fire in protest of President Diem. He did this because of the religious persecution that he and other Buddhists suffered while Diem was President. -
President Kennedy is assassinated, leading to the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson
There was a plan to withdraw US forces from Vietnam, beginning with the first thousand by December 1963, and almost all of the rest by the end of 1965, President Kennedy had approved that plan. But The policy died when he did. -
President Johnson claims a U.S. ship had been fired upon by the North Vietnamese
The ship claimed to be destroyed was the U.S.S Maddox, because of this the Tokin Resolution Gulf was passed given LBJ the power to fight Vietnam. -
The first combat troops arrive in Vietnam
The first U.S. combat troops arrive in Vietnam as 3500 Marines land at China Beach to defend the American air base at Da Nang. They join 23,000 American military advisors already in Vietnam. This was significant because it showed the U.S would not back down if they are sending combat-ready troops.
