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Viet Minh Founded
The Viet Minh- the League for the Independence of Vietnam- is founded. -
Japanese Takes over Power
Japan sweeps away French rule in Indochina. In Vietnam, it places Emperor Bao Dai in power, creating the illusion of an independent Vietnamese State. -
August Revolt
Under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, the Viet Minh revolts against Emperor Bao Dai, Japan's hand selected ruler. -
First Indochina War
The Viet Minh attacks French forces occupying Hanoi in Nortern Vietnam. -
Elysee Agreement
Bao Dai signs the Elysée Agreement, which gives Vietnam "independence" within the French Union. Still, the French retain control over all key governmental functions. -
Period: to
The Vietnam War
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Dien Bien Phu Begins
he Viet Minh launches its first assault on French forces at Dien Bien Phu. The battle will rage for over two months. -
Vietnam Divided
France and Ho Chi Minh sign the Geneva Accords, in which Vietnam is to be divided at the seventeenth parallel until elections can be held in 1956 to reunify the country. The South Vietnamese government and the United States refuse to sign, though both promise to abide by the agreement. -
Ho Chi Minh Land Reforms
France and Ho Chi Minh sign the Geneva Accords, in which Vietnam is to be divided at the seventeenth parallel until elections can be held in 1956 to reunify the country. The South Vietnamese government and the United States refuse to sign, though both promise to abide by the agreement. -
Period: to
Guerrilla War
Ex-Viet Minh forces in the South organize and, with the support of Ho Chi Minh, begin a campaign of guerrilla warfare against Diem's administration. -
National Libertation Front and Viet Cong Formed
The National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, also known as the National Liberation Front (NLF) is formed to crush Diem's regime. The insurgent organization and its military wing—the Viet Cong (VC)—will be funded by the North Vietnamese government, and staffed by Ex-Viet Minh guerilla soldiers from the South. (Northern-born troops will join the VC in 1964.) -
First United States Combat Death
An American serviceman dies in Vietnam, the first combat death reported. For many Americans, the death will mark the beginning of the Vietnam War. -
Diem Survives Assassination Attempt
Two South Vietnamese VC pilots bomb Ngo Dinh Diem's presidential palace. Diem escapes the assassination attempt. -
Diem Overthrown
With U.S. encouragement, South Vietnamese General Duong Van Minh overthrows the Diem regime, and the following day he orders the execution of Diem and his brother. General Duong's military rule is recognized by the United States. -
USS Maddox
Responding to raids on northern ports, North Vietnamese gunboats attack the USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin; the Maddox suffers little damage and no casualties are reported. The U.S. declares that its destroyer was on routine patrol in international waters and that it did nothing to provoke the attack, nor did it play any part in the South Vietnamese raids. Four years later, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara will admit that the U.S. had in fact cooperated with the South. -
First North Vietnam Bombing
The USS Maddox reports a second assault by North Vietnamese gunboats, though evidence of such an attack is inconclusive. President Lyndon B. Johnson orders retaliatory strikes. The U.S. bombs North Vietnam for the first time. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The U.S. Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gives President Lyndon Johnson the power to take whatever actions he sees necessary to defend South Vietnam against Viet Cong forces. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Responding to a VC assault on the U.S. Air Force base at Pleiku, South Vietnam, President Johnson authorizes Operation Rolling Thunder. The operation is a bombardment campaign meant to cripple North Vietnam's transportation system and its industrial centers in order to halt the flow of men and supplies into the South. -
Search and Destory
American ground forces engage the Viet Cong in direct fighting for the first time. Platoons are sent to "search and destroy," that is, to ambush enemy forces and then withdraw immediately (rather than fortify and hold hostile territory). The highly aggressive "search and destroy" military strategy will be employed throughout Gen. Westmorland's tenure. -
Search and Destroy Missions
American ground forces engage the Viet Cong in direct fighting for the first time. Platoons are sent to "search and destroy," that is, to ambush enemy forces and then withdraw immediately (rather than fortify and hold hostile territory). The highly aggressive "search and destroy" military strategy will be employed throughout Gen. Westmorland's tenure. -
First Mass Demonstration Against Vietnam
In the United States, the first mass public demonstrations against American involvement in the war in Vietnam take place. Throughout the rest of the war there are many protests and controversy surrounding the war. -
Prisoners of War
United States prisoners of war are led through the streets of Hanoi, where they were talked by angry mobs. -
Tet Offensive
Beginning on the Vietnamese Tet holiday, Viet Cong forces shock U.S. troops with a wave of attacks supported by North Vietnamese troops. Heavy fighting will continue for months. Ultimately, the Tet Offensive will be a catastrophe for the NLF and the Viet Cong, which lose 37,000 fighters. But it is also a serious blow for the United States, which loses 2,500 men. Public support for the war in the U.S. plummets. -
My Lai
American soldiers, including the "Charlie" Company, a platoon led by Second Lieutenant William Calley, massacre hundreds of civilians—mostly women, children, and elderly men—in the hamlet of My Lai (pronounced "MEE LEYE") in South Vietnam. -
America's Longest War
Marked by the first death of a serviceman, it becomes the longest way in American history. The battle deaths in the first six months of 1968 exceeded the total in 1967. -
Vietnamization
The number of U.S. troops in Vietnam peaks at 543,000. President Richard Nixon announces his plan for "Vietnamization" of the war—that is, training and transitioning South Vietnamese troops to assume the roles that have been fulfilled by American troops—and promises to withdraw 25,000 American soldiers. -
Ho Chi Minh Dies
At the age of 79, six years before his armies seize Saigon, Ho Chi Minh dies. Rather than cremate his body, as Minh had specified in his will, Minh's family has the leader embalmed and put on display in a mausoleum. -
Operation Linebacker
President Nixon orders a massive bombing of North Vietnam in response to a major attack (the Easter Offensive) launched by the NLF in South Vietnam. -
American Ground Forces Leave Vietnam
The last of the United States ground troops leave Vietnam yet thousands of airmen, advisors and support personnel remain. -
Vietnam Ceasefire Signed
Representatives from South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and the United States sign a peace agreement in which a ceasefire is declared, the U.S. agrees to withdraw combat troops, and the government of South Vietnam promises to hold free elections to allow its people to decide their future. -
Vietnam War Officially Ends
The Vietnam War is officially over for the United States. The last U.S. combat soldier leaves Vietnam, but military advisors and some Marines remain. Over 3 million Americans have served in the war, nearly 60,000 are dead, some 150,000 are wounded, and at least 1,000 are missing in action.
