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Vietn Minh formed
A Vietnamese communist, Ho Chi Minh, founded the Viet Minh, a group that opposed foreign occupation of Vietnam and sought independence -
Vietnma declare independence
Leader of the Vietnamese independence movement, Ho Chi Minh, and his supporters, the Vietminh, announced Vietnamese independence from foreign control. -
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First Indochina War
A conflict between the Viet Minh rebels and French. American officials saw ths as an issue between a colonial power and nationalists who aspired to govern themselves. -
U.S. Military sends aid to French Indochina
Under President Truman, military aid to support the French's efforts to maintain a foothold in Indochina went from $10 million in 1950 to $100 million in 1951 -
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Vietnam under Truman
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Vietnam under Eisenhower
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Battle of Dien Bien Phu
This battle took place when the Vietminh launched a surprise attack on a French military base in north Vietnam. More than 12,000 French soldiers surrendered. As a result, President Eisenhower sought unified action to stop communist expansion in Vietnam and S.E. Asia -
Geneva Accords of 1954
An official agreement betweent he French and Viet Minh to cease fighting and split Vietnam along the 17th Parallel. The Viet Minh controlled the north, and the French gained control of land south of the 17th parallel. National elections were scheduled for 1956 to reunify the country -
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Vietnam under Kennedy
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Buddhists Protests of Diem Policies
As a result of Ngo Dinh Diem's discriminatory policies against Buddhists in South Vietnam, protest rallies were held. In these rallies, police killed nine demonstrators. Several Buddhist monks protested by publicly setting themselves on fire. Shortly after, a military coup was staged and Diem was assassinated when attempting to flee the country. -
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Vietnam under Lyndon Johnson
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Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
In July 1964, Johnson approved covert atttacks on N. Vietnamese radar stations. Carried out by the S. Vietnamese, NVA patrol boats eventually struck an American destroyer. LBJ did not retaliate, but sent a warning to the NVA that further unprovoked attacked would result in "grave consequences". On August 2, erronous reports were made of a second NVA attack. As a result, Congress gave Johnson permission to expand the U.S. role in the Vietnam conflict (Gulf of Tonkin Resolution -
Operation Rolling Thunder
The first U.S. combat troops set foot in Vietnam. Shortly after, these troops were sent on patrol to find and eliminate enemy forces. These search-and-destroy missions led to the first firefitghts with Viet Cong guerillas. -
Operation Starlite
The first major assault by U.S. ground troops in Vietnam. Ground troops attacked Viet Cong position. In this American victory, marines killed more than 600 Viet Cong, while 45 U.S. soliders died.
