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Vietnam was part of French Indochina from 1880 to 1945
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Japan formally surrenders to the allie
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The same day japan formally surrenders, Vietnam declares its independence.
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Truman determined to block any further communism, calls for an increase in military to aid French Indochina.
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Decisive battle of war begins when Viet Minh launched a surprise attack on a large French military base, located in the mountains of northern Vietnam.
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French and Viet Minh signed the Geneva Accords. Under these accords the fighting stopped, and Vietnam was temporarily split under the 17th Parallel.
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Viet Minh finally overran the French base, shattering French morale.
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Viet Minh formed a group called National Liberation Front and invited all opponents of Diem to join. Diem referred to the group as Viet Cong, slang for "Vietnamese communist",
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Buddhist rally opposing Diem's policies, South Vietnamese police killed nine demonstrators.
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Johnson approved covert attacks on radar stations along North Vietnam's coast.
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After the Viet Cong attacked a U.S. air base in the south. LBJ responds by ordering the hbombing of barracks and military staging areas north of the 17th parallel.
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3,500 U.S. marines waded ashore at a beach near Da Nang, South Vietnam. This is the first time U.S. combat troops had set foot in Vietnam.