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Battle of Dien Bien Phu (Major Military Operations/Political Events)
This was a battle between the French and Vietnamese Communist's and nationalist's or Vietminh. The French were defeated and their stronghold in Vietnam lost. French troops pull out of region while U.S. soldiers stay. -
The Geneva Accords (Major Military Operations/Political Events)
These Geneva Accords establish North and South Vietnam with the 17th parallel as the dividing line. The agreement was created at the Geneva Conference and stated that french troops would withdraw their troops from northern Vietnam as well also stipulates that elections are to be held within two years to unify Vietnam under a single democratic government or president. These elections never happened. -
John F. Kennedy elected president (Homefront)
Kennedy takes over as president after Eisenhower becoming the youngest U.S. president. He was left to deal with the situation in Vietnam with not much support from his citizens out of criticism for his inexperience. -
National Liberation Front (Major Military Operations / Political Events)
This was a political organization formed to help over throw South Vietnamese government and president Diem who was not following through with his democratic policies like he said he would. The organization included communists as well non communists. U.S. soldiers ended up getting involved with them and assisting in their efforts. -
Kennedy Assassinated (Homefront)
Sitting in his Lincoln Convertible while riding and waving through downtown Dallas, Kennedy was shot and killed. Vice president Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the 36th president of the United States and was forced to make decisions on the war and Vietnam Kennedy was no longer able to do. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution (Major Military Operations/Political Events)
This was a navel event off the Coast of Vietnam where North Vietnamese patrol boats allegedly attacked U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. As a result the U.S. Congress passed a resolution that authorized President Johnson to take any action necessary to deal with threats against U.S. forces and allies in Southeast Asia. Johnson was then able to increase military involvement in the war immensely. -
Draft Card Mutilation Act (Homefront)
During the war America instituted a military draft for men. Men were put into a lottery whether they wanted to or not to be picked to serve in the war. As a result citizens were angry with this and began protesting and objecting. Individuals would rip up or destroy their draft cards. As a result congress passed this law to punish anyone who damaged or destructed on purpose. -
David Miller (Homefront)
David Miller was an example of a young Catholic Pacifist who burned his draft card in direct violation of the recently passed law forbidding this. At a rally against the war he announced to the crowd he believed what the U.S was doing in Vietnam was immoral and that he wanted to make a political statement. He was then arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to two years in prison. This resulted in major protests and organized draft burnings. -
Vietnam protests - The Pentagon (Homefront)
The march on the Pentagon was a major protest in the capital and pentagon to protest about the Vietnam war and was a major effort of the anti war movement. This march consisted of hundred of thousands american citizen trying to protest ending the war and inspire others to see why the war is wrong. -
Tet Offensive (Major Military Operations/Political Events)
The Tet Offensive was a group of attacks on South Vietnam by Northern Vietnam to encourage the United States to release it's involvement in the Vietnam War. These attacks left Americans shocked and destroyed individuals support for the war. North Vietnam eventually obtained a victory. The attacks marked a turning point in the Vietnam War, divided America with pro-war and anti war supports, and marked the beginning of America slowly withdrawing from Vietnam -
My Lai Massacre (Major Military Operations/Political Events)
American soldiers brutally murdered more than 500 unarmed civilians in the village of My Lai, Vietnam. Out of fear of this getting out, U.S. Army officers covered up the massacre for a year before it was reported in the American press, resulting in international outrage. The brutality of the My Lai killings and the official cover-up fueled anti-war sentiment and further divided the United States over the Vietnam War by increasing opposition to U.S. involvement in the war. -
Kent State Shooting (Homefront)
Four Kent State University students were shot and killed while nine were injured. Members of the National Guard had opened fire on a crown of civilians protesting the Vietnam War. This event sent tears across America and led to more outrage against the war as well division among America. -
Pentagon Papers (Homefront)
The Pentagon papers were top secret Department of Defense study of U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. As the war continued and grew, a military analyst came to oppose the war and decided that the information contained in the Pentagon Papers should be available to the American public. He gave a photocopy to The New York Times, which then published in March a series of articles based on the report’s most damning secrets. -
War Power Resolution (Homefront)
This resolution was a federal law intended to check the U.S. president's power to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of the U.S. Congress. When American armed forces are deployed the president must consult Congress to have a collective decision. Troops have limited time to engage in war without Congressional Approval. This changed the degree of the president's power and control over engaging in conflicts. -
America withdrawls from Vietnam (Major Military Operations / Political Events)
American and North Vietnamese representatives met and formed a peace agreement that enabled all parties to cease fire. America would withdraw from Vietnam along with it's war prisoners, as well a democratic election was to be held Vietnam's future. The U.S. was the only side to follow the agreed policies while the north and south continued to battle. The war did not end until the North defeated the South.
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