-
Ho Chi Minh is born
Ho Chi Minh would go on to lead the North Vietnamese in the Vietnam war and help win their independence. This is important because he was crucial to North Vietnam rebelling against the French and leading a revolution. -
Vietnam declared independence from France, but neither France nor the United States recognize Vietnam as a separate nation
On V-J day, Ho Chi Minh declared that the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam was no longer a colony. The North Vietnamese citizens loved this, they were tired of the harsh rule of the French only as a colony. This is important because this was the start of the conflict that would soon increase in Indochina. -
President Eisenhower declares "Domino Theory"
The proposal of the domino theory advanced the idea and policy of Containment. The United States had to prevent Communism from spreading. This is important because the United States gained an incentive for winning the war and containing communism. -
The Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu
The United States responded by helping end the conflict once and for all by meeting at the Geneva Accords. If the French didn't lose Dien Bien Phu, then the Vietnam War may have never happened. This is important because this sparked the idea in the Vietnamese that they could become independent after all. -
The Geneva Accords cause Vietnam to be split into North and South
As a result of the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam attended the Geneva Accords. This leads to Vietnam split in half at the 17th parallel. This is important because South Vietnam later on wanted to unit, but couldn't. -
Ngo Dinh Diem cancels elections in Vietnam
In 1956, Ngo Dinh Diem cancelled elections to enable himself to keep his own power among the country. The election was being held to determine whether or not Vietnam was to be reunited. The importance of this is that this turned a lot of the public against Diem, the majority of people actually wanted to be reunited as one country. -
The National Liberation Front is formed
The NLF was known as the Vietcong during the Vietnam war. They occupied the Southern part of Vietnam that was against the anti-communists. This is important because they played a huge role in the Vietnam war by providing a rebellious presence in South Vietnam. -
A South Vietnamese monk sets himself on fire
The monk that set himself on fire was a member of the Buddhist religion. He set himself on fire because he knew that he was going to be persecuted, so he determined that he may as well have made a demonstration of himself. This is important because it highlights how harsh Diem's beliefs affected others and how much they disliked it. -
The United States withdraws support of Ngo Dinh Diem, leader of South Vietnam
In November, Diem and his brother are assassinated in a coup, due to the United States and the complaints that he had. This is important because the United States had to kill the man that they once believed was their ally; Leading to the South Vietnamese with a new leader. -
President Kennedy is assassinated, leading to the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson
John F. Kennedy wanted to stay out of the Vietnam war and even get out of Vietnam altogether, this would have possibly have changed how we handled Vietnam. This is important because President Johnson took a completely different approach to the conflict, which dragged the United States into the war. -
President Johnson claims a U.S. ship had been fired upon by the North Vietnamese
The USS Maddox was supposedly shot at by the North Vietnamese. The response taken to this by President Johnson was to create the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. This is important because it gave the President the power to declare war without congressional approval. -
The first combat troops arrive in Vietnam
The first American combat troops arrive at China Beach. This is 15 years after the first military advisers were sent to Vietnam, in September of 1950. This is important because the United States was finally getting directly involved in the conflict, but it also would lead to the draft.
