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Assassination of Diem
Kennedy ordered the assassination of the South Vietnamese president, Diem. The United States was under the impression that getting rid of him would improve conditions, however it only made things worse. South Vietnam grew more unstable, and the U.S. became more involved. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Conflict
The U.S. continued to aid South Vietnam. The U.S. sent patrol boats (PFTs) to the coast of South Vietnam to put more stress on the North. On August 2, the first attack on a U.S. patrol boat occured. Three North Vietnamese P-4 motor torpedo boats attacked a U.S. ship. There was a second attack three days later on August 4th. On August 10th, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was inacted and President Johnson was able to continue to use military forces in the area without declaring war. -
Tet Offensive
This was an attack on the cities and towns of South Vietnam by Vietcong forces and North Vietnam. A ceasefire had been called for the Vietnamese holiday of Tet. Becuase of this, the attack caught people completely off guard. The North was not successful in gaining control of the South. Communist forces suffered a loss of about 45,000 soldiers. Americans saw this conflict on telvision; they were unhappy and disheartened by what they saw. -
Democratic National Convention
About 100,000 anti war protesters came into conflict with policemen, trying to contain them. In Chicago, armies of protesters gathered in parks, churches, streets, coffee shops, storefront, etc. All of these protesters had in common the fact that they wanted the war in Vietnam to end. The event became a series of riots and killings. This made the American political system seem corrupt and as if it were falling apart. The Convention was broadcasted on national television. -
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Breaking News: My Lai Massacre
The news is out about the My Lai Massacre. Americans are informed that U.S. forces attacked between 300 and 500 Vietnamese in March, 1968. Most of the people attacked were women and children. The troops carried out brutal attacks, raping and killing innocent people. Americans were outraged by the news. The U.S. troops over in Vietnam were seen as monsters, and more people began to question what our purpose in Vietnam was. -
Pentagon Papers Leaked
Military reports were leaked to the New York Times. These reports revealed that the United States government had always been planning to go to war with Vietnam, regadless of the fact that President Johnson promised otherwise.
