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Vietnam War
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Vietnam War Begins
The battle of Dien Bien Phu takes place in which the French are defeated by the Vietnamese. Dwight D. Eisenhower after the battle the "domino theory." This is when on Communist force attacks, that whole area becomes Communist. Later in that year, a Geneva Convention was held in which Vietnam was seperated into two seperate countries. -
French Leaves Vietnam
French Leaves Vietnam and US forces come and train South Vietnamese forces in hope of defeating the Communist North Vietnam. -
Guerrillas Attack!
Viet Minh guerrillas begin a widespread campaign of terror in South Vietnam including bombings and assassinations. By year's end, over 400 South Vietnamese officials are killed. -
The Beginning of the Second Indochina War
Ho Chi Minh begins a movement to have Communist leadership throughout all of Vietnam. This now becomes an all-out military struggle. -
Construction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
North Vietnamese establish the Central Office of South Vietnam (COSVN) to oversee the coming war in the South. Construction of the Ho Chi Minh trail now begins. This trail would be meant to transport weapons into South Vietnam. -
Innocent Citizens are Arrested
A failed coup against President Diem by disgruntled South Vietnamese Army officers brings a harsh crackdown against all perceived 'enemies of the state.' Over 50,000 are arrested by police controlled by Diem's brother Nhu with many innocent civilians tortured then executed. This results in further erosion of popular support for Diem. Thousands who fear arrest flee to North Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh will later send many back to infiltrate South Vietnam as part of his People's Liberation Armed Forces. -
America Commits to the War
President John F. Kennedy sends 400 green beret soldiers to fight against the guerrilla soldiers. -
Palace of Saigon is Attacked
The presidential palace in Saigon is bombed by two renegade South Vietnamese pilots flying American-made World War II era fighter planes. President Diem and his brother Nhu escape unharmed. Diem attributes his survival to "divine protection." -
Coup dé' tat
General Minh is ousted from power in a bloodless coup led by General Nguyen Khanh who becomes the new leader of South Vietnam. -
Reinforcement
As 56,000 Viet Cong spread their successful guerrilla war throughout South Vietnam, they are reinforced by North Vietnamese Army (NVA) regulars pouring in via the Ho Chi Minh trail -
Gulf of Tonkin
In the Gulf of Tonkin, as part of Operation Plan 34A, South Vietnamese commandos in unmarked speed boats raid two North Vietnamese military bases located on islands just off the coast. In the vicinity is the destroyer U.S.S. Maddox. -
First Vietcong Attack
The first attack by Viet Cong against Americans in Vietnam occurs at Bien Hoa air base, 12 miles north of Saigon. A pre-dawn mortar assault kills five Americans, two South Vietnamese, and wounds nearly a hundred others. President Johnson dismisses all recommendations for a retaliatory air strike against North Vietnam. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
The first attack by Viet Cong against Americans in Vietnam occurs at Bien Hoa air base, 12 miles north of Saigon. A pre-dawn mortar assault kills five Americans, two South Vietnamese, and wounds nearly a hundred others. President Johnson dismisses all recommendations for a retaliatory air strike against North Vietnam. -
Napalm is Used
President Johnson authorizes the use of Napalm, a petroleum based anti-personnel bomb that showers hundreds of explosive pellets upon impact. -
SDS Protests
In Washington, 15,000 students gather to protest the U.S. bombing campaign. -
Kent State Massacre
This occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970. The guardsmen fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis. -
Vietnam War Ends
The Vietnam War ends.
