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Creation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
On September 2nd, 1945 Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Viet Minh (Vietnamese Independence League), declared independence freeing the Vietnamese from the grasp of French colonial rule. It was on that day that he announced the formation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. -
the 17th parallel between North and South Vietnam
Established as a result of the Geneva Conference and its accords the 17th parallel became the dividing line between North and South Vietnam. This line separated not only countries but ideology as well, the parallel divided the communism of the north from the democracy of the south -
Battle of dien bien phu
fought from March 13 to May 7, 1954, was a Vietnamese military victory that brought an end to French colonial rule in Vietnam. -
The National Liberation Front
The National Liberation Front (NLF) of South Vietnam, was a communist organization in South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The NLF was encouraged and spearheaded by North Vietnam in a fight against the South Vietnamese and United States governments during the Vietnam War. The liberation front sought to dissolve the divide and bring both ends of the country to communism -
Gulf of Tonkin
On the 7th of August in 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution this gave the then president, Lyndon B Johnson the authorization he needed to begin the process of retaliation against southeast Asia for an alleged attack on U.S ships -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was a bombing campaign that continued from March 1965 to November 1968. During this time the U.S. Air Force and Navy engaged in the bombing in order to force Ho Chi Minh to abandon his intent to gain control of South Vietnam. The operation began as a diplomatic signal to demonstrate the power of America, essentially a warning that the violence would escalate until Ho Chi Minh "blinked," it also was intended to boost the morale of the South Vietnamese. -
US combat troops arrive in Vietnam
On March 8, 1965, 3,500 Marines of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade arrived in Da Nang to protect the U.S. airbase there from Viet Cong attacks. -
The Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive in 1968 was a series of coordinated attacks on more than 100 cities and outposts in South Vietnam. The brutality was an attempt to instigate rebellion among the South Vietnamese population and encourage the United States to reduce its involvement in the war. Though U.S. and South Vietnamese forces managed to hold off the attacks, news coverage shocked the American public and eroded and already dwindling support for the war effort. -
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai massacre was one of the most graphic incidents of violence during the Vietnam War. During the course of the tragedy, a collective of American soldiers brutally killed most of the people in the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968. More than 500 people were slaughtered including young girls and women who were first raped and mutilated. U.S. Army officers covered up the carnage before it was reported in the American press a year later, sparking an outburst of international outrage. -
68' Democratic National Convention
the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, a gathering at which Democrats were supposed to nominate their candidate for the election, tens of thousands of Yippies (Vietnam War protesters and activists) grappled with police in the streets, while the Democratic Party falls apart over an internal disagreement concerning its stance on Vietnam. -
1968 Presidential Election
On November 5th, 1968 Richard Nixon was elected President of the United States. Nixon won thanks to his appeal to the 'silent majority' (working-class white society), the turbulence within the democratic party, and the shock of the nation after the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy -
Tinker v. Des Moines
the court ruled 7-2 that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” this ruling by the highest court came after children of the Tinker family as well as many other young students showcased their opposition to the then-current war in Vietnam by wearing black arm bands. -
Woodstock 1969
The Woodstock Music Festival began on August 15, 1969, with half a million people in attendance. The three-day music festival later became known simply as Woodstock and become synonymous with the counterculture movement of the 1960s. -
Kent State University Protest
On May 4, 1970, Bullets were fired by the Ohio National Guard into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators ( killing four and wounding nine). The tragedy triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close.
H. R. Haldeman, an associate of President Nixon, suggested that the shootings had a direct impact on national politics. -
Jackson State College Protest
On May 15, 1970 shortly after midnight police opened fire on Jackson State College students engaging in a protest that began the day before showcasing the student's distaste in regard to the U.S. invasion of Cambodia Twelve students were wounded and 21-year-old law student Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and 17-year-old high school student James Earl Green were killed. Though this shooting to place only 10-11 days after the Kent State incident it did not attract nearly as much attention. -
Pentagon Papers
The leakage of the Pentagon Papers revealed to the United States public that the U.S. had expanded the Vietnam war with the bombing of Cambodia and Laos, coastal raids on North Vietnam and Marine Corps attacks, none of which had been reported by the American media. The papers revealed that four presidential administrations, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson, misled, lied and withheld the truth from the public. -
Paris Peace Accords
On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords was a peace treaty that acted as the official agreement that brought about the long-awaited ending of the war in Vietnam, thus restoring peace in Vietnam and bringing American soldiers home. -
U.S. V Nixon
United States v. Nixon was a landmark Supreme Court case that resulted in a unanimous decision against President Nixon, ordering him to turn over the tape recordings and other subpoenaed materials to a federal district court. This material was to serve as evidence to establish the then-president's knowledge/involvement in the watergate break-ins and cover-up. -
Watergate
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal involving members of the Nixon administration from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. This scandal involved burglary, million dollars potential payout and an extensive White House cover-up -
Fall of Saigon
On April 30, 1975, South Vietnamese capital Saigon fell to the army of North Vietnam, effectively ending the war. In the days before, U.S. forces evacuated thousands of Americans and South Vietnamese. American politicians and diplomats were on the frontlines, organizing an ambitious helicopter evacuation.