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Viet Minh Established
Ho Chi MInh, seeing an opportunity to attack a weakened France and liberate Vietnam, returns to his country and establishes the Viet Minh. Without the establishment of the Viet Minh, there would most likely be no Vietnam War. This, though years before the Vietnam War started, is one of the most important events to the happening of the war. -
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Lasting from March 3rd, 1954 to May 7th, 1954, this battle was the deciding moment for the Viet Minh in the First Indochina conflict. France eventually withdrew from the battle, leading to the Geneva convention that would decide the fate of Indochina; this event is what eventually led to what would become the Vietnam War -
Geneva Accords
During the signing of the Geneva Accords, France and the Viet Minh agree that Vietnam will be divided until an election reunites it. South Vietnam and America disagree, beginning their wartime alliance. -
DIem Declares South Vietnam is not bound by Geneva Agreements
Diem, the South Vietnamese leader championed by the U.S., states in a public broadcast that, because they never signed the accords, they were not to be subjected to their demands. Here, Diem and South Vietnam reject Ho Chi Minh publicly, an act that would be one of the many that lead to the Vietnam War. -
South Coup against Diem crushed
Ho Chi Minh utilized the hatred felt toward Diem and his poor administration in his favor, staging a coup to rout out his opponent. However, due to negligence, the rebels did not cover all their bases, resulting the coup being destroyed. Eventually, these rebels would become the Viet Cong, with this being one of their first guerilla acts against Diem. -
Establishment of Viet Cong
It was on this day that the guerilla fighters of North Vietnam formally came out and called themselves the Viet Cong. This set the stage for the long-term enemy of the war, as the Viet Cong became the resistance force against South Vietnam and the Americans for the entire war. -
Battle of Ap BAC
This battle is the first major battle of the Vietnam and marks the beginning of the United States involvement with the war. However, despite U.S. assistance, the Viet Cong won the battle -
Successful Coup against Diem
South Vietnam, growing ever more tired at Diem's lack of response in multiple situations, particularly those regarding the Viet Cong, staged another coup against Diem. This one went smoothly, resulting in the elimination of Diem and his family by the South Vietnamese Army. This led to reformations by the newly established Council that would aid in the betterment of the South Vietnamese -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The USS Maddox was reported to be attacked by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats, resulting in the slight destruction of American crafts, as well as the deaths of a few Vietnamese. This event allowed President Johnson to take a bigger role in the Vietnam conflict. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
This piece of legislature allowed President Johnson, without the formal declaration of war, to assist the South Vietnamese in any ways necessary. It was this that allowed more and more American troops to be sent into the war, which was extremely controversial. -
Vietnamese Buddhist Protest by Lighting Themselves on FIre
In protest of the new South Vietnamese regime and the war as a whole, Buddhist monks began lighting themselves on fire in the street as a form of self-sacrifice. This became fuel for many who opposed the war efforts, saying the U.S. and South Vietnamese should search for peaceable agreements rather than wage war -
Tet Offensive
The Democractic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) led 70,000 soldiers to begin attacks against a plethora of cities in South Vietnam. Though a major loss for the Viet Cong troops, it does not get the American public on the side of Johnson; instead, it makes them even more upset about the war effort. -
My Lai Massacre
This mass killing of unarmed South Vietnamese by Charlie Company 1st Battalion 20th infantry highlighted the disgusting, brutal nature of the war. This peaked the opposition against the war, as this atrocity was committed by U.S. soldiers that were supposed to be helping the civilians of South Vietnam. -
Mass Bombing near Demilitarized Zone
U.S. bombers attempted to eliminate North Vietnamese combatants near demilitarized zone. This would be one of the last offensive moves by the U.S. before Nixon withdrawals troops from Vietnam -
President Nixon Withdraws Troops
By the end of 1969, Nixon begins the process of withdrawing American troops from Vietnam, beginning the long process of ending Americas involvement with the Vietnam conflict.
