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Communism in Vietnam is Formed
Ho Chi Minh creates the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP). -
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Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Vietminh attacked the French outpost at Dien Bien Phu and eventually overran it in two months which forced the French to surrender. -
U.S. Embassy is Bombed
Viet Cong terrorists bomb the U.S. embassy in Saigon. The bomb ended up killing 22 people, 2 Americans, 1 Filipino, and 19 Vietnamese and 183 people were injured. -
Period: to
Geneva Accords
The Geneva Accords brought the end to the First Indochina War and France had to withdraw their troops from the region. Also, Vietnam is temporarily divided along the 17th parallel. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The Maddox and another destroyer were off of Vietnam's coast when they were allegedly attacked. The alleged attack on the U.S. ships prompted President Johnson to launch bombing strikes on North Vietnam where he asked Congress for powers to take “all neccessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.” -
U.S. Arrive in Vietnam
The first U.S. combat troops arrive in Vietnam as 3500 Marines land at China Beach to defend the American air base at Da Nang. -
Napalm is Used
President Johnson authorizes the use of Napalm, a petroleum based anti-personnel bomb that showers hundreds of explosive pellets upon impact. Napalm is a gasoline-based bomb that set fire to the jungle. -
Tet Offensive
A combined assault by Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese army on US positions begins. The attack was a surprise and the name is taken from the Vietnamese holiday because the first attacks occurred on that day. -
My Lai Massacre
More than 500 unarmed civilians are killed by U.S. soldiers in the massacre at My Lai. -
Ngo Dinh Diem is Assassinated
President Diem is overthrown and then killed in a US-backed military coup. -
Kent State Massacre
Students protesting the bombing of Cambodia by United States military forces, clashed with Ohio National Guardsmen on the Kent State University campus. When protestors started throwing rocks at the Nartional Guard, they opened fired on the protestors killing 4 and injuring 9. -
Vietnam War Ends
North Vietnamese troops invade South Vietnam and take control of the whole country after South Vietnamese President Duong Van Minh surrenders.
