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Vietnam War
Timeline of important events that took place during the Vietnam War -
Geneva Accords Conference
This conference produced a set of documents known as the Geneva Accords which gave agreement to temporarily separate Vietnam into two zones. The U.S. would to support the South. -
South Vietnam
South Vietnam declares itself the Republic of Vietnam, with newly elected Ngo Dinh Diem as president. -
War Begins
In early 1959, Diem fell under attack and broadly reacted against all forms of opposition, which was presented as a "Communist Denunciation Campaign", as well as some significant and unwelcome rural resettlement, the latter to be distinguished from land reform -
Strategic Hamlet Program
The United States and the South Vietnamese government attempt to initiate the Strategic Hamlet Program in an effort to group the peasant population into fortified villages. The program is designed to isolate the rural population from Viet Cong influence and, by providing education and health care, strengthen Diem's hold over the countryside. Many of the peasants resent being uprooted from their homes and opposition to Diem grows; for this reason, the VC will easily infiltrate the hamlets. -
Gulf of Tonkin
President Johnson wanted to be more involved in the Vietnam conflicts. North Vietnamese partrol boats attacked American several destroyers. Congress passed a resolution that gave Johnson more authority to use American forces in Vietnam. -
Marching On
50,000 protesters marched to the Pentagon to protest the war. The secret service thought that Johnson would be hurt. The President wanted to talk calmy, but the protestors did not want to, as some got violent. -
USS Pueblo
North Korean boats captured the USS Pueblo which was an American Navy spy ship. This insident shocked America, as the next week North Vietnam attacked South Vietnam several times. -
TET Offensive
The North Vietnamese and Vietcong coordinated attacks all over South Vietnam which targeted American Military bases and major South Vietnam cities. The attacks started on the Vietnamese New Year as it was a gruesome battle, but America and South Vietnam won. -
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass killing of between 347 and 504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam. It was committed by U.S. Army soldiers from the Company C of the 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the 23rd Infantry Division. -
Presidental Election
Richard Nixon wins Presidency. People wanted to restore "Law and order" that is why Nixon and Wallace together had the support of 57% of American voters. -
Cambodia
Nixon sent troops to Cambodia as a Civil war started in between Communist and non-Communist forces. Nixon decided to destroy Communist bases using American troops. Congress and others thought he overstepped his authority. -
Paris Peace Accords
The Paris Peace Accords intended to establish peace in Vietnam and an end to the Vietnam War. It ended direct U.S. military combat, and temporarily stopped the fighting between North and South Vietnam -
Pardon
President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, his disgraced predecessor, for any crimes, spawned by the Watergate scandal, that he might have committed or participated in while in office. -
Vietnam War Ends
Advancing quickly, North Vietnamese troops finally captured Saigon on April 30, 1975. South Vietnam surrendered the same day. After thirty years of conflict, Ho Chi Minh’s vision of a united, communist Vietnam had been realized. -
Vietnam War Memorial
In memory of those who faught, the U.S. built a memorial of all the people who were killed in the war. Located in Washington D.C.
