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Battle of Dien Phu Bien
The battle of Dien Bien Phu was a 2 month long siege on a French garrison. The Viet Minh wore out the French till they were lacking everything.The result of this siege was a Vietnam victory and the end of French rule in Vietnam. -
The Geneva Accords
Representatives from countries such as the United States, the Soviet Union, China, France and Great Britain met in the Swiss city of Geneva. The geneva accords were made to try and make peace and reunification in Vietnam. Vietnam was divided in two by the 17th parallel making North Vietnam and South Vietnam. -
Ngo Dinh Diem elected
Ngo Dinh Diem is elected president of South Vietnam. He takes over for Bao Dai and wins with 98 percent of the vote. The main reason Diem was able to win, is he rigged the election. -
Monk burns himself to death
Vietnamese monk Thích Quang Duc burned himself to death at a busy intersection in Saigon. He was attempting to raise awareness for Buddhist oppression and the need for martyrs. Tensions rose and the trust between the people and the government was tested. -
Ngo Dinh Diem Assasinated
In Ho Chi Minh city, Diem is assassinated by his own generals with U.S. support. He lost support from the U.S. after his violent attacks of Southern Vietnam Buddhist. -
Maddox destroyed
U.S. naval boal USS Maddox is attacked by several Vietnam torpedo boats after provocation by U.S. forces in the Gulf of tonkin. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson reports the attack of the U.S. ship and submits the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to Congress. With this, he is allowed complete control to send money and troops to Vietnam. It is later approved. The war with Vietnam was now in full scale. -
Operation Rolling Thunuder
Operation Rolling Thunder was the American bombing campaign during the Vietnam War. U.S. military aircraft attacked areas of North Vietnam from March 1965 to October 1968. This was not effective however as Vietnam was very underdeveloped and had little high value targets. Escalated the war by showing Vietnam we would use bombs to attack. -
Troops arrive in Vietnam
Following attacks on U.S. airbases. 3,500 Marines arrived in Da Nang to protect the U.S. airbases from Viet Cong attacks. This showed Vietnam the U.S. was ready to send troops and money to Vietnam. -
My Lai Massacre
A platoon of U.S. troops murdered at least 300 Vietnamese civilians at a small South Vietnamese village called My Lai. This escalated the war. It showed the U.S. troops had no remorse and would kill men, women and children. -
Last of American troops removed from Vietnam
Nixon removes the last troops out of Vietnam stating, "the day we have all worked and prayed for has finally come." America's longest war, and its first defeat, thus concludes." The war was not over however as South Vietnam was still fighting. -
South Vietnam Surrenders
Viet Cong forces capture the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon, forcing South Vietnam to surrender. With this, the Vietnam war finally came to a close and Vietnam was untied under Communism.