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Period: to
Vietnam War
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Vietnamese Independence
Ho Chi Minh declare Vietnam as a sovreign nation from French and Nationalist Chinese influence. Despite France planned to regain control of Vietnam, a former colony prior to world war two. -
Power Struggle
In January 1950, the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union recognized the Viet Minh's Democratic Republic of Vietnam, based in Hanoi, as the legitimate government of Vietnam. The following month the United States and Great Britain recognized the French-backed State of Vietnam in Saigon, led by former Emperor Bảo Đại, as the legitimate Vietnamese government. -
French Pull Out
Viet Minh forces handed the French a stunning military defeat, and on 7 May 1954, the French Union garrison surrendered. -
Division of Government
1956, the North Vietnamese government instituted various agrarian reforms, including "rent reduction" and "land reform", which resulted in significant political oppression. A conflict between Communist regime of North Vietnam backed by China and USSR and South Vietnam that was corrupt. -
Escalation of Violence
The North Vietnamese Communist Party approved a "people's war" on the South at a session in January 1959 -
Domino Effect
The Kennedy administration remained essentially committed to the Cold War foreign policy inherited from the Truman and Eisenhower administrations. Vietnam was now a battle ground against the growing threat of Communist influence. -
North Viet Diem
North Vietnam sent 10,000 troops of the North Vietnamese Army to attack the south in 1964, and this figure increased to 100,000 in 1965. This was a move due to anti-communist purge of local farmers who were deemed hostile. -
U.S.-South Vietnamese CO-OP
This joint U.S.-South Vietnamese program attempted to resettle the rural population into fortified camps. It was implemented in early 1962 and involved some forced relocation, village internment, and segregation of rural South Vietnamese into new communities where the peasantry would be isolated from Communist insurgents. -
The War Continues
Bombing was not restricted to North Vietnam. Other aerial campaigns, such as Operation Commando Hunt, targeted different parts of the Viet Cong and NVA infrastructure. These included the Ho Chi Minh trail supply route, which ran through Laos and Cambodia. -
Tet Offensive
on 31 January 1968, the NVA and the Viet Cong broke the truce that traditionally accompanied the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday by launching the largest battle of the war, the Tet Offensive, -
American Begin to Withdraw
Beginning in 1970, American troops were withdrawn from border areas where most of the fighting took place, and instead redeployed along the coast and interior, which is one reason why casualties in 1970 were less than half of 1969's totals. -
Fall of Saigon
On 30 April 1975, NVA troops entered the city of Saigon and quickly overcame all resistance, capturing key buildings and installations.
