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Geneva Accords
At the Geneva Conference, the French withdrew troops from Vietnam, and it was divided into North and South sections at the 17th parallel. -
Operation Rolling Thunder Begins
Operation Rolling Thunder was a plan to send 50,000 American troops to Vietnam to bomb North Vietnam in hopes of lowering morale and crippling the government. However, neither goal was reached. -
Tet Offensive
During Tet (Buddhist holiday), Vietcong troops emerged from their tunnels and attacked nearly every major metropolitan center in South Vietnam. The U.S military retaliated by capturing the lost territory and inflicting twice as many casualties on the Vietcong as they did to the Americans. -
My Lai Massacre
American soldiers opened fire on My Lai, a village filled with innocent women, old men, and children. 300-500 Vietnamese civilians were killed. Many of the girls and women were gang-raped and severely mutilated. The American public was outraged by the soldiers' actions, and anti-war sentiments grew. -
Vietnamization Introduced
The plan of Vietnamization, created by President Nixon, proposed that the U.S gradually withdraw troops as the military turns more and more of the battling over to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. Nixon hoped the South Vietnamese would be able to defend themselves after a complete withdrawal. Many protesters did not accept the plan; they wanted an immediate and complete withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam. -
Kent State Massacre
Nixon called for a temporary invasion of Cambodia to bomb the Ho Chi Minh trail. Protesters argued that Nixon was expanding the war instead of drawing away from it like he promised. Kent State students rioted, burning ROTC buildings and destroying local property. The National Guard killed four students and wounded several others in the riot. -
Fall of Saigon
The North Vietnamese captured Saigon. North and South Vietnam were united into one communist nation.
