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Domino Theory coined- Eisenhower - inlight of Vietnam
Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower described the theory during a news conference on April 7, 1954 when referring to communism in Indochina.
The US justified its military intervention in Vietnam by the domino theory, which stated that if one country fell under the influence of Communism, the surrounding countries would inevitably follow. The aim was to prevent Communist domination of South-East Asia. -
Geneva Accords
The Geneva Accords of 1954 were designed to secure peace in Vietnam but would eventually contribute to war. In April 1954, diplomats from almost a hundred nations - including the United States, the Soviet Union, China, France and Great Britain - attended a conference in Geneva, Switzerland. -
Assassination of Diem
South Vietnamese military officers contacted US government representatives and inquired about what a US response would be to a military coup in Saigon. The officers assassinated Diem and overthrew his government in November 1963. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress passed on August 7, 1964 in direct response to a minor naval engagement known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. -
LBJ orders 1st troops to Vietnam
On March 8, 1965, LBJ ordered 2 battalions of U.S. marines to go to South Vietnam to support the Saigon government in its effort to defeat an increasingly lethal Communist insurgency. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive of 1968 was a coordinated series of North Vietnamese attacks on more than 100 cities and outposts in South Vietnam. The offensive was an attempt to foment rebellion among the South Vietnamese population and encourage the United States to scale back its involvement in the Vietnam War. -
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre was an incident that occurred when American soldiers killed more than 500 unarmed South Vietnamese citizens in the village of My Lai. It occurred when Charlie Company was ordered to enter the village for a search and destroy mission. -
Nixon’s Vietnamization policy
Vietnamization was a policy of the Richard Nixon administration to end U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War through a program to "expand, equip, and train South Vietnamese forces and assign to them an ever-increasing combat role, at the same time steadily reducing the number of U.S. combat troops". -
Nixon sends troops into Cambodia
In April 1970, President Nixon ordered United States troops to occupy parts of Cambodia. Nixon claimed that the soldiers were protecting the United States' withdrawal from South Vietnam. -
Kent State shooting
On May 4, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine Kent State students. The impact of the shootings was dramatic. -
Hard Hat Riot
In front of Federal Hall and under the statue of George Washington, construction workers stormed a student protest against the Vietnam War and chased both students and bystanders through the streets, beating and kicking them. Known as the Hard Hat Riots, it sparked two weeks of protests, counter protests and marches. -
Nixon’s Christmas bombing (What was its effect?)
Beginning on December 18, American B-52s and fighter-bombers dropped over 20,000 tons of bombs on the cities of Hanoi and Haiphong. The United States lost 15 of its giant B-52s and 11 other aircraft during the attacks. North Vietnam claimed that over 1,600 civilians were killed. The North Vietnamese then agreed to resume peace talks. -
Paris Peace Accords
The Paris Peace Accords was an agreement between the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam , the Republic of Vietnam , and the United States to bring an end to the Vietnam War. The settlement included a cease-fire throughout Vietnam. -
War Powers Act
The War Powers Act of 1973 was an act that checked and limit the power of the president by requiring the approval of congress to put American troops in combat areas. -
Saigon Falls
During the Vietnam war in the 1960s and early '70s, Saigon was the headquarters of U.S. military operations. Parts of the city were destroyed by fighting in 1968. On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon, and the city was later renamed Ho Chi Minh City.