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Creation of Democratic Republic of Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh declared independence from French colonial rule. -
Creation of the 17th parallel between North and South Vietnam
Established in Vietnam by the Geneva Accords. Did not actually coincide with the 17th parallel. Split the communist north and the democratic south. In July of 1954. -
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Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The first Indochina War. A French-held garrison at Bien Dien Phu fell after a 4 month long siege. After this, the French officially pulled out of the Vietnam region. -
Creation of the National Liberation Front
Created to effect the overthrow of the South Vietnam gov. in order to reunify the North and the South. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
An event in which American naval vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin,off the coast of Vietnam, claim to have been attacked by Vietnamese forces. There is no proof they were really attacked, and many believe that the United States just wanted a reason to join the war in Vietnam. -
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Operation Rolling Thunder
A sustained aerial bombing campaign in Vietnam. This happened after the president promised he would not bomb Vietnam. -
US combat troops arrive in Vietnam
3,500 marines arrived in Vietnam in order to protect an airbase in Da Nang from the vietcong attacks. Many soldiers would continue to be deployed throughout the war. -
1968 Presidential Election
Richard Nixon won the race by a landslide. The main reason that he won the election was because he promised to end the war. -
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Tet Offensive
A series of coordinated attacks on several southern Vietnamese cities at the same time by 80,000 vietcong soldiers. South Vietnam and the US troops reclaimed captured territory and caused 2 times the losses for the northern vietcong. This was a technical military victory, but a massive blow to the american soldiers' morale. -
My Lai Massacre
US Army's 23rd infantry division committed one of the most notorious atrocities of the Vietnam war. United States government official suspected there to be vietcong soldiers taking refuge in a village named My Lai, so they sent over the troops to take care of it. There ended up being no vietcong soldiers and only civilians. They killed between 347 and 504 men, women, and children that day. This caused the United States public to be horrified. -
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Democratic National Convention
Tens of thousands of war protesters fight on the streets outside the amphitheater while the democratic party inside falls apart over disagreements concerning the war. Protesters held their own presidential nomination using an actual pig they named "Pigasus". -
Tinker vs Des Moines
This is a landmark case in history. It decided that children in schools still have their freedom of speech. This meant that children could wear clothes that express opinions on current issues. -
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Woodstock
A huge concert consisting of 400,000 people. Marijuana and LSD were rampant throughout this 4-day period. Symbolized the cultural freedom in the 60s. Happened in Bethel, New York. -
Kent State University Protests
Students had been protesting the war for 3 days until police and national guardsmen showed up. At 11 AM on the 4th of May, 1970, the protest began. There were around 3,000 protesters. Guardsmen used tear gas to disperse crowds, and after the guards retreated, witnesses say that 28 of the guards suddenly turned around and fired their rifles into the crowd. Because of this, 4 students were killed, and 9 more were injured. -
Jackson State College Protest
Students rallied to protest racism. Students set fire to the campus ROTC building. The national guardsmen and police showed up next day to prevent rioting. When the students rioted, police marched towards a crowd of 100 protesters. Some claim they then just opened fire on the crowd, killing 2 people and injuring another 15. -
Pentagon Papers
These were top secret papers leaked by someone at the pentagon and sent to the New York Times. The New York Times posted these articles in their newspaper, and Nixon sued them for it. He lost, and the newspaper is now allowed to post any secret government documents they can get their hands on. These papers revealed that the past 4 presidents had lied to them about their intentions. -
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Watergate
Burglars initially broke in to the Watergate hotel to bug some representatives' rooms. The bugs failed to work, so 5 burglars later snuck in again and were caught red-handed. On them, police found the White House number fro Nixon's reelection committee. This led to Nixon's eventual resignation. -
Paris Peace Accords
The official agreement to end the war in Vietnam. Signed after 4 years of negotiations. -
United States vs. Nixon
A supreme court case in which president Richard Nixon lost. Nixon was unable to use the power of "executive privilege" to stop the release of evidence. -
Fall of Saigon
The south Vietnam capitol of Saigon fell to the Northern Vietnamese Army, effectively ending the war. Vietnamese citizens and American soldiers were air lifted out of the city via helicopter.