Vietnam War Era

By AlecPauley

  • Communist forces won the civil war in China

    Communist forces won the civil war in China in 1949 and America increased its aid to the French in Vietnam.
  • Period: to

    Vietnam War

  • President Dwight D. Eisenhower took office

    President Dwight D. Eisenhower took office in early 1953 and continued Truman’s policies toward Vietnam.

  • The U.S. and seven other countries formed the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization

    In 1954 the U.S. and seven other countries formed the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) to contain the spread of communism to southeast Asia.

  • France granted independence to Vietnam

    May 8, 1954, France granted independence to Vietnam even though it was split into a communist North Vietnam and an anti-communist South Vietnam.

  • The National Liberation Front were committed to undermining the Diem government

    In 1957 the National Liberation Front (NLF) were committed to undermining the Diem government and uniting under communism by assassinating government officials and destroying roads and bridges, and also the NFL guerrilla fighters used hit and run tactics to weaken southern Vietnamese forces

  • Northern Vietnamese torpedo boats fire on the American destroyer

    1964, Northern Vietnamese torpedo boats fire on the American destroyer USS Maddox as it patrolled the gulf of Tonkin off the coast or North Vietnam

  • President Johnson ordered the start of Operation Rolling Thunder

    In February of 1965 President Johnson ordered the start of Operation Rolling Thunder, the first sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam.

  • 184,300 U.S. troops in Vietnam

    by the end of 1965 there were 184,300 U.S. troops in Vietnam and only 636 American soldiers had died in the war, half a year later there was nearly half a million troops in Vietnam and the number of dead rapidly grew to 30,000.

  • Most of the troops that were sent to Vietnam were draftees

    by 1965, most of the troops that were sent to Vietnam were draftees, no longer volunteers.
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    American pilots dropped more than 6 million tons of bombs on enemy positions

    Between 1965 and 1973 American pilots dropped more than 6 million tons of bombs on enemy positions.

  • President Johnson announced that america would limit its bombing on North Vietnam

    March 31, 1968, President Johnson announced that america would limit its bombing on North Vietnam, and seek a negotiated settlement for the war

  • Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated

    After publicly announcing his opposition to America in Vietnam Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4 1968.

  • Selective Service System created a more diverse army of draftees

    1969 Selective Service System eliminate deferment abuses and created a more diverse army of draftees.

  • A public opinion poll

    A 1971 public opinion poll determined that ⅔ of Americans wanted to withdraw from Vietnam

  • Paris Peace Accords signed

    In January of 1973 the U.S. South and North Vietnam, and Vietcong signed the Paris peace Accords