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Truman backs the French
As the french recolonized Vietnam after WW2 Truman backed their efforts in hopes to rebuild the economy of France. Even though the US was technically neutral they avoided contact with Hi Chi Minh and made claims that they were to protect any country under the threat of communism. -
Geneva Accords
The agreement divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel. -
Dien Bien Phu
50,000 Viet Cong troops attacked a French airbase. Leading to Vietnam being added to the agenda at the Geneva conference. Thus leading to further escalation. -
Ngo Dinh Diems Election
Diem was elected in South Vietnam and was originally backed by the US. He was catholic and highly favored the Catholics in south Vietnam. He made reforms that led to Buddhist protests and revolts. His time in office ultimately led to his assassination in '63 -
Thich Quang Duc self-immolation
Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc burned himself alive as an act of protest against the government's actions towards Buddhists in the country. His chilling death highlighted the issues with the current government and their biases about religion. -
Gulf of Tonkin incident
Vietnamese gunboats fired on the USS Maddox. Two days later the attack was reported to have been repeated, however, it was later found to be a bad signal on the radar machine. This event led to a press release from the president. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The press release is given by President Johnson stating that a resolution had been made. A resolution that authorized President Johnson to move forward with the war effort without congressional support. He was permitted to prevent further aggression toward Americans and take necessary actions to repel armed attacks. -
Lyndon B Johnson's election
Lyndon B Johnson won a landslide election against Barry Goldwater. He then turned all his attention toward Vietnam and rose public support for the war effort. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
US bombers targeted North Vietnamese bases and factories attempting to devastate the north Vietnamese economy and military. The mission continued for 3 years, avoiding borders with China and big cities like Hanoi. -
US Troops enter Vietnam
Johnson sends the American military to Vietnam in order to fight back against insurgent Vietnamese. Some 3,500 troops came onto the beach of Da Nang. -
Battle of ia Drang Valley
The first major battle against the PAVN. Established American military dependence on aircraft during battles and allowed North Vietnamese to neutralize that power by engaging in close-range fights. Set the tone for the war as the US had to call in friendly fire to save what was left of the unit. -
Search and Destroy Missions
The American military sent out troops to search for anything connected to the Viet Cong and then burn or destroy it. They found enemy troops destroyed them and fled immediately following.