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Geneva Accords
A meeting of the worlds power in Geneva. This meeting marked a turning point in the United States involvement in the war. This agreement brought about an end to the First Indochina War. -
Vietnam defeat the french at Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the decisive engagement in the first Indochina War. After 57 days of fighting the French position collapsed. -
Period: to
Vietnam War
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Introduction of the B-52 bomber and saturation bombing
This plane can carry 70,000 pounds of weapons with a crew of five. Flies over 10,000 miles without needed re fueling. They used these for bombing runs on South Vietnam called Arc Light. -
Buddhists protests of diem
A period of political and religious tension in South Vietnam. Buddhists burned themselves to make a statement. -
Diem overthrown and Assassinated
The brutal murder of the president of South Vietnam. This was a major turning point for the whole war. His brother was also murdered. -
President JFK is assassinated and Johnson takes office
He was on a travel campaign for the next election when he was shot down in Texas. JFK was considered one of the most beloved Presidents. Johnson became President after JFK had died. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
A fire off between two ships. The ships belonged to the United States and North Vietnam. Happened in the waters of Tonkin -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Johnson decided because of the situation they could go to war against each other. This was a joint resolution to the problem. They also designed major attacks to prepare. -
Re-election of President Johnson
After re election Johnson sent many more troops to Vietnam. He ignored all his campaign words and did what he wanted. -
First Teach In
Hosted at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. All classes were canceled. This was an anti war seminar with rallies and speeches for 12 hours. -
Tet offensive
Some 70,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched the Tet Offensive. this was a coordinated series of attacks on more than 100 cities and towns in South Vietnam. This began the United States slow withdraw from that region. -
My Lai
One of the most horrific incidents of violence against civilians. As many as 500 people including women, children and the elderly were killed in the My Lai Massacre. 14 officers were charged with committing a crime due to my lai. -
President Johnson decides not to run again
Johnson was tired from dealing with his Prescience. His popularity was fading due to everyone's hate for the Vietnam War. -
Richard Nixon elected
Nixon won one of the closest elections as a republican. He promised to bring the people back together. Many people were tired from the anti war protests and protests that his campaign seemed pleasing. -
Policy of Vietnamization
Nixon's way to end the United States in the Vietnam War. This involved transferring all military responsibilities to South Vietnam. He thought this would prepare the South Vietnamese to take responsibility for their own defense against a Communist takeover and allow the U.S. to leave the conflict with its honor intact. -
Woodstock Festival
Known as the grooviest event in music history.Close to half a million people attended Woodstock. This music festival was peaceful. -
First draft lottery
Selective Service National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. head the draft. The United States conducted two lotteries to determine the order of call to military service in the Vietnam War for men born from 1944 to 1950. -
Invasion of Cambodia
Nixon declared that the troops had to invade Cambodia which he had been ordering bombs for this reason for awhile. The invasion was under the pretext of disrupting the North Vietnamese supply lines. -
Kent state killings
The shooting happened at Kent State University in Ohio when officers shot unarmed students. The national guard shot at students killing four and nine were injured. The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close. -
Peace agreement signed
The United States, South Vietnam, Viet Cong, and North Vietnam formally signed an agreement to end the war and make peace in Vietnam. Two months later the last troop in Vietnam left and came home. -
Cambodia falls to communism
The war between government troops and the communist insurgents had been rising. The Khmer Rouge troops capture Phnom Penh and the government surrendered. -
Saigon Falls
The United States knew that their token presence in the city would quickly become unwelcome. The North Vietnamese Army took over Saigon with little resistance, and it was quickly renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of their revolutionary leader. -
Vietnam veterans memorial dedicated
A memorial dedicated to the people who lost their lives in the Vietnam war. It was a V-shaped black-granite wall inscribed with the names of the 57,939 Americans who died.
