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Domino Theory coined- Eisenhower - inlight of Vietnam
President Dwight D. Eisenhower coins one of the most famous Cold War phrases when he suggests the fall of French Indochina to the communists could create a “domino” effect in Southeast Asia. The so-called “domino theory” dominated U.S. thinking about Vietnam for the next decade. -
Geneva Accords
In July 1954, the Geneva Agreements were signed. As part of the agreement, the French agreed to withdraw their troops from northern Vietnam. Vietnam would be temporarily divided at the 17th parallel, pending elections within two years to choose a president and reunite the country. -
Assassination of Diem
On 1 November 1963, Ngo dinh Diem, the president of South Vietnam, was arrested and assassinated in a successful coup led by General Duong Van Minh.The death of Diem caused celebration among many people in South Vietnam, but also lead to political chaos in the nation. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
On August 2, 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia. This was important because it effectively launched America's full-scale involvement in the Vietnam War. -
LBJ ordered 1st troops to Vietnam
In response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, President Lyndon B. Johnson deployed troops to go to Vietnam acting on the belief that Hanoi would eventually weaken when faced with stepped up bombing raids. This was significant because it effectively guaranteed U.S. military leaders a blank check to pursue the war. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive 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.Apr -
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai massacre was one of the most horrific incidents of violence committed against unarmed civilians during the Vietnam War. A company of American soldiers brutally killed most of the people—women, children and old men—in the village of My Lai -
Nixon’s Vietnamization policy
This policy was made 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
Nixon sent troops after he approved the use of American ground forces in Cambodia to fight alongside South Vietnamese troops attacking communist bases there on April 28, 1970. The main reason was to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail and other supply lines used by North Vietnam. -
Kent State shooting
The Kent State shooting was when 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. The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close. -
Hard Hat Riot
The Hard Hat Riot occurred on May 8, 1970, in New York City. It started around noon when around 400 construction workers and around 800 office workers attacked around 1,000 demonstrators affiliated with the student strike of 1970 -
Nixon’s Christmas bombing (What was its effect?)
The impact of the so-called “Christmas Bombings” on the final agreement was difficult to assess. Some historians have argued that the bombings forced the North Vietnamese back to the negotiating table. Others have suggested that the attacks had little impact, beyond the additional death and destruction they caused. -
Paris Peace Accords
The United States, South Vietnam, Viet Cong, and North Vietnam formally sign “An Agreement Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam” in Paris. In return, the North Vietnamese agreed to release all U.S. and other prisoners of war. -
War Powers Act
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 is a congressional resolution designed to limit the U.S. president's ability to initiate or escalate military actions abroad. As part of our system of governmental “checks and balances,” the law aims to check the executive branch's power. -
Saigon Falls
The "fall of Saigon" refers to the takeover of the city by the Viet Cong. It became a symbol of the war's futility and the US was forced to abandon its embassy in the city and evacuate more than 7,000 US citizens and South Vietnamese by helicopter.