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Domino Theory Coined
On April 7, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower answered a press conference reporter’s question about the impending defeat of the French in Indochina with the first articulation of what would become known as “The Domino Theory.” This theory would drive the escalation of the Vietnam War over the next two decades. -
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. The Accords brought an end to the First Indochina War and marked the end of French influence in Southeast Asia. -
Assassination of Diem
Following the overthrow of his government by South Vietnamese military forces the day before, President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother were captured and killed by a group of soldiers. The death of Diem caused celebration among many people in South Vietnam but lead to political chaos in the nation. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
On August 7, 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 resolution became the legal basis for the Johnson and Nixon Administrations' prosecution of the Vietnam War. -
LBJ ordered 1st troops to Vietnam
On February 13th, 1965 Johnson and his advisers ordered the U.S. military to launch Operation Rolling Thunder, a bombing campaign against the North. Operation Rolling Thunder commenced and continued through the spring of 1967. Johnson also authorized the first of many deployments of regular ground combat troops to Vietnam to fight the Viet Cong in the countryside. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a massive surprise military failure for the communists. About 50,000 communist troops died while trying to gain control of the southern part of the country. The South Vietnamese and American losses totaled a fraction of that number. It was a major propaganda victory for the communists. It is often credited with turning the war in their favor. -
My Lai Massacre
On April 3rd, 1968 Lieutenant William L. “Rusty” Calley, Jr., and his platoon murdered more than 500 Vietnamese civilians at My Lai, a small South Vietnamese sub-hamlet. The brutality of the My Lai massacre and the official cover-up fueled anti-war sentiment and further divided the United States over the Vietnam War. -
Nixon's Vietnamization Policy
President Nixon believed in his Vietnamization strategy which involved building up South Vietnam's armed forces and withdrawing U.S. troops. American troops would be slowly withdrawn from the conflict in Southeast Asia and be replaced by South Vietnamese troops. This would prepare the South Vietnamese to act in their own defense against a North Vietnamese takeover and allow the United States to leave Vietnam with its honor intact. -
Nixon sends Troops into Cambodia
Nixon declared that the American military troops, accompanied by the South Vietnamese Army, were going to invade Cambodia. The invasion was to disrupt the North Vietnamese supply lines. The invasion expanded America's war in Vietnam while attempting to withdraw from a long-stalemated conflict. -
Kent State Shooting
Members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine Kent State students. The event caused a nationwide student strike that also forced hundreds of colleges and universities to temporarily close across the nation. -
Hard Hat Riot
The Hard Hat Riot happen on May 8, 1970, in New York City. About 400 construction workers and 800 office workers attacked around 1,000 demonstrators that were affiliated with the student protest of 1970. It sparked two weeks of protests and marches. The construction workers chased the students and bystanders through the streets while also beating and kicking them. -
Nixon's Christmas Bombing
Operation Linebacker II also became known as the Christmas bombing campaign. It lasted for 11 days. More than 20,000 tons of explosives were dropped, including on civilians. Some historians have argued that the bombings forced the North Vietnamese back to the negotiating table. -
Paris Peace Accords
The Accords ended the Direct Combat Role of the United States in the Vietnam War. In January of 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed after four years of negotiations, with the intent to establish peace in Vietnam and end the war. The Accords were signed by the United States, and North and South Vietnam. -
War Powers Act
The war powers act is a congressional resolution that is designed to limit the U.S. president's ability to initiate or escalate military actions abroad. The President has to get consent from the U.S. Congres before making a military decision. -
Saigon Falls
April 4th,1975 marked the end of the Vietnam War and the start of a transition period from the formal reunification of Vietnam into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese Army In the days before, U.S. forces evacuated thousands of Americans and South Vietnamese.