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1945 - Japan surrendered to the Allies.
Japan had taken control of Vietnam and Ho Chi Min created a Nationalist group called the Vietminh which would unite the communist and anti-communist in an effort to get Japan out Vietnam. Japan would eventually surrender to the USA in 1945 and they would leave Indochina; Vietnam soon then declare their independence. France however still wanted control of Vietnam and asked the USA to help them and the USA did in fear of communism spreading even though they were against colonialism. -
1954- Defeat at Dien Bien Phu
France was fighting hard to keep their territory and claim over Vietnam however even with American aid they were losing drastically. After the french took over Dien Bien Phu they believed they had a good advantage because they could cut off supplies for the Vietminh. However, the Vietminh would surround and bomb the town causing the French yet another loss which would push them to move out of Indochina and make peace. -
1961- Vietcong & American Involvement
The Vietcong were the South Vietnamese Communist who were ready to fight to try and unify the country. The USA tried to strengthen the South Vietnamese army however the Vietcong grew in power. In an effort to stop the spread of communism when Kennedy became president he continued to send soldiers and equipment into South Vietnam. He did this because he believed that what would happen in Vietnam would be vital to stop the spread of communism. -
1965- USA troops in Vietnam
Diem was executed and Kennedy was assassinated which greatly changed the Vietnam conflict. It made South Vietnam weaker and the US's new president Johnson would now be in charge of stopping the spread of communism through Vietnam. He decided that after multiple supposedly "unprovoked" attacks all necessary actions needed would be made to stop the Vietcong. In March of 1965 Johnson sent a bombing campaign on North Vietnam and the fist U.S. combat troop into the country. The Vietnam War had begun. -
Mid & late 1960's- Peoples Opinions
In the mid and late 1960s the people of America were able to watch what was going on in the Vietnam war from their homes. The news would broadcast exactly what was going and it seemed different then what the government was telling the people. After a draft occurred and more than 1/2 a million soldiers were in Vietnam many people began to politically oppose the Vietnam War and would avoid drafts and make protests against its continuation. -
1968- President Johnson's Announcement
On March 31, 1968 President Johnson made an announcement to the American people telling them that he will not be running for a second term as president. From the beginning of his election Johnson had feared that the Vietnam War and conflict would ruin his career and political run and he was correct because after not being able to please the people and seeing no change in Vietnam he had lost most of his support from the American people. The issue would now be left to someone else to solve. -
1975- End of Vietnam War
After many more protests and two more presidents the Vietnam War would finally end. When the new president Ford asked for funds to aid Vietnam after president Nixon's resignation he was refused the funds by congress. The long awaited end of the war was at hand and on April 29, 1975 the American troops would be officially taken out of Vietnam. The last marines left on April 30th and later that day South Vietnam fell and was captured by the North. The Vietnam War was officially and finally over. -
1982: Vietnam Veteran's Memorial
Although the war had already ended for nearly a decade the war still affected many American lives and was still on the minds of the people. In 1982 the nation created a memorial called the Vietnam Veteran Memorial in Washington D.C. It is a large black granite wall that has all the names of the soldiers lost in the war and was created by a Yale student named Maya Lin. The Vietnam War still affects people today and the memorial is a sign of remembrance to all of us of the brave soldiers who died.