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The Domino Theory is a term Eisenhower coined; it's the theory that if one country falls to communism, others will fall very quickly. This theory is significant because it led to the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War. -
It's a peace agreement that temporarily divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel. The purpose of this was to peacefully settle issues and reunify Vietnam. -
A U.S.-supported military coup assassinated Diem because he was making South Vietnam very unstable. The purpose of this event was to stop the brutal government Diem created. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution granted President Johnson broad military powers in Vietnam and authorized powers to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States. This is significant because it increased the U.S.'s involvement in the Vietnam War. -
In February of 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson orders a bombing in North Vietnam called "Operation Rolling Thunder." The purpose of this event was to respond to a Vietcong attack that killed eight Americans. -
(January 30, 1968 - February 24, 1968)
A lot of villagers in South Vietnam went into cities to celebrate their new year. There were also funerals being held for war victims. The coffins had weapons and some of the villagers were Vietcong agents; those agents attacked over 100 cities in South Vietnam. These attacks continued for about a month until South Vietnam and the U.S. forces regained control of the cities. The purpose of this offensive was to try and force the U.S. to withdraw its troops. -
A U.S. platoon under the command of Lieutenant William
Calley, Jr., had massacred innocent civilians in the small village of My Lai in northern South Vietnam. This event is significant because it fueled the anti-war sentiment and further divided the U.S. over the Vietnam war. -
Vietnamization is the U.S. policy that called for the gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops in order for the South Vietnamese to take on a more active combat role in the war. The purpose of this event was to reduce the U.S.'s involvement in the Vietnam War. -
President Nixon announced that U.S. troops had invaded Cambodia to clear out North Vietnamese and Vietcong supply centers. The purpose of this event was to eliminate the cross-border threat and reinforce the South Vietnamese government. -
There was a massive student protest that led to the burning of the ROTC building. In response, the local mayor called in the National Guard; they fired live ammunition into a crowd of campus protesters who were hurling rocks at them. This event is significant because it showed how the U.S. was becoming more divided over the war. -
A group of construction workers and other blue-collared Americans who supported the U.S. government's war policies stormed a student protest against the Vietnam War and attacked them. The purpose of this event was to stop anti-war protests. -
President Nixon plans a bombing campaign against Hanoi and Haiphong; U.S. planes dropped 100,000 bombs over the course of eleven straight days, pausing only on Christmas Day. The purpose of this event was to break the stalemate between North and South Vietnam. -
It's an "Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam." The purpose of this peace treaty was to stop the fighting between North and South Vietnam. -
The War Powers Act's purpose is to limit the U.S. president's ability to initiate war. This act requires a president to inform Congress within 48 hours of sending forces into a hostile area without a declaration of war. -
In March of 1975, the North Vietnamese launched a full-scale invasion against the South and captured the city. This event is significant because it brings the end of the Vietnam War.