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Creation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
By the 1940s Vietnam had struggled against foreign rule for centuries. By 1945 Japan had surrendered to the allies and by then the Viet Minh controlled a significant amount of north and central Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Viet Minh, declared independence from French colonial rule and announced the formation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. -
Creation of the 17th parallel between North and South Vietnam
The 17th Parallel divided North and South Vietnam.The divide was established by the 1954 Geneva Conference.The 17th parallel was buffered by a demilitarized zone, or DMZ, between the two countries. -
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
On March 3rd, 1954, the battle between French Union's colonial Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist revolutionaries began. On May 7, 1954, the French’s garrison at Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam fell after a four month siege led by Vietnamese nationalist Ho Chi Minh. After the fall of Dien Bien Phu, the French pulled out of the region. -
Establishment of the National Liberation Front
On December 20, 1960, the National Liberation Front, a Vietnamese political organization, was established. The goal of the NLF was to overthrow of the South Vietnamese government and the reunification of North and South Vietnam. It fought under the direction of North Vietnam against the South Vietnamese and United States governments during the Vietnam War. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution
North Vietnamese warships were reported to have attacked United States warships on two separate occasions in the Gulf of Tonkin. Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This allowed 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. -
US combat troops arrive in Vietnam
On March 8th, 1965, American Combat troops arrived in Vietnam. The United States sent an estimated 550,000 troops to the Vietnam front during the height of the conflict. In the end they suffered more than 58,000 casualties and engaged in repeated battles with communist forces in the region until their withdrawal in 1973. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a massive military failure for the communists. It is estimated as many as 50,000 communist troops died in the effort to gain control of the southern part of the country. The South Vietnamese and American losses were only a fraction of that number. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
This operation became the most intense battle waged during the Cold War period. Operation Rolling Thunder was a bombing campaign that began on 24 February 1965 and lasted until the end of October 1968. During this period U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft engaged in a bombing campaign with the goal of forcing Ho Chi Minh to abandon his ambition to take over South Vietnam. -
Mai Lia Massacre
TThe My Lai massacre was one of the most horrific and violent events that took place during the cold war period. A company of American soldiers brutally killed everyone in the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968. More than 500 people were slaughtered in the My Lai massacre, including young girls and women who were raped and mutilated before being killed. -
1968 Democratic National Convention
The 1968 Democratic National Convention was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois. During the event, a series of protests against the Vietnam war occurred. Also, Democratic Party fell apart over an internal disagreement concerning its stance on Vietnam. -
1968 Democratic National Convention
On August 23, 1968, some activists held their own presidential nominating convention. The candidate they chose to nominate was and actual pig named Pigasus. When they paraded Pigasus at the Civic Center, ten policemen arrested Ochs, Rubin, Pigasus, and six others. -
1968 Presidential Election
The 1968 US presidential election was the 46th presidential election, held on November 5, 1968. The Republican nominee, Richard Nixon, defeated both the Democratic nominee, Hubert Humphrey, and the Independent Party nominee, George Wallace. -
Tinker v. Des Moines
Tinker v. Des Moines was a Supreme Court ruling from 1969 that cemented students' rights to free speech in public schools. Mary Beth Tinker was a student peacefully protesting the Vietnam war by wearing a black armband. The school suspended her and threatened expulsion if she wore it again, and she went to court. -
Woodstock 1969
Woodstock was an art fair and music festival that took place in 1969. Woodstock provided an opportunity for people to escape into music and spread a message of unity and peace. Some people attempted to replicate Woodstock in future years but it was never the same. -
Kent State University Protest
The Kent State shootings resulted in the death of four and wounding of nine unarmed Kent State University students by the Ohio National Guard. These murders took place during a peace rally opposing the Vietnam War as well as protesting the National Guard presence on campus. The incident marked the first time a student was killed in an anti-war gathering in United States history. -
Jackson State College Protest
On May 15, 1970, a protest against US involvement in the Vietnam War occurred. As a result, the Ohio National Guard shot unarmed college students. Police fired for about 30 seconds on a group of students, killing four and wounding 12 others. -
Pentagon Papers
The Pentagon Papers were a written account of the United States' political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. They revealed that Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson continued to send American troops to Vietnam. Previously, presidents, military officials, and government leaders had lied to the public to justify their actions. -
Watergate
Watergate was a major political scandal in the United States. It involved the Richard Nixon administration stealing important documents from the other party. It would lead to Nixon's resignation. -
1973 Paris Peace Accords
The Paris Peace Accords was a peace treaty signed on January 27, 1973, to establish peace in Vietnam and end the Vietnam War. The Paris Peace Accords ended the direct combat role of United States in the Vietnam War. The Accords were signed by the United States, and North and South Vietnam. -
United States vs. Nixon
United States v. Nixon was a landmark United States Supreme Court case. It resulted in a unanimous decision against President Richard Nixon. They then ordered him to deliver tape recordings and other materials to a federal district court. -
Fall of Saigon
The event marked the end of the Vietnam War. It also marked the start of a transition period from the formal reunification of Vietnam into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. On April 30, 1975, the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese Army, effectively ending the Vietnam War.