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Foreign Policy
In an address to Congress, President Harry Truman states that the foreign policy of the United States is to assist any country whose stability is threatened by communism. The policy becomes known as the Truman Doctrine. -
Head of Vietnam
The French install former emperor Bao Dai as head of state in Vietnam. -
Atom Bomb in Kazakhstan
The Soviet Union explodes its first atom bomb in a remote area of Kazakhstan, marking a tense turning point in the Cold War with the United States. -
Mao Zedong
Following a civil war, Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong declares the creation of the People’s Republic of China. -
Military Aid
The People’s Republic of China and the Soviet Union formally recognize the communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam and both begin to supply economic and military aid to communist resistance fighters within the country. -
Communist China
Assisted by the Soviet Union and the newly Communist China, the Viet Minh step up their offensive against French outposts in Vietnam. -
Military Assistance to France
The United States, identifying the Viet Minh as a Communist threat, steps up military assistance to France for their operations against the Viet Minh. -
End of French Rule in Indochina
French troops are humiliated in defeat by Viet Minh forces at Dien Bien Phu. The defeat solidifies the end of French rule in Indochina. -
Domino Effect
In a speech, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower says the fall of French Indochina to communists could create a “domino” effect in Southeast Asia. This so-called domino theory guides U.S. thinking on Vietnam for the next decade. -
17th Parallel
The Geneva Accords establish North and South Vietnam with the 17th parallel as the dividing line. The agreement also stipulates that elections are to be held within two years to unify Vietnam under a single democratic government. These elections never happen.
