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Ho Chi Minh and the Creation of the Viet Minh
Ho Chi Minh was a revolutionary who wanted to take over Vietnam and let Vietnam be free. French Indochina was impacted. Ho Chi Minh was a communist, and this caused tensions with America, making the Domino Effect. -
The First Indochina War
Under France's control, the leader of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, declared Vietnam's independence, causing France to oppose this decision. Vietnam and France went to war, and Vietnam won by guerrilla tactics. This caused the separation of Vietnam into the South and the North. -
America Aids France
America began to assist France in the First Indochina War in 1950 to prevent the spread of Communism. This helped France with financial and military support, but Vietnam still won the war. -
The Domino Theory
The Domino Theory was a Cold War concept that revolved mostly around Southeast Asia. If one country were to fall into Communism, the neighboring countries would also fall into a Communist government. Vietnam was the first, so America didn't want it to spread to the countries near Vietnam. -
The Geneva Accords
This ended the Vietnam War and divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel. This made North Vietnam and South Vietnam. This made France and the US withdraw their troops from Vietnam while the North kept theirs in South Vietnam. -
Diêm's Assassination
Due to Diem's increasingly dictatorial rules and the US's frustration with the way he was handling the Vietnam War, he was overthrown and killed by a military coup. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The US sent a USS Maddox destroyer to the Gulf of Tonkin, only to have its ship be targeted by torpedo ships from North Vietnam. This allowed Lyndon B. Johnson to have congressional approval for military action, which can lead to joining the Vietnam War. -
The Tet Offensive
A coordinated attack on the US and South Vietnam from the Viet Cong during the Vietnamese New Year's celebration. Though the Viet Cong had a military defeat, this had a major impact on the American public. -
My Lai Massacre
The US war crimes against unarmed civilians in the village, My Lai during the Vietnam War. This event was covered up, but eventually brought to the media, and this caused the public to divide over the Vietnam War. -
Vietnamization
President Nixon planned to train South Vietnamese to become soldiers and aid in the war so that the US could slowly withdraw its troops from Vietnam. This caused more Vietnamese soldiers instead of Americans. This was also a plan to have South Vietnam take responsibility for the war. -
Agent Orange
Agent Orange was a chemical blended with pesticides that the US military released into Vietnam to remove foliage and trees. However, this caused birth defects as Vietnamese children would have abnormal appearances. -
War Powers Act
A federal law that was used to check the president's power to commit US forces into armed conflict without the consent of Congress. The Congress must be notified 48 hours in advance for a hostile or immediate situation that calls for armed forces. -
US Withdrawal
The US withdrew its troops from Vietnam following the Paris Peace Accords. However, North Vietnam violated the Peace Treaty and reunified North and South as a communist country, the US didn't give any support. -
The Fall of Saigon
Saigon was captured by North Vietnam, which ended the Vietnam War. This is also the collapse of the South Vietnamese government, causing Vietnam to reunify under a communist government. Many Vietnamese and Americans were evacuated from Vietnam by helicopter.