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Domino Theory
President Eisenhower coins the phrase “you have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is a certainty that it will go over very quickly” describing his view on the spread of Communism. His speech also explained to the American people why Vietnam was so crucial to the United States. If Vietnams was to fall, consequently, so would other South Asian countries. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
This gave LBJ the ability to use the military in South Asia without having to declare war. 6 years later, this resolution was terminated because it gave the president too much power. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
LBJ sent troops to North Vietnam for their 1st bombing. The purpose was to impose on North Vietnam and limit their military ability. -
My Lai Massacre
A group of American soldiers went to South Vietnam and killed an entire village because of the belief that they were a part of Vietcong. Everyone involved in the massacre either died (Vietnamese) or covered it up (American). About 500 people were killed. -
Nixon is President
Nixon is elected president in the midst of the Vietnam War. He promised to decrease the number of troops in Vietnam. He did not deliver on his promise since the number of troops remained high. -
Kent State Shooting
At Kent State, college students were protresting the Vietnam War. In the chaos, the guards open fired and killed 4 students and injured 9. -
Saigon falls
The capital of South Vietnam is captured by North Vietnamese and they esentially took over all of South Vietnam. Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh city after the North Vietnamese leader.
