vietnam timeline. 1874 france takes control of vietnam
TRANSCRIPT
Vietnam Timeline
1874
France takes control of Vietnam
President and US Military Presence: 1941
Roosevelt
1941
Ho Chi Minh founded the Viet Minh
To fight the Japanese
Popular leader Not anti-American
Nationalist/land reform
President and US Military Presence: 1945
Truman
1945
Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam Independent
US and Vietnamese fought against Japanese
Quotes US Declaration of IndependenceAsks the US for aid five times
1950
United States gives direct economic and military aid to the French
War begins between Vietminh and France Domino Theory/Keep Alliance with French
In total $4 billion to the French
President and US Military Presence: 1954
Eisenhower
1954
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Last Battle of French/Vietminh War
Vietminh won
1954
Geneva Conference Vietnam divided at the 17th parallel. Elections
in two years Cease fire
Neither side would form alliances with other countries
1954
US Support Ngo Dinh Diem as leader of South Vietnam
Western Educated. Diem was Catholic. Vietnam a country of Buddhists.
Corrupt Two US advisors
worked closely with Diem.
Strongly Anti-Communist.
1956
Diem cancels electionsHe knew that Ho Chi Minh would win.He broke the Geneva Conventions.
President and US Military Presence: 1960
900 US
1960
National Liberation Front a.k.a. Viet Cong
South Vietnamese who hate Diem
Supported by peasants
Civil War breaks out
Use Guerilla/terror tactics
Viet Cong Solider
President and US Military Presence: 1963
Kennedy
1963
Buddhists Riots in Hue
Diem outlawed Buddhists flags
Buddhists protested this and were shot
A few monks lit themselves on fire- Made Diem look bad
President and US Military Presence: 1963
16,000 US
1963
Diem Overthrown and Assassinated Diem received millions in aid, yet his country was
bankrupt Unpopular and corrupt US supported a military coup Diem & brother killed. Unwilling/able to change
conditions that led to popularity communism/NLF
1963
Kennedy Assassinated
Johnson swears he will not “lose” Vietnam
Viet Cong are already assassinating US advisors
President and US Military Presence: 1964
Johnson 184,300 US
1964
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Johnson claimed that two ships were attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin
Congress gave Johnson a “blank check” in Vietnam
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
President and US Military Presence: 1965
200,000 US
1965
Operation Rolling Thunder
Viet Cong attacked a US airfield in South Vietnam
US begins bombing N. Vietnam. Continued for three years.
Bomb bases, roads, railroads & Ho Chi Minh trail
Start sending ground troops
President and US Military Presence: 1968
540,000 US
1968
Tet Offensive (Vietnamese New Year)
The VC/NVA took control of major cities in S. Vietnam
The US mainstream started questioning the war
The US retook major cities but damage was done
President and US Military Presence: 1969
Nixon
1969
Secret Bombing of Cambodia Bombed communist strongholds Continued to bomb the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Secret bombing Of Cambodia: Sites indicated In Red
President and US Military Presence: 1969
484,000 US
1969
My Lai Massacre March 16, 1968 Search and
destroy mission 350 civilians
killed by US army division
Became public knowledge in 1969
My Lai Massacre Monument
1969
Anti-War Demonstrations After Tet, mainstream
US against war College campuses
center of protest movement- biggest at Columbia U where students occupied President’s office
Marches, teach-ins, burning draft cards, jail, leaving country…
1970
Vietnamization
Advisors said it would take 8 yrs to win the war
Trained and fund S. Vietnamese troops to take over
Allowed US troops to begin to come home
President and US Military Presence: 1970
335,000 US
1970
Kent State A protest against
the invasion of Cambodia
Burned down ROTC building
National Guard fired on crowd
Four students killed, one paralyzed for life
President and US Military Presence: 1971
184,000 US
1971
Pentagon Papers Defense Dept. employee Daniel Ellsburg leaked
top secret document to the NY Times and Wash. Post
Revealed Government was lying about war
1973
Last Troops Leave Vietnam After a massive bombing campaign in the
North US turned the war over to South. (Paris Peace Accords)
Symbolized our inability to defeat the Communists
President and US Military Presence: 1975
Ford
1975
Last Americans leave Saigon during the early morning
The North took over Saigon The Civil War was over The Communist won
More than 58,000 US soldiers died $150 billion Over 2 million Southeast Asians died Equivalent of 650 Hiroshimas dropped