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Geneva Conference
It was at this conference that Vietnam was split in two, North Vietnam being lead by Ho Chi Min and the Viet Minh and South Vietnam lead by the State of Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem. Many countries attended this conference and settled on this temporary seperation of Vietnam. https://apps.cndls.georgetown.edu/projects/uschina/archive/fullsize/geneva-conference_12ff97788f_6995c64774.jpg -
French defeated at Dien Bien Phu
While the French occupied Dien Bien Phu along the Vietnamese boarder, they were sieged by the Vietminh in a battle that lasted 57 days and ended in French defeat and retreat. The importance of this victory for the Vietminh was the withdrawal from the French also ending their colonial influence in the area. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/french-defeated-at-dien-bien-phu -
Government of the Republic of Vietnam & Viet Minh Born
With massive amounts of international aid, South Vietnam builds their own non-communist government. North Vietnam is under communist control under Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh army. Some Vietnamese south of the border still favored the communist government in the North. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Nguyen_A%C3%AFn_Nu%C3%A4'C_(Ho-Chi-Minh),_d%C3%A9l%C3%A9gu%C3%A9_indochinois,_Congr%C3%A8s_communiste_de_Marseille,_1921,_Meurisse,_BNF_Gallica.jpg -
JFK is Elected President
John F. Kennedy is elected President of the United States. He is the youngest president to ever be elected at age 43, and he was also the first Catholic President. Kennedy will be making crutial decisions about the Vietnam War. http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/index-1961.html -
Diem Assassinated
President Ngo Dinh Diem along with his brother is captured by South Vietnamese soldiers and killed. The death of the president was celebrated throughout the South, but his death also threw the country's political system into chaos, resulting in more aid from the United States. content:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ngo-dinh-diem-assassinated-in-south-vietnam image:
http://media-1.web.britannica.com/eb-media/52/19052-004-69271A68.jpg -
U.S. Supports South Vietnamese Troops
President Kennedy announces the United States is sending Military Officers to South Vietnam to help train their military effort. This arrangement lasted a little short of 10 years until the United States pulled out. -
Tonkin Attacks
The U.S. destroyer Maddox was attacked/attacked another naval ship off the coast of North Vietnam. A second attack was reported on the Maddox, and another U.S. destroyer. The report of the second attack is recently said to have never happened. Reguardless, this event lead American to be fully involved in the Vietnam war.
content:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9PNAUjDnGU
Image:
http://www.theblackmosaic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/johnson.jpg -
Tet Offensive
The Viet Cong launched a surprise attack on the American and South Vietnamese troops but the attacked troops responded quickly and effectively. However, the battle lasted for months and it dwindled American's support for the war with every month the battle continued. Content:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9PNAUjDnGU Image:
http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2014/02/BE082302-P.jpeg -
Nixon Elected President
Richard Nixon was elected President of the United States. Nixon promised to promote “peace with honor” with Vietnam, but U.S. troops were still in Vietnam until 1973. This was known as "VIETNAMIZATION" or the act of removing
U.S. involvement in Vietnam. -
Kent State Massacar
President Nixon announced the U.S. invasion of Cambodia and also announced that there would be another draft to help with war efforts, massive protests broke out on college campuses all around the country. This picture above is a famous, Pulitzer Prize winning, photograph of one of the 4 student protesters slain by the National Guard. Over 500 other colleges were protesting the draft.
image: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/140502182506-01-ken-state---filo---restricted-super-169.jpg -
Calley Convicted and the My Lai Massacare
Lt. Calley was apart of U.S. forces on a search and destroy mission that lasted over a year, towards the end of his mission they landed in a small Vietnam village named My Lai. At the village, Calley and his troops only found women, children, and old men. Angered at the slow advancment of the war and thier mission, the U.S. troops began killing the innocent village. over 200 Vietnamese innocent people died, and the Lieutenant responsible for the massacre served less than 5 years in prison. -
Fall of Saigon
Without American support, South Vietnam fell to the communist party, basically handing it to them to spare bloodshed. http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.11537.1354891389!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/gallery_1200/fall-saigon-marks-vietnam-war.jpg -
U.S. withdraws from Vietnam
As Nixon promised, as he became President, he withdrew troops from Vietnam. At the time of his elections there were almost 500,000 troops in Vietnam and Nixon successfully ended America's 8-year involvement in Vietnam. http://a.abcnews.go.com/images/International/ap_robert_stirm_mi_130327_blog.jpg