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Ho Chi Mihn seizes power
Ho Chi Minh announces Vietnam independence after Viet Minh seizes power in North Vietnam. He organized the Viet Minh (Vietnam Independence League) and declared presidency of the city Hanoi in North Vietnam. Minh believed in a Communist party, which shaped the future political standpoint for North Vietnam. -
Geneva Conference
The Geneva Conference was held in Geneva, Switzerland to find a solution to issues regarding Korea and Indochina. The conference included many countries including the United States. Vietnam was temporarily separated during the conference. South Vietnam was ran by the State of Vietnam, while the North was governed by Ho Chi Minh. Although the separation was supposed to be temporary, the two sides denied access to unify as one again. -
Ngo Dinh Diem campaign
The South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem campaigned against North Vietnam and was anti-Communist. He also blocked the unification of the North and South after the Geneva Conference, which the United States supported for the South. -
North Vietnam begins attacks on South
North Vietnam, under control of Ho Chi Minh, was authorized to begin military action while creating a trail for supplies. The Viet Cong had been set up in parts of South Vietnam to suppress government control of Diem. As time went on, encounters between Viet Cong and South Vietnamese had increased with Viet Congs successes increasing also. -
United States helps South Vietnam
The South Vietnamese president Diem had began feeling the defeat from Viet Cong and North Vietnam. Diem appointed the United States for assistance in training anti guerrilla warfare. United States agreed, but had stated it was only a temporary relief. The United States were not involved in the war, nor taking sides. -
Operation Chopper
Operation Chopper was the first combined United States and South Vietnam attack on Viet Cong. United States provided air craft to transport the South Vietnamese soldiers to the location of the attack. By this time, United States soldier involvement increased to 12,000. US was still not involved in the war, but providing assistance to the South. -
Viet Cong defeats South Vietnam
The Battle of Ap Bac took place in early January. The South was assisted by United States aircrafts and outnumbered the Viet Cong. Although the odds seemed in favor of ARVN, Viet Cong had devised plans to take out US aircrafts and ended up succeeding. Viet Cong ended up with over 200 South Vietnamese casualties and five US air crafts shot down. Although Viet Cong retreated, the overall damage was in their favor. -
Gulf of Tonkin
Off the gulf of Tonkin, along the coast of North Vietnam, two incidents involving the United States occurred. In the first, USS Maddox went into a sea battle with three North Vietnam Navy boats. US left with no casualties and damage to torpedo boats and an aircraft carrier. US also claimed the incident was only a peaceful surveillance. The second incident occurred when US claimed to be under fire on the gulf of Tonkin. There has since been no evidence of an attack. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
United States increased their troop involvement to 200,000 by this time in the war. In early March, Operation Rolling Thunder was set out against North Vietnam. The US and South Vietnam had over 100 aircrafts planned to bomb North Vietnam over the span of eight weeks. Instead, the attack totaled a span of over 3 years. North Vietnam responded with the attack by increasing communist loyalty. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was an attack by North Vietnam and Viet Cong against the US embassy in Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam. The Battle of Saigon was the first attack during the Tet Offense. The Battle of Hue was the second and the bloodiest of the attacks. US and ARVN attacked and defeated 10,000 Viet Cong. The success for ARVN was a notable time in the war. -
Death of Ho Chi Minh
The Vietnam war was still in progress, with no end in sight nor a reasonable victor. In the beginning of September, North Vietnam faced a troubling loss. Ho Chi Minh died of heart failure in Hanoi. The result of his death meant the war had to be continued without the communist leader. -
Peace talks
United States President Richard Nixon appointed national security advisor David K.E. Bruce to start peace talks within Viet Cong and North Vietnam in Paris. Short after the meetings, the last major battle between the US and North Vietnam took place. The Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord was a 23 day battle on ground. -
US Involvement
United States President Richard Nixon had began to feel the pressure from US citizens to retreat and end the war. Nixon had reduced the size of US troop involvement by nearly 80 percent. Nixon and advisor Henry Kissinger had secret meetings with North Vietnam to agree on a peace plan for US. The agreement stated that US involved would be retreated within six months. -
Paris Peace Accords
The United States had withdrawn from South Vietnam as a result of the Paris Peace Accords. All US troops and prisoners of war had been released and taken out of Vietnam completely. The peace treaty also set up a peace settlement between North and South Vietnam. -
End of War
The Fall of Saigon was the end of the Vietnam war. North Vietnam invaded the South's capital which resulted in Vietnam uniting as one country again. Vietnam now under communist control was the first step to the new transition into the new country.
