The Important/Impactful/Significant events during the Vietnam War Timeline by Prima Hansaward
By pripri
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Dividing Vietnam
After the French were defeated in Dien Bien Phu, in the northwest of Vietnam, a peace conference in Geneva occurred in July 1954. This event resulted in the French colony, Indochina, to split into 3 separate countries which were Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. This event also resulted into dividing Vietnam into North Vietnam, the communists, and South Vietnam, the anti-communists, called the 17th Parallel according to the iicshumanities1.weebly.com, website. -
The Forming of the NLF
The NLF or the National Liberation Front was formed to effect the overthrow of the South Vietnamese government and to unify North and South Vietnam. The United States would call this "Vietcong" short for Vietnamese communists. The NLF was made up of different political and religious groups including communists and non-communists. According to the iicshumanities1.weebly.com, many people in Washington, United States assumed that the NLF were puppets of Hanoi. -
The War Escalates
In March 1965, President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson, decided to send the first U.S combat forces into the Vietnam War to help fight along with South Vietnam as the U.S believed in the Domino Theory. The Domino Theory is that if Vietnam falls as a Communist, then countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and the rest of South East Asia will fall under Communism as well. -
The U.S Ends Involvement
On this day, President Richard Nixon ends direct U.S involvement according to history.com by signing the Paris Peace Accords in Paris. The Paris Peace Accords was an agreement between the U.S, South Vietnam, Viet Cong, and North Vietnam to end the war and restore peace in Vietnam. Nevertheless, as the U.S departs from Vietnam, North Vietnamese officials continue to plot on overtaking South Vietnam. -
The Fall of Saigon
On this day, Saigon, the capital city of South Vietnam, is seized by the communist forces. After being surrounded by 100,000 PAVN or People's Army of Vietnam troops, President Duong Van Minh declares an unconditional surrender of his government states thevietnamwar.info. Later on, in July on this same year, North and South Vietnam become unified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and runs under the ideology of Communism.
