Timeline

1930 - Ho Chi Minh found the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP).

1941 - ICP organized a guerrilla force, Viet Minh, in response to invasion by Japan during World War II.

1945 - The Viet Minh seized power. Ho Chi Minh announced Vietnam's independence but was rejected.

Japan succeeded France in ruling Vietnam during World War 2. Sensing a Japanese surrender in the war, the Truman administration supported France in capturing Indochina because the U.S needed French support in reconstruction of Europe after the war and in containing communism.

French troops returned to Vietnam

1946 - French forces attacked Viet Minh in Haiphong in November, sparking the war of resistance against the colonial power. 6000 civilians died.

1950 - Democratic Republic of Vietnam was recognized by China and USSR.

1951 - Communists from Thailand, Laos, North Vietnam met. Viet Minh would use areas of Laos near border of Vietnam to place equipment and men against French. This area would be used for “Ho Chi Minh” trail.

1953 - U.S increased support for French in Indochina, providing 80% of dollar cost. Viet Minh offense divided Vietnam into 2 sides

1954 - Viet Minh forced an attack on an isolated French military outpost in the town of Dien Bien Phu. The attempt to take the outpost lasted two months, during which time the French government agreed to peace talks in Geneva. The French requested U.S intervention. After much consideration, President Eisenhower did not commit troops. On May 7th, the French garrison surrendered.

Ngo Dinh Diem became Prime Minister of South Vietnam.

Global countries signed the Geneva Accords, except U.S and South Vietnam. However, they agreed to the following terms.

  • Halt conflict and wars. Vietnam would remain temporarily divided. North Vietnam was governed by Communists, and South Vietnam was governed by Diem. They would remain separated until a national election was staged to reunite Vietnam under a single government.

  • There was an option for relocation

  • All foreign troops would be removed except French troops, who would remain until national elections occur.

  • Vietnam-wide elections helped in 1956 to choose government of entire nation

  • Laos and Cambodia recognized as independent countries

1955 - Proposal to start the Geneva Accords began. However, Diem refused to participate in election under Geneva Agreements. Instead, he argued that free elections are impossible with Communist regime in North Vietnam. He organized a rigged election and pronounced himself as winner. The U.S recognized Diem’s government as the “legitimate” government of Vietnam and supported the Army of the Republic of South Vietnam (ARSV)

1956 - South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem began campaign against political dissidents. He displaced peasants from their villages into government holding camps

1957 - Beginning of Communist insurgency in the South.

1959 - Weapons and men from North Vietnam began infiltrating the South. U.S. sent Diem an sending more military advisers. The North Vietnamese received aid from the Soviet Union

1960 - American aid to Diem increased.

1961 - J. F. K. sent 400 American combat troops to South Vietnam to serve as advisers. North Vietnamese in Hanoi announced policy to liberate Southern Vietnam by force.

Kennedy made plans for establishing Special Forces (Green Berets) to conduct covert operations against and inside North Vietnam and Laos. Defense Secretary McNamara initiated release of chemical defoliates into South Vietnamese forests.

1962 - Number of US military advisors in South Vietnam rises to 12,000.

1963 - Viet Cong, the communist guerrillas operating in South Vietnam, defeated units of the ARVN, the South Vietnamese Army.

Diem repressed Buddhist demonstrations. Diem's brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, organized police to raid Buddhist temples. On June 11, several Buddhist committed public and political self-immolation in Saigon. The acts drew international attention to South Vietnam and the religious and political persecution under Diem's regime.

President Diem was overthrown and then killed in a US-backed military coup.

1964 - Gulf of Tonkin incident: the US said North Vietnamese patrol boats fired on two US Navy destroyers. US Congress approved Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which authorized military action in the region.

1965 - 200,000 American combat troops arrived in South Vietnam.

1966 - US troop numbers in Vietnam increased to 400,000, then to 500,000 the following year.

1968 - Tet Offensive - a combined assault by Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese army on US positions - began. More than 500 civilians died in the US massacre at My Lai. Thousands were killed by communist forces during their occupation of the city of Hue.

1969 - Ho Chi Minh died. President Nixon began to reduce US ground troops in Vietnam as domestic public opposition to the war grew.

1970 - Nixon's national security advisor, Henry Kissinger, and Le Duc Tho, for the Hanoi government, started talks in Paris.

U.S and ARVN invaded Cambodia to search for North Vietnamese bases. The intrusion resulted in a revolution and war in Cambodia. More than 2 ½ million people would eventually die under the succeeding regime of the Khmer Rouge under its leader Pol Pot.

About 75,000 to 100,000 U.S people gathered in Washington D.C to protest the Cambodian invasion. Demonstration also occurred in over 400 colleges and universities. The National Guard intervened to control the tension. Students in Jackson State in Mississippi were killed by police. Kent State students were killed by the National Guardsmen. The incidents were highly publicized. Student strikes continued nationally.

1973 - Ceasefire agreement in Paris, US troop pull-out completed by March.