Timeline-Vietnam Flashcards
Pre-1945
> Indochina ruled by French Empire
exploited for natural resources (eg Tin)
WW2 1939-45
> Japanese tried taking over Indochina
Vietminh form under Ho Chi Minh
1946-54
> Indochina war
Vietnam vs France
1952
> Eisenhower elected next US President
SEATO alliance
1954
> Dien Bien Phu- 50K Vietnamese VS 10K French
Geneva agreement - Vietnam split on 17th parallel
South controlled by Diem
North controlled by Ho Chi Minh
1955
> Diem’s election(rigged badly) 98.2%
Geneva Agreement broken^
Diem’s: nepotism, arrested 100,000 opposition
1960
> Vietcong form against Diem(In South)
1961
93% US own TVs
>JKF becomes President of US
1963
> Diem killed
Buddhist protests-self-immolation
1964
> Gulf of Tonkin/Tonkin Resolution
USS Maddox attacked which gave LBJ a black check to put boots on ground
May 1965
> SDS led a march to Washington
100,000 joined
1965
> Operation Rolling Thunder
supposed to last 8 weeks, lasted 3 years
250,000 troops sent into Vietnam
1967
> MLK against war-racism at home was bad, why are they fighting for somewhere else when the US needs improvements?
Veterans Against War founded
1968
> 31st January TET OFFENSIVE -North & Vietcong attacked South cities (Saigon, Nha Trang) & US strongholds
Vietnamese-60,000 casualties & US + South-less than 10,000 casualties
MY LAI MASSACRE - killed 350-550 by Charlie Company
January 1969
> Nixon asked his representative Henry Cabot Lodge to go to Paris to begin Peace Talks with North Vietnam
August 1969
> Woodstock Music Festival
opportunity for anti-war singers to PROTEST
1969
> Vietnamization by Nixon-84,000/540,000 troops taken out
500,00 protests
30% US troops on drugs
December 1969
Henry Cabot Lodge resigns , no progress in Peace Talks
February 1970
Henry Kissinger does secret Peace Talks in Paris
April 1970
> Cambodia Invaded - Operation Menu
4th May Kent State protest because of ^ then became a shooting killing 4, injuring 5
8th February 1971
> Laos Invaded- Operation Barrel Roll
April 1971
> Veterans Against War tossed their medals onto Washington Steps
More than 8000 joined
January 1972
> Nixon’s speech-revealed secret peace talks
“peace with honour”
February 1972
> Nixon visits China to improve relations between China and the USA
March 1972
> North Vietnam launched an attack in the South
Nixon orders the bombing of Hanoi in retaliation
May 1972
> Nixon visits the USSR to improve relations between USA and USSR
October 1972
> North Vietnam suggest an ‘in place’ ceasefire
A new Vietnamese government with free elections
Nixon agrees and gives $1Billion of military equipment to South incase they need it
27th January 1973
> Paris Peace Accord is agreed and signed:
an immediate ceasefire
All P.O.W released within 60 days
All US troops to leave within 60 days
Free elections to be held in the South
March 1973
> Last US troops leave Vietnam
December 1974
> Nixon caught in a scandal(Watergate scandal) and so must resign
Next US President Ford failed to win support of US congress to support South Vietnam
Communist North attacked South regardless of Paris Peace Accord
30th April 1975
> Capital city of Saigon is renamed Ho Chi Minh
Vietnam is communist
After 30 years of struggle and conflict, the conflict was over
US has failed to prevent the spread of communism into South Vietnam
