Vietnam

Question 1

What happens in 1954 (2)

Answer 1

Eisenhower
*Battle of Dien Bien Phu - Giap defeats the french force based there
*a ceasefire is agreed at Geneva that splits Vietnam into South and North along 17th parallel

Question 2

What happens in 1955 (1)

Answer 2

Eisenhower
*Pro-American Ngo Dinh Diem becomes South Viet president

Question 3

What happens in 1956 (1)

Answer 3

Eisenhower
*Diem starts a campaign against political dissidents

Question 4

What happens in 1957 (4)

Answer 4

Eisenhower
*Viet Minh start a campaign of guerilla warfare in South
*North Viet weapons and men infiltrate south
*American military advisors are killed in Vietnam
*Ho Chi Minh trail is used for the first time

Question 5

What happens in 1960 (2)

Answer 5

Eisenhower
*American aid to Diem increases
*The National Liberation front is formed in Hanoi in the south (Viet Cong)

Question 6

What happens in 1961 (1)

Answer 6

Kennedy
*President Kennedy pledges extra aid to South

Question 7

What happens in 1962 (1)

Answer 7

Kennedy
*Number of US military advisors in South Vietnam rises to 12,000

Question 8

What happens in 1963 (2)

Answer 8

Kennedy
*Viet Cong (communists in south) defeats units of the ARVN (South Viet army)
*Kennedy supports Coup against Diem

Question 9

What happens in 1964 (2)

Answer 9

Johnson
*The Gulf of Tonkin Incident - US says that North Viet patrol boats have fired on two US Navy destroyers
*US congress approves Gulf of Tonkin resolution, which authorises military action in the region

Question 10

What happens in 1965 (2)

Answer 10

Johnson
*Operation Rolling Thunder begins
*first US combat troops are sent to Vietnam in March, 20,000 troops by end of year

Question 11

What happens in 1966 & 7? (1)

Answer 11

Johnson
*US troop numbers rise to 400,000 and 500,000 1967

Question 12

What happens in 1968 (3)

Answer 12

Johnson
*Tet offensive, 31 Jan: 70,000 North Viet & Viet cong forces launch coordinated attacks on more than 100 cities and towns in South Vietnam
*More than 500 civilians die at My Lai in US massacre
*Secret peace talks begin in Paris

Question 13

What happens in 1969 (4)

Answer 13

Nixon
*Ho Chi Minh dies
*The policy of Vietnamization begins as Nixon starts to reduce US ground troops in Vietnam
*Nixon orders the secret bombing of Cambodia
*My Lai massacre made public in November

Question 14

What happens in 1970 (2)

Answer 14

Nixon
*Nixon’s national security advisor, Henry Kissinger, and Le Duc Tho for the Hanoi gov, start talks in Paris
*US soldiers reduced to 280,000

Question 15

What happens in 1971 (2)

Answer 15

Nixon
*140,000 US troops in Vietnam remain
*Lt William Calley convicted of murder and My Lai and jailed

Question 16

What happens in 1973 (2)

Answer 16

Nixon
*Jan: a ceasefire agreement in Paris is reached
*March: US troop pull-out is completed