The
Vietnam War
In 1957, part of South Vietnam, called the Viet Cong, who were Communist, rebelled against the South Vietnamese government. At the time, the South Vietnam government was lead by President Ngo Dinh Diem. Generals in South Vietnam overthrew the Diem government in 1963 with the support of the American Government, under President Kennedy. President Diem was killed. On November 2 in 1964, Americans claimed that two U.S. destroyers were attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin near North Vietnam. Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which allowed President Johnson to take “all necessary measures" and “to prevent further aggression. The first U.S. ground troops were sent to South Vietnam in 1965 under President Johnson's command. In 1967, General Nguyen Van Thieu was elected President of South Vietnam. North Vietnam and the Viet Cong began major military campaigns against South Vietnam. Major attacks, such as at Saigon, began the Tet Offensive in 1968, which was the turning point of the war. In 1969, President Nixon announced that the United States troops would gradually withdraw. The United States home front was displaying massive antiwar demonstrations. On January 27, 1973, the United States, North Vietnam, and Viet Cong signed a cease fire agreement. President Nixon claimed, "Peace with Honor”. The last of the American combat troops left Vietnam and American prisoners were released in 1975. Although America had withdrawn, fighting continued in Vietnam until South Vietnam was overpowered and had to surrender.
Time Line
September 2 1945
Hichi Minh proclaims the
Independent Democratic Republic of
Vietnam.
August 16, 1955
The last French Commissioner
departs Vietnam
October 26, 1955
The Republic of South Vietnam
is established by President Diem
July 8, 1959
First Americans killed in
Vietnam
November 22, 1963
President Kennedy is
assassinated in Dallas.
July 28, 1965
President Johnson orders an
increase in United States military forces from 75,000 to 125,000 and
indicates he will order additional
increases.
March 16,
1968
Unites States troops kill 200
to 500 unarmed villagers at the hamlet of Mai Lai.
November 6, 1968
Richard Nixon is elected
President with a mandate to
bring the fighting to an end.
1969
The year in which United States
troops peaked at 543,000 men.
February 12, 1973
Return of United States POWs
(prisoners of war) begins with the release of 142 of 587 United
States prisoners.
April 27-30, 1975
Americans start to return from
Saigon.
July 2, 1976
Official unification of Vietnam
as the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam.
The War
The
United States became involved in Vietnam because it believed that if
all of the country fell under a Communist government, Communism would
spread throughout Southeast Asia and beyond. This belief was known as
the "domino theory." The U.S. government, therefore, supported the
South Vietnamese government. This government's repressive policies
led to rebellion in the South, and the NLF (National Liberation
Front) was formed as an opposition group with close ties to North
Vietnam.
In 1965 the United States sent in troops to prevent the South
Vietnamese government from collapsing. Ultimately, however, the
United States failed to achieve its goal, and in 1975 Vietnam was
reunified under Communist control; in 1976 it officially became the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam. During the conflict, approximately 3
to 4 million Vietnamese on both sides were killed, in addition to
another 1.5 to 2 million Laotians and Cambodians who were drawn into
the war. More than 58,000 Americans lost their lives.
