1945
In March the Japanese depose the French colonial rulers of Vietnam and take control of the country
On September 2 the Japanese sign a surrender agreement concluding World War II. On the same day Ho Chi Minh proclaims Vietnam independence.
In October, with the support of the British, the French regain control of much of Vietnam.
1946
In December the Vietminh launch their first major attack against the French, with whom they have fought skirmishes throughout the year. The First Indochina War begins.
1949
In October Mao Zedong's Communist forces defeat the Nationalist Army of Chiang Kai-shek, leading to fear within the United States of Communist domination of all of Southeast Asia.
1950
In January China and the Soviet Union recognize the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, and China ships military equipment to the Vietminh.
In February the United States and Britain recognize the Bao Dai government in South Vietnam.
In July American President Harry Truman offers the French in Vietnam $15 million in militry aid, which is the start of U.S. military involvement.
1953
American President Dwight Eisenhower invokes the Domino Theory to justify continued U.S. military support for the French in Vietnam, who are fighting the Vietminh. According to the theory, if even a single country in Southeast Asia fell to Communism, the entire region would quickly be lost to dictatorship.
1954
In March 13 Siege of Dien Bien Phu begins
In May 7 Siege of Dien Bien Phu ends in French defeat. 40,000 Vietminh troops lay siege to the French military garrison and shell its airstrip, cutting off all supply routes and forcing the French to surrender. In July 20 the Geneva Convention ends and divides Vietnam at the 17th parallel into North Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh, and South Vietnam, led by Emperor Bao Dai. The accords call for a general election to reunite the country within two years.
1955
In October South Vietnam Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem replaces Emperor Bao Dai in a rigged election. On October 26 Diem proclaims South Vietnam "Republic of Vietnam."
1956
In July the deadline passes for the elections meant to unify Vietnam. President Diem of South Vietnam refuses to participate, fearing a Communist victory.
1957
In January the Soviet Union proposes the division between North and South Vietnam be accepted as permanent, with both countries accepted into the United Nations. The United States refuses.
In October the Vietminh begins a guerrilla campaign in South Vietnam, targeting South Vietnamese officials, of whom more than 400 were killed by the end of the year.
1959
President Ngo Dinh Diem cracks down on Communists and other dissidents with harsh new laws.
1960
In April North Vietnam imposes universal conscription. In South Vietnam, President Diem shuts down several opposition newspapers and arrests journalists and intellectuals.
In November Diem orders a further crackdown on "enemies of the state"; more than 50,000 are arrested.
In December the National Liberation Front, a revolutionary group, is formed in South Vietnam. President Diem calls them the "Vietcong," a dismissive term that means "Vietnamese Communists."
1961
In January Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev promises that the USSR will support all "wars of national liberation," which encourages the Vietcong in their fight against Diem.
In May U.S. President John F. Kennedy sends 500 Special Forces American troops and military advisers to South Vietnam to serve as "special advisers" training South Vietnam soldiers.
August 10 the US first uses the defoliant Agent Orange to destroy crops and jungles used by VCs for camouflage.
Dec 22 Specialist 4 James T. Davis becomes the first American battlefield fatality in Vietnam.
1962
In August U.S. President Kennedy signs the Foreign Assistance Act, which pledges "military assistance to countries which are on the rim of the Communist world and under direct attack."
1963
Public resistance to Ngo Dinh Diem's government mounts. Throughout the summer, Buddhists protest Diem's religious intolerance with public rallies, and, on several occasions, by self-immolation.
Diem responds by imposing martial law.
On November 2, with the quiet approval of the United States, a coup by the South Vietnamese Army deposes Diem, who is subsequently killed along with his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu.
Nov. 22 President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas.Lyndon Baines Johnson is sworn in later that day aboard Air Force One.
1964
In March U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara visits South Vietnam and pledges that the United States will "stay for as long as it takes" to defeat the Communist insurgents.
On July 31 South Vietnamese troops in unmarked speed boats raid two North Vietnamese military bases in the Gulf of Tonkin.
On August 2 three North Vietnamese patrol boats fire torpedoes and machine-gun rounds at the USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin.
On August 3 the USS Maddox and the USS C. Turner Joy begin an aggressive series of movements in the Gulf of Tonkin. That night, with the accuracy of their electronic instruments diminished by thunderstorms, crew members take themselves to be under attack and return fire.
On August 4 although there are serious doubts about whether the second attack occurred, the United States bombs oil facilities and naval targets in North Vietnam.
On August 7 the U.S. Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving the president the power to "take all necessary steps, including the use of armed force" to protect American troops stationed in the area.
Nov 3 LBJ wins the presidential election over Barry Goldwater.
1965
On March 2 the United States commences Operation Rolling Thunder, an air campaign against North Vietnam.
On March 8 through March 9 the first combat troops, a contingent of 3,500 U.S. marines, arrive in Da nang to join 23,000 American military advisers. American President Lyndon Johnson authorizes the use of napalm.
In May the United States announces a pause in bombing in the hope that North Vietnam will negotiate; the pause lasts six days.
In July 28 Johnson announces he is sending 44 combat battalions to Vietnam, bringing the total number of American troops to 125,000. Monthly draft calls double in size to 35,000.
In August Johnson signs a bill making it illegal to burn draft cards.
From August 18 through August 24 Operation Starlight
Oct 15 During a demonstration headed by the National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam, a young Catholic pacifist becomes the first protestor to publicly burn his draft card.
On November 14 through November 26 Ia Drang battle
As the war intensifies in Vietnam, US casualties hit a record of 240 troops killed and 470 wounded in one week.
In December Johnson announces a second bombing pause, which lasts 37 days. By year's end there are 184,000 American troops in Vietnam.
1966
In February the Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds televised hearing on American involvement in Vietnam.
In March an attempt to repeal the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution fails in the Senate by a vote of 92 to 5. Anti-war protests are held in Washington, New York,Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Philadelphia.
August 17 Battle of Long Tan
In October the Soviet Union announces economic and military support for North Vietnm.
By the end of the year there are 389,000 American soldiers in Vietnam. Just over 5,000 U.S. troops are killed, and 30,000 are wounded.
1967
From January 8 through 26 Operation Cedar Falls.
Jan 15 at Yale University 462 faculty members send Johnson a letter calling for an end to the bombing of North Vietnam. Faculty at other universities follow suit.
Feb 15 2,500 women go to the Pentagon to demand to see "the generals who sent our sons to die."
In February Operation Junction City , the largest American offensive of the war, begins with 22 American battalions and 4 South Vietnamese battalions. 2,728 Vietcong are killed, as are 282 Americans.
Mar 6 Johnson announces plan to reform the draft and create a lottery.
Mar 26 10,000 hippies stage a nonviolent "Be-In" in Central Park.
April 17 World heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali refuses induction into military service, and is stripped of his boxing crown. He will be sentenced to 5 years in jail, and fined $10,000 for draft evasion. The conviction is later overturned by the US Supreme Court.
In April there are huge demonstrations against the war in New York and San Francisco, with Martin Luther King Jr. saying that the war is detracting from President Johnson's planned social programs.
In July General William Westmoreland, the American Commander in Vietnam, asks for 200,000 more soldiers, which would bring the total commitment to 675,000. Johnson sends only 45,000 more.
Oct 21 Writer Norman Mailer is among the protestors in a march on the Pentagon.
In November U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara resigns, privately citing his concerns with President Johnson's war strategy.
In December the Vietcong murder 252 civilians in the village of Dak Son, according to the U.S. military.
At the end of the year total American combat losses are approximately 16,000.
1968
Jan 20 through April 1
Siege of Khe sanh: 20,000 North Vietnamese troops lay siege to the American air base at Khe sanh in the northernmost part of South Vietnam, home to 5,000 American soldiers. President Johnson, who is terrified by the repeat of the fall of the Dien Bien Phu, orders a massive bombardment of the North Vietnamese troops.
Jan 30 to March 20 Tet Offensive: Vietcong guerrillas launch the Tet Offensive, a coordinated attack on cities and towns throughout South Vietnam. Although the Vietcong suffer heavy losses, the Offensive is considered a major setback to the United States. In the city of Hue, victorious Vietcong execute more than 3,000 South Vietnamese troops and government officials.
In Feb the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff asks President Johnson for 206,000 more troops, a request Secretary of State Dean Rush denies was ever made after the New York Times breaks the story a week later. Senator Robert F. Kennedy: " A total military victory is not within sight, or around the corner; in fact, it is beyond our grasp."
On Mar 16 American soldiers massacre between 300 and 500 civilians, many of them women and children, in the village of My Lai.
Mar 31 Johnson announces he will end bombing of North Vietnam, and he will not seek re-election, and urges North Vietnam to negotiate, ordering a partial halt to bombing.
April Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford announces a call-up of 24,500 reservists and National Guardsmen.
April 4 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is shot dead in Memphis, TN
April 23 Columbia University students barricade the Office of the Dean. Similar protests take place at colleges and high schools.
In April the 77-day siege of Khe sanh ends when North Vietnamese troops withdraw.
In May preliminary peace talks begin between the US and North Vietnam in Paris, but they soon flounder. About 2000 are killed in Vietnam during the month.
June 5 Robert Kennedy is fatally shot dead in LA.
August 26-29 10,000 anti-war protesters at the Democratic National Convention are met by 26,000 police and National Guardsmen. 800 protesters are injured.
By the end of the year there are 495,000 American soldiers in Vietnam and an accumulated death toll of approximately 30,000.
Oct 23 UC-Berkeley students seize an office building on campus.
Nov 6 Richard Nixon is elected President
1969
In January peace talks open again in Paris.
In March U.S. President Richard Nixon authorizes the secret bombing of Communist supply sanctuaries in Cambodia.
April 3 33, 641 US deaths in Vietnam, outnumber the total of servicemen killed in the Korean War.
In April U.S. troop levels reach their highest point -543,000.
May 10 -June 7 Operation Apache Snow
May 11-20 Battle of Hamburger Hill: 46 American soldier die during the battle.
After they successfully take the hill, they are ordered to abandon it,
at which point the North Vietnamese retake the hill without opposition.
To many in the United States, the episode is a sign of the absurdity of
the conflict.
September 2 Ho Chi Minh dies
In September President Nixon orders the withdrawal of 35,000 troops.
Oct 15 in the Vietnam Moratorium the largest antiwar demonstration to date, millions of Americans of all ages march in cities throughout the nation.
November 3 President Nixon announces the "Vietnamization" of the war,
which calls for the reducing number of American soldiers involved.
In November 250,000 demonstrators gather in Washington to protest the war.
In December 50,000 more U.S. troops leave Vietnam.
By the end of the year total U.S. deaths since the start of the war are 40,024.
1970
April 20 President Nixon announces the gradual withdrawal of another 150,000 U.S. troops. Just over a week later, on April 30, Nixon reveals that U.S. forces had been sent to North Vietnamese-controlled areas in Cambodia to "assuring the nation.". Protests erupt across the US.
May 4 at Kent State University in Ohio, National Guardsmen kill 4 students. and wound 9, which prompts protests that shut down 400 colleges and universities around the country.
June 29 the last US troops pull out of Cambodia.
In June the US Senate repeals the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
November 20-21 Son Tay raid
In December Congress bars the use of ground forces in Laos or Cambodia.
By the year's end American troop levels have dropped to 280,000.
1971
February 8-March 24 Operation Lam son
April 10 players from the US ping-pong team play exhibition matches in mainland China. (Ping-Pong diplomacy). Vietnam Veterans against the war throw away their medals at a protest on Capitol Hill.
In May 12,000 protesters are arrested in Washington.
On June 13 the New York Times starts publishing The Pentagon Papers, an archive of classified paperwork documenting the decision making of previous administrations in regard to Vietnam. President Nixon asks a U.S. district court to halt publication in the Times and in the Washington Post,which starts to publish the documents as well. The U.S. Supreme Court rules against Nixon.
By the end of the year, U.S. troop levels are down to 150,000.
Oct 25 UN General Assembly votes to admit the People's Republic of China.
1972
In February President Nixon visits Communist China, a major diplomatic accomplishment.
Mar US announces suspension of Paris Peace Talks
In April, in response to the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive (North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam), Nixon orders massive bombing on North Vietnam; serious protests occur in the United States.
May 10-October 23 Nixon authorizes Operation Linebacker I, which calls for more bombing of North Vietnam and for the mining of North Vietnam's harbors. Nixon visits the Soviet Union to improve diplomatic relations.
June Nixon announces that no new draftees wil be sent to Vietnam unless they volunteer.
July Actress Jane Fonda travels to North Vietnam, and poses for a photograph on an antiaircraft gun, earning a sobriquet "Hanoi Jane."
In August the last U.S. combat troops leave Vietnam.
Oct 26 US National Security adviser Henry Kissinger declares, "Peace is at hand" in Vietnam.
In December peace talks break down because North Vietnam rejects changes demanded by South Vietnam to an agreement forged between North Vietnam and the United States.
December 18-29 Operation Linebacker II: Nixon launches what comes to be known as "the Christmas bombing," a massive bombardment of military targets in Hanoi.
1973
January 27 the United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the Vietcong sign the Paris Peace Accords, which ends American involvement and leaves Vietnam divided.
On January 27 Lt. Col. William Nolde is killed; he is the last American soldier to die in combat in Vietnam.
March 29 U.S. troops withdraw from Vietnam, marking the end of U.S. involvement.
In June the U.S. Congress forbids any further military action in Southeast Asia.
1974
In September U.S. President Gerald Ford announces a clemency program for deserted soldiers and those who evaded the draft.
1975
January 8 North Vietnam breaks Paris Peace Accords and invades South Vietnam.
In March North Vietnam troops push into South Vietnam, capturing cities on the march to Saigon with relative ease.
On April 29 President Ford orders the helicopter evacuation of thousands of Americans from Saigon.
On April 30 the last Americans withdraw from Saigon. Within hours, the Vietcong have taken control as the South Vietnamese president unconditionally surrenders. The war is over.
Aftermath
1982
November 13 Dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
TEN CRUCIAL BATTLES
Jan 2, 1963 the Battle of Ap Bac
Nov 1965 the Battle of Ia Drang Valley. 300 Americans killed; People's Army of Vietnam more than 3,500 killed.
Jan to Mar 1968 the Battle of Khe Sanh. 77-day siege, the bloodiest battle of the war. 6,000 US Marines and a battalion of South Vietnamese rangers vs. 40,000 Vietnamese.
The Tet Offensive: The trauma of the battle and the negative press coverage of Tet and Khe Sanh turn public opinion against the war. "A potential major victory turned into a disastrous defeat through mistaken estimates, loss of nerve and a tidal wave of defeatism." Brigadier General SLA Marshall.
May-June 1970 Cambodian Incursion
Feb-Mar 1971 Operation Lam Son 719 in southern Laos.
Spring and summer 1972 the Easter Offensive. 125,000 tons of bombs had been dropped. North Vietnam lost more than 100,000 troops.
April 1975 the Battle of Xuan Loc, 40 miles northeast of Saigon.
April 30, 1975 the Fall of Saigon
Sources:
Treanor, N. (Editor) (2004). The Vietnam War. (Farmington Hills, MI: GreenHaven Press, The Gale Group, Inc., Thomson Learning, Inc.)
Caputo, P. (2005). 10,000 Days of Thunder- A History of the Vietnam War (New York, NY: A Byron Preiss Visual Publications, Inc. Book)
The Vietnam Wars (New York, NY: Time Home Entertainment Inc., 2014). ISBN 10: 1-61893-101-6.
ISBN 13: 978-1-61893-101-6.
