Indochina War timeline
Encyclopedia
1840s-1890s - Wars of French colonization in Indochina.
1940 - French colonial government collaborates with Japanese aggression in Southeast Asia
. Japanese military forces occupy bases in Vietnam while French colonial government continues to govern. Ho Chi Minh
emerges as a leader of anti-Japanese resistance.
1945 - Japanese briefly assume direct rule in Indochina and recognize the independence of Vietnam
. Following the end of hostilities, British and U.S. military forces assist the French attempt to reestablish colonial rule in Indochina.
'1945 June At the Potsdam conference the Allies agree to the postwar occupation of Vietnam by National Chinese Troops to the 16th parallel.
1946 - The Vietminh resist. First Indochina War
begins.
1950 - In May Pres. Truman authorizes first military aid to French. Steady build-up in U.S. advisors begins.
1950 - The Korean War
indicates a big threat in Asia. The United States begins to cover 75% of French military expenses of the war in Indochina. China begins to provide North Vietnam with modern military weapons.
1950- In February the new Chinese government in Peking formally recognize the Viet Minh.
1952 - In February there are over 400 U.S. advisers working with the French in Vietnam.
1953 - Ho Chi Minh introduces a land reform
program that classifies the population into five categories, and collectivization begins in North Vietnam.
1954 - French are defeated at Dien Bien Phu
after the United States refuses to send air support. The Geneva accords
are signed by French and Vietminh, establishing the International Control Commission
, deciding that the 17th parallel will be the temporary dividing line between the two, and creating plans for a free election in Vietnam no later than July 1956. Ngo Dinh Diem
gains power in South Vietnam. United States sends technical and financial aid in expectation of social and land reform. SEATO formed by Pakistan
, Thailand
, Philippines
, Australia
, New Zealand
, France
, United Kingdom
, and United States
. South Vietnam
, Laos
and Cambodia
join later. The nations agree to consult regarding military affairs; the commitment is not as strict or as binding as that required by NATO.
1960 - Political opposition in South Vietnam goes underground. Sporadic terrorism occurs; NLF
ask for, and obtain, help from North Vietnam.
1960 - NLF conduct a campaign to assassinate village chiefs appointed by Diem.
1961 - John F. Kennedy
sends 1,364 American advisors to South Vietnam. Still no land reform. An operation of U.S. military pilots and planes were ordered to bomb targets in South Vietnam. The operation is cancelled moments before takeoff.
1962 - The number of U.S. advisers increases to 9865. U.S. pilots are clandestinely bombing North Vietnam in an attempt to destabilize the Ho Chi Minh government. "The U.S. did not want to harm relations with Diem, and he was the last political stronghold in Vietnam facing the communists. This 'fact' is debatable..."
1963 - 15,500 Americans in Vietnam. Diem is losing his grip on the Buddhist revolutionaries. Kennedy agrees with South Vietnamese generals to remove Diem. With the CIA's conveying Kennedy's approval, Diem is assassinated in a military coup and succeeded by a series of military commanders. John F. Kennedy
is assassinated in Dallas. He had reconsidered the Vietnam strategy —hundreds of soldiers were on route to the US at the time of his assassination.
1964 - Situation in South Vietnam deteriorates rapidly. In August, Gulf of Tonkin Incident
occurs. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by the United States Congress gives Lyndon B. Johnson
a free hand to protect American forces in Vietnam, the pretext for deepening the U.S. military commitment. Publicly, Johnson had taken a mild position during his election campaign regarding the Vietnam issue, but privately agrees to proceed with the escalated Vietnam policy, now seemingly an entrenched policy.
1965 - In February, the United States begins to bomb North Vietnam on a steady basis after the Pleiku attacks
. In March, Marines land at Da Nang
to begin full scale U.S. military action. In May, a 6-day bombing pause occurs. In August, 125,000 American troops are in Vietnam. In December, American bombing pauses again, with no apparent reaction from the Vietnamese.
1966 - 400,000 American troops are now in Vietnam. In September, South Vietnam elects Thieu and Ky under their new constitution. One of Thieu's first acts after being put in power is to arrest the leader of his opposition.
1967 - 500,000 American troops in Vietnam. U.S. conducts demonstration election and claims Saigon government is legitimate based on voter turnout.
1968 - Tet offensive occurs. The US Embassy, Saigon is occupied for a short while. On March 12, the state of New Hampshire
gives strong support to Eugene McCarthy
, running on a campaign to end the war. On March 16, 1968, U.S. Army troops murder 347 civilians in My Lai
. News of the massacre does not reach the U.S. public until November, 1969. On March 31, Lyndon Johnson calls for a partial bombing halt, and announces "I will not seek or accept my party's nomination for President of the United States." In April, the United States and North Vietnam begin talks in Paris. In October, Johnson halts all bombing north of the 17th parallel. Four-way talks begin.
1969 - In March, Richard Nixon
announces secret talks have been taking place. As of April, 33,000 American troops have been killed in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Secret bombings in Cambodia begin. On November 15, there is a massive peace demonstration in Washington
. Seymour Hersh
breaks the My Lai massacre
story. The Anti-war movement
gained steam upon the evidence of atrocities by U.S. forces. The first draft lottery
is instituted since World War II
.
1970 - President Nixon announces during a TV address, the withdrawal of 150,000 troops over the next 12 months. However, most people believe this not to be true and that it is merely a tactic to stop the massive anti-war movement.
President Nixon sends US forces into Cambodia, causing widespread war protest in the streets, and plunging Congress into a session-long debate over Congressional war powers. Four Kent State
college students were shot to death by Ohio National Guardsmen during an anti-war protest on the campus. This led to mass protests on campuses and city streets.
1971 - As of February, approx. 325,000 American troops remain in Vietnam. South Vietnam invades Laos with support from the U.S. About 45,000 American soldiers have died in Vietnam thus far.
1972 - In October, Nixon and Henry Kissinger
announces that "peace is at hand", with an agreement to end the war. In December, the U.S. begins to bomb North Vietnam again, with the famous Christmas day raids. Demonstrations in the U.S. begin anew.
1973 - U.S. involvement in Vietnam finally ends. Kissinger wins Nobel Peace Prize
. The U.S. lost about 50,000 soldiers in Vietnam, and suffered more than 300,000 wounded. Later estimates put the figure of Vietnam
ese deaths up to nearly 5 million, 4 million civilians killed. The war cost nearly 150 billion U.S. dollars.
1975 - On April 30, Saigon falls to North Vietnam and becomes Ho Chi Minh City
. President Gerald Ford
, in the days shortly preceding the collapse of Saigon, asked for $750 million from Congress to help the U.S. ally.
1975 - Conflict begins right after the fall of Saigon between the Communist governments of Vietnam and Cambodia, culminating in the Vietnamese invasion and subsequent occupation of Cambodia and the removal of the Khmer Rouge regime from power.
1975 - Since 1975 as many as 1.5 million people have fled Vietnam, many in unseaworthy boats risking storms and pirates to reach an uncertain haven. Perhaps 500,000 of them died at sea.
1979 - (February-March) Sino-Vietnamese War
begins and ends. Vietnam establishes the People's Republic of Kampuchea
in Cambodia.
1989 - Vietnam withdraws from Cambodia, ending nearly constant warfare in Indochina for half a century.
1940 - French colonial government collaborates with Japanese aggression in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. Japanese military forces occupy bases in Vietnam while French colonial government continues to govern. Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh
Hồ Chí Minh , born Nguyễn Sinh Cung and also known as Nguyễn Ái Quốc, was a Vietnamese Marxist-Leninist revolutionary leader who was prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam...
emerges as a leader of anti-Japanese resistance.
1945 - Japanese briefly assume direct rule in Indochina and recognize the independence of Vietnam
Second French Indochina Campaign
The Second French Indochina Campaign, also known as the Japanese coup of March 1945, was a Japanese military operation in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, then a French colony and known as French Indochina, during the final months of the Second World War. Vietnam was not a real colony at this time. The...
. Following the end of hostilities, British and U.S. military forces assist the French attempt to reestablish colonial rule in Indochina.
'1945 June At the Potsdam conference the Allies agree to the postwar occupation of Vietnam by National Chinese Troops to the 16th parallel.
1946 - The Vietminh resist. First Indochina War
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
begins.
1950 - In May Pres. Truman authorizes first military aid to French. Steady build-up in U.S. advisors begins.
1950 - The Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
indicates a big threat in Asia. The United States begins to cover 75% of French military expenses of the war in Indochina. China begins to provide North Vietnam with modern military weapons.
1950- In February the new Chinese government in Peking formally recognize the Viet Minh.
1952 - In February there are over 400 U.S. advisers working with the French in Vietnam.
1953 - Ho Chi Minh introduces a land reform
Land reform
[Image:Jakarta farmers protest23.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Farmers protesting for Land Reform in Indonesia]Land reform involves the changing of laws, regulations or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution,...
program that classifies the population into five categories, and collectivization begins in North Vietnam.
1954 - French are defeated at Dien Bien Phu
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist revolutionaries. The battle occurred between March and May 1954 and culminated in a comprehensive French defeat that...
after the United States refuses to send air support. The Geneva accords
Geneva Conference (1954)
The Geneva Conference was a conference which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, whose purpose was to attempt to find a way to unify Korea and discuss the possibility of restoring peace in Indochina...
are signed by French and Vietminh, establishing the International Control Commission
International Control Commission
The International Control Commission , formally called the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Vietnam , was an international force established in 1954 that oversaw the implementation of the Geneva Accords that ended the First Indochina War with the Partition of Vietnam. It...
, deciding that the 17th parallel will be the temporary dividing line between the two, and creating plans for a free election in Vietnam no later than July 1956. Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem
Ngô Đình Diệm was the first president of South Vietnam . In the wake of the French withdrawal from Indochina as a result of the 1954 Geneva Accords, Diệm led the effort to create the Republic of Vietnam. Accruing considerable U.S. support due to his staunch anti-Communism, he achieved victory in a...
gains power in South Vietnam. United States sends technical and financial aid in expectation of social and land reform. SEATO formed by Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
join later. The nations agree to consult regarding military affairs; the commitment is not as strict or as binding as that required by NATO.
1960 - Political opposition in South Vietnam goes underground. Sporadic terrorism occurs; NLF
National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam
The Vietcong , or National Liberation Front , was a political organization and army in South Vietnam and Cambodia that fought the United States and South Vietnamese governments during the Vietnam War . It had both guerrilla and regular army units, as well as a network of cadres who organized...
ask for, and obtain, help from North Vietnam.
1960 - NLF conduct a campaign to assassinate village chiefs appointed by Diem.
1961 - John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
sends 1,364 American advisors to South Vietnam. Still no land reform. An operation of U.S. military pilots and planes were ordered to bomb targets in South Vietnam. The operation is cancelled moments before takeoff.
1962 - The number of U.S. advisers increases to 9865. U.S. pilots are clandestinely bombing North Vietnam in an attempt to destabilize the Ho Chi Minh government. "The U.S. did not want to harm relations with Diem, and he was the last political stronghold in Vietnam facing the communists. This 'fact' is debatable..."
1963 - 15,500 Americans in Vietnam. Diem is losing his grip on the Buddhist revolutionaries. Kennedy agrees with South Vietnamese generals to remove Diem. With the CIA's conveying Kennedy's approval, Diem is assassinated in a military coup and succeeded by a series of military commanders. John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
is assassinated in Dallas. He had reconsidered the Vietnam strategy —hundreds of soldiers were on route to the US at the time of his assassination.
1964 - Situation in South Vietnam deteriorates rapidly. In August, Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, or the USS Maddox Incident, are the names given to two incidents, one fabricated, involving North Vietnam and the United States in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin...
occurs. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by the United States Congress gives Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
a free hand to protect American forces in Vietnam, the pretext for deepening the U.S. military commitment. Publicly, Johnson had taken a mild position during his election campaign regarding the Vietnam issue, but privately agrees to proceed with the escalated Vietnam policy, now seemingly an entrenched policy.
1965 - In February, the United States begins to bomb North Vietnam on a steady basis after the Pleiku attacks
Viet Cong attack on Pleiku airbase
The attack on Camp Holloway occurred during the early hours of 7 February 1965, in the early stages of the Vietnam War. Camp Holloway was a helicopter facility constructed by the United States Army in 1962, to support the operations of Free World Military Forces in the Central Highlands of...
. In March, Marines land at Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
to begin full scale U.S. military action. In May, a 6-day bombing pause occurs. In August, 125,000 American troops are in Vietnam. In December, American bombing pauses again, with no apparent reaction from the Vietnamese.
1966 - 400,000 American troops are now in Vietnam. In September, South Vietnam elects Thieu and Ky under their new constitution. One of Thieu's first acts after being put in power is to arrest the leader of his opposition.
1967 - 500,000 American troops in Vietnam. U.S. conducts demonstration election and claims Saigon government is legitimate based on voter turnout.
1968 - Tet offensive occurs. The US Embassy, Saigon is occupied for a short while. On March 12, the state of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
gives strong support to Eugene McCarthy
Eugene McCarthy
Eugene Joseph "Gene" McCarthy was an American politician, poet, and a long-time member of the United States Congress from Minnesota. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the U.S. Senate from 1959 to 1971.In the 1968 presidential election, McCarthy was the first...
, running on a campaign to end the war. On March 16, 1968, U.S. Army troops murder 347 civilians in My Lai
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass murder of 347–504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968, by United States Army soldiers of "Charlie" Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the Americal Division. Most of the victims were women, children , and...
. News of the massacre does not reach the U.S. public until November, 1969. On March 31, Lyndon Johnson calls for a partial bombing halt, and announces "I will not seek or accept my party's nomination for President of the United States." In April, the United States and North Vietnam begin talks in Paris. In October, Johnson halts all bombing north of the 17th parallel. Four-way talks begin.
1969 - In March, Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
announces secret talks have been taking place. As of April, 33,000 American troops have been killed in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Secret bombings in Cambodia begin. On November 15, there is a massive peace demonstration in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Seymour Hersh
Seymour Hersh
Seymour Myron Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, D.C. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters...
breaks the My Lai massacre
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass murder of 347–504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968, by United States Army soldiers of "Charlie" Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the Americal Division. Most of the victims were women, children , and...
story. The Anti-war movement
Peace movement
A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war , minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace...
gained steam upon the evidence of atrocities by U.S. forces. The first draft lottery
Draft lottery
Draft lottery could refer to:* NBA Draft Lottery, a lottery determining the order of the teams for the first fourteen selections in the NBA Draft* Sports draft...
is instituted since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
1970 - President Nixon announces during a TV address, the withdrawal of 150,000 troops over the next 12 months. However, most people believe this not to be true and that it is merely a tactic to stop the massive anti-war movement.
President Nixon sends US forces into Cambodia, causing widespread war protest in the streets, and plunging Congress into a session-long debate over Congressional war powers. Four Kent State
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
college students were shot to death by Ohio National Guardsmen during an anti-war protest on the campus. This led to mass protests on campuses and city streets.
1971 - As of February, approx. 325,000 American troops remain in Vietnam. South Vietnam invades Laos with support from the U.S. About 45,000 American soldiers have died in Vietnam thus far.
1972 - In October, Nixon and Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
announces that "peace is at hand", with an agreement to end the war. In December, the U.S. begins to bomb North Vietnam again, with the famous Christmas day raids. Demonstrations in the U.S. begin anew.
1973 - U.S. involvement in Vietnam finally ends. Kissinger wins Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
. The U.S. lost about 50,000 soldiers in Vietnam, and suffered more than 300,000 wounded. Later estimates put the figure of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese deaths up to nearly 5 million, 4 million civilians killed. The war cost nearly 150 billion U.S. dollars.
1975 - On April 30, Saigon falls to North Vietnam and becomes Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
. President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, in the days shortly preceding the collapse of Saigon, asked for $750 million from Congress to help the U.S. ally.
1975 - Conflict begins right after the fall of Saigon between the Communist governments of Vietnam and Cambodia, culminating in the Vietnamese invasion and subsequent occupation of Cambodia and the removal of the Khmer Rouge regime from power.
1975 - Since 1975 as many as 1.5 million people have fled Vietnam, many in unseaworthy boats risking storms and pirates to reach an uncertain haven. Perhaps 500,000 of them died at sea.
1979 - (February-March) Sino-Vietnamese War
Sino-Vietnamese War
The Sino–Vietnamese War , also known as the Third Indochina War, known in the PRC as and in Vietnam as Chiến tranh chống bành trướng Trung Hoa , was a brief but bloody border war fought in 1979 between the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam...
begins and ends. Vietnam establishes the People's Republic of Kampuchea
People's Republic of Kampuchea
The People's Republic of Kampuchea , , was founded in Cambodia by the Salvation Front, a group of Cambodian leftists dissatisfied with the Khmer Rouge, after the overthrow of Democratic Kampuchea, Pol Pot's government...
in Cambodia.
1989 - Vietnam withdraws from Cambodia, ending nearly constant warfare in Indochina for half a century.