Key Events and Figures in the Vietnam War Era

French Indochina

France combined Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to form French Indochina.

French Indochina War

Post-WWII conflict in which France tried to retake control of Vietnam; the U.S. supported France with economic and military aid beginning in 1950.

Dien Bien Phu

Site in northwest Vietnam where the Vietminh decisively defeated French troops.

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam; founded Indochinese Communist Party (1930), fled to China in 1924.

Domino Theory

The idea that if one nation falls to communism, nearby nations will also fall; promoted by President Eisenhower.

Geneva Conference

1954 meeting that resulted in the Geneva Accords: Vietnam split at the 17th Parallel into Communist North (Vietminh) and non-Communist South (French-backed); U.S. did not endorse.

President Kennedy and Vietnam

Sent 700 advisors to train South Vietnam's army, increasing to 16,000 by 1963.

Ngo Dinh Diem

First President of South Vietnam; assassinated in 1963.

Napalm

Gasoline-based substance used by U.S. to burn jungle and expose Vietcong hideouts.

Operation Rolling Thunder

U.S. bombing campaign targeting North Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

Network of paths through Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia used to supply Vietcong forces.

Agent Orange

Toxic chemical used by the U.S. to destroy jungle cover; caused health issues.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident

1964 event where North Vietnam allegedly attacked the USS Maddox.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Gave President Johnson broad military powers.

President Johnson and Vietnam War

Expanded U.S. military presence after 1964 election; led by McNamara and Rusk.

William Westmoreland

U.S. commander in South Vietnam; supported troop increases, reaching 500,000 by 1967.

Draft

Mandatory military service; 2.6 million served, average age 19.

Credibility Gap

Public distrust due to government misinformation; fueled by televised war coverage.

Lyndon B. Johnson

President who escalated Vietnam involvement; chose not to seek reelection in 1968.

Hawks vs. Doves

Hawks supported the war; Doves opposed it.

Antiwar Movement

Included SDS, protests, and the Free Speech Movement; opposed draft and war policy.

Civil Rights Activists & War

Criticized war for diverting resources; highlighted racial disparities in military service.

Tet Offensive

Major Vietcong attack on over 100 South Vietnamese cities; showed vulnerability of South.

Clark Clifford

Secretary of Defense in 1968; believed the war was unwinnable.

New Left

1960s youth-led political movement seeking social change.

Kennedy

Democratic presidential contender assassinated June 5, 1968.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Civil rights leader assassinated April 4, 1968; opposed Vietnam War.

Democratic National Convention (1968)

Marked by protests and violent clashes in Chicago.

Election of 1968

Nixon (Republican) defeated Humphrey (Democrat) and Wallace (Independent); Spiro Agnew VP.

Neil Armstrong

First man on the moon (July 20, 1969); part of Apollo 11 crew.

Vietnamization

Nixon's policy to withdraw U.S. troops and hand over combat to South Vietnam.

My Lai Massacre

Over 200 unarmed civilians killed by U.S. troops in South Vietnam; Lt. Calley responsible.

Cambodian Campaign

U.S. secret operations in Cambodia; led to Khmer Rouge takeover and genocide by Pol Pot.

Kent State Shootings

Four students killed by National Guard during antiwar protest.

Jackson State Shootings

Two students killed at a mostly African-American college by National Guard.

Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein

Washington Post reporters who investigated the Watergate scandal.

Vietcong

Communist guerrillas who fought against South Vietnam and the U.S.

Pentagon Papers

Leaked documents revealing government deception about the Vietnam War.

Richard Nixon in China

1972 visit opened diplomatic relations and trade discussions with Communist China.

Richard Nixon in Moscow

1972 summit with Soviet leader Brezhnev; part of Cold War détente.

Election of 1972

Nixon (Republican) defeated George McGovern (Democrat) by a landslide.

Cease-Fire (1973)

U.S. withdrew troops; North Vietnamese stayed in South; did not resolve Vietnam's political future.

War Powers Act

Limited the President's ability to send troops into combat without congressional approval.

SALT I Treaty

1972 agreement limiting U.S. and USSR nuclear missile stockpiles.

Fall of Saigon (1975)

Marked the end of the Vietnam War; South Vietnam fell to Communist forces.

Port Huron Statement

A political manifesto written in 1962 by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). It called for greater participatory democracy, where individuals would have more direct influence over political decisions.

Watergate Hearings

Senate investigation into Nixon Administration's cover-up of the 1972 break-in; led to Nixon's resignation.

Gerald Ford

Became president after Nixon resigned in 1974; in office when Vietnam fell in 1975.

58,000

U.S. deaths in Vietnam War.

303,000

Wounded U.S. soldiers in Vietnam War.

PTSD

Many veterans suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after the Vietnam War.