Vietnam War

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the decisive engagement in the First Indochina War. After a prolonged siege and heavy bombardment, Vietnamese forces under General Vo Nguyen Giap defeated the French Union forces led by Major General René Cogny. The fall of Dien Bien Phu marked the end of French colonial influence in Indochina and paved the way for the Geneva Conference, where Vietnam was divided into North and South at the 17th parallel.

The assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem, the President of South Vietnam, occurred on November 2, 1963. Diem's autocratic rule had led to significant internal turmoil, protests, and rebellion, particularly from Buddhists and political opponents. His downfall was foreshadowed by a military coup, backed by the U.S., looking to stabilize the South Vietnamese government. The death of Diem marked a tumultuous point in South Vietnam's politics, contributing to increased American intervention in the region.

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident was a pivotal moment in the Vietnam War. On August 2, 1964, the USS Maddox, a United States Navy destroyer, was allegedly attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. A second attack was reported on August 4, though this was later disputed. The incident led President Lyndon B. Johnson to seek and obtain the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution from Congress, which granted him broad military powers in Vietnam and escalated U.S. involvement in the war.

On March 8, 1965, in an escalation of the Vietnam War, 3,500 U.S. Marines landed at Da Nang, South Vietnam. This marked the first deployment of American combat troops to Vietnam, signifying a new phase in U.S. involvement. The landing came in the wake of sustained Viet Cong attacks on U.S. and South Vietnamese targets, and represented the beginning of major ground operations by the U.S. in its attempt to counter the growing influence of Communist forces in the region.

The Tet Offensive was a series of surprise attacks by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces, starting on January 30, 1968. Coinciding with the Vietnamese New Year (Tet), the campaign targeted more than 100 cities and outposts in South Vietnam. Although the offensive did not achieve its military objectives, it played a crucial role in weakening U.S. public support for the war and demonstrated the resilience and strategic capacity of the North Vietnamese forces, leading to U.S. withdrawal discussions.

On September 2, 1969, Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), died of heart failure at the age of 79. As a revolutionary leader, he played a pivotal role in the struggle for Vietnamese independence from French colonial rule and later against Southern Vietnamese and American forces. His death was a significant moment in the Vietnam War, marking the loss of an iconic figure who had inspired generations of Vietnamese in their fight for national unification.

On April 30, 1970, President Richard Nixon announced the decision to send American troops into Cambodia. The operation aimed to attack Vietnamese communist bases over the border to disrupt supply lines and enemy operations. This announcement came at a time when the Cambodian government had been struggling with increasing pressure from the Khmer Rouge and shifting dynamics in the region. The news sparked widespread protests across the United States, as many saw it as an unnecessary escalation of the Vietnam conflict.

Operation Linebacker II was a United States Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 aerial bombing campaign, conducted against targets in North Vietnam from December 18 to December 29, 1972. Known as the 'Christmas Bombing', the operation aimed to pressure North Vietnam into a peace settlement by targeting industrial, military, and transportation infrastructures. Despite political controversy and international criticism, the bombings ultimately led to resumed peace talks and the signing of the Paris Peace Accords.

The Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 27, 1973, officially titled the 'Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam'. These accords marked the end of direct U.S. military involvement and aimed to establish peace in Vietnam. The agreement included provisions for a ceasefire, release of prisoners of war, and withdrawal of U.S. troops. Despite the accords, conflict continued between North and South Vietnam, eventually leading to the fall of Saigon in 1975 and the reunification under communist rule.

The Fall of Saigon occurred on April 30, 1975, marked by the capture of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) by the People's Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong. This event effectively ended the Vietnam War. As North Vietnamese forces advanced, the U.S. carried out Operation Frequent Wind, the largest helicopter evacuation in history, to rescue thousands of American and Vietnamese civilians. The fall marked the beginning of the reunification of Vietnam under communist control, signaling the end of South Vietnam as a state.