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1840s-1890s Wars of French colonization in Indochina.
1941 - French colonial government collaborates with Japanese aggression in Southeast Asia. Japanese miltiary 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 Cambodia. Following the end of hostilties British and U.S. military forces assist the French attempt to reestablish colonial rule in Indo-China. The Vietminh resist. Indo-Chinese war begins.
1949 - Mao Tse Tung consolidates power in China for Communists.
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 Indo-China.
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.
1956 - No elections in South Vietnam or North Vietnam take place. Diem outlaws his opposition, and election of village chiefs.
1960 - Political opposition in South Vietnam goes underground. Sporadic terrorism occurs; Vietcong ask for, and obtain, help from North Vietnam.
1960 - Vietcong conduct a campaign to assassinate village chiefs appointed by Diem.
1961 - John F. Kennedy sends 1,364 American advisers to South Vietnam. Still no land reform. An operation of US 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. US pilots are clandestinely bombing South Vietnam in an attempt to destabilize the Diem government.
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.
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. miltiary committment. Johnson takes a mild position regarding the Vietnam issue during his election campaign, but privately agrees not to interrupt Kennedy's Vietnam policy, now seemingly entrenched.
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 legitmate based on voter turnout.
1968 - Tet offensive occurs. The U.S. embassy 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 19, 1968, US Army troops murder 347 civilians in My Lai. News of the massacre does not reach the US 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. On November 15th, 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 US forces.
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 announce 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 Vietnamese deaths up to nearly 5 million, 4 million civilians killed. The war cost nearly 150 billion US dollars.
1975 - On April 30th, 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.
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