- France was at war with Communist-led forces in Vietnam.
1955
- American military advisors began to arrive in South Vietnam.
- President Eisenhower authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to train South Vietnam’s military.
1960:
- President Kennedy greatly increased the number of American military advisors in Vietnam.
1964
- The Gulf of Tonkin Incident occurred. North Vietnamese torpedo boats allegedly attacked two U.S. Navy destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin (international waters).
- President Lyndon B. Johnson asked for and received a resolution from Congress that gave him broad powers to respond to the aggression.
1965:
- U.S. Marines landed in Vietnam.
1968
- The Tet Offensive, a massive attack by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces on major cities in South Vietnam, showed the resilience of the communist forces and eroded public support in the US.
1969:
- President Richard M. Nixon began withdrawing American troops from Vietnam.
1973
- The U.S. and North Vietnam signed the Paris Peace Accords, ending U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.
1975
- Communist forces took over South Vietnam, ending the Vietnam War.