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First Indochina War: French vs Viet Minh

Viet Minh defeated French at Dien Bien Phu

Cut off army's supply lines

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French withdrew from Vietnam

Vietnam divded along 17th parallel

North Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh

South Vietnam led by Ngo Dinh Diem

1956: Election to reunify Vietnam

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Ngo Dinh Diem was very unpopular

Diem decided not to hold the election in Jul 1955

Diem installed himself as President

US continued supporting regardless as Ngo was anti-communist

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Used by Group 559 (specialised unit of North Vietnam Warmy) to transport weapons, ammunition and equipment to Viet Cong

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2 Aug 1964: North Vietnamese patrol boats attacked USS Maddox

US passed Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Gave Johnson (US president) power to take measures to prevent further aggression and achieve peace and security

Start of US direct military intervention

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Nov 1965: First major battle between North and South Vietnam

US casualties: 234 dead

North Vietnam: lost between 1,500 and 2,000 troops

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Mar 1965 - Nov 1968

US used strategic bombing to disrupt North Vietnamese supply lines (eg cities, army bases)

Thousands of civilian casualties

More bombs dropped than on Germany in WWII

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US soldiers murdered between 347 and 504 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians

US atrocities revealed to American public in additional media coverage released after Tet Offensive

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Turning point in the Vietnam War

1 Jan 1968: Vietnamese New Year holiday

80,000 Viet Cong and North Vietnam Warmy troops attacked over 100 cities and other military targets

Many civilians killed, ancient city of Hue destroyed

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Vietnam War broke out because North Vietnamese patrol boats attacked the USS Maddox

Vietnam War broke out because the US Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Vietnam War broke out because of the civil war between North and South Vietnam on reunifying Vietnam

Vietnam War broke out because the USSR and China supported North Vietnam, and the US supported South Vietnam (proxy war)