Prior to WWII, France controlled Vietnam, and during WWII, Japan controlled Vietnam. In 1930, Ho Chi Minh helped to create the Indochinese Communist Party, whose goal was to win Vietnam’s independence from foreign rule. On September 2, 1945, When Japan surrendered, Ho Chi Minh stood in front of a huge crowd and declared Vietnam an independent nation. After WWII, France had no intention of giving up its former colony, and regained control of the country’s Southern Half. Later, America joined in the struggle and sent troops to fight in Vietnam. The Geneva Accords temporarily divided Vietnam along the 17th Parallel. The communists, and their leader Ho Chi Minh controlled North Vietnam. Anti-communists nationalists controlled South Vietnam President was Ngo Dihn Diem. Diem, who was devout Catholic, angered the Country’s majority Buddhist population by restricting Buddhist Practices.
The Vietcong were a group of farmers and such, trained for battle using guerrilla warfare. On November 1, 1963 American Soldiers assassinated Ngo Dinh Diem, at 62 years old. The Golf of Tonkin was an attack on a U.S destroyer by Three North Vietnam torpedo boats. LBJ used this to make the war in Vietnam much larger. By 1965, 200,000 U.S troops were deployed in Vietnam, and the number jumped to 490,000 in 1967.
The Vietcong used tunnels and underground hideouts to launch ambushes on American forces and then quickly retreat into hiding.
Richard Nixon was elected as president in 1968, and he adopted a policy of Vietnamization, where he trained South Vietnamese troops to fight, while reducing the number of U.S troops. On March 29, the last U.S troops left Vietnam.
On April 30, 1975, an event known as the Fall of Saigon occurred, which was when the Vietcong captured Saigon, marking the end of the Vietnam war.
The Vietcong were a group of farmers and such, trained for battle using guerrilla warfare. On November 1, 1963 American Soldiers assassinated Ngo Dinh Diem, at 62 years old. The Golf of Tonkin was an attack on a U.S destroyer by Three North Vietnam torpedo boats. LBJ used this to make the war in Vietnam much larger. By 1965, 200,000 U.S troops were deployed in Vietnam, and the number jumped to 490,000 in 1967.
The Vietcong used tunnels and underground hideouts to launch ambushes on American forces and then quickly retreat into hiding.
Richard Nixon was elected as president in 1968, and he adopted a policy of Vietnamization, where he trained South Vietnamese troops to fight, while reducing the number of U.S troops. On March 29, the last U.S troops left Vietnam.
On April 30, 1975, an event known as the Fall of Saigon occurred, which was when the Vietcong captured Saigon, marking the end of the Vietnam war.