Chronological History of the Vietnam war

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia were colonies of the French (1860-1941), they were called french Indio china. During world war 2, japan invaded Vietnam. Japan withdraw its forces after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were attacked by the USA.

French Indo China map

First indo china war and 17th parallel( December 19,1946 - July 20,1954):

The First Indio China war was fought between French forces and Viet Minh led by hô chí Minh. In the first Indochina war was 400,000 – 842,707 and 125,000 – 400,000 civilians were killed. This war ended with Geneva Accord.

According to it, the 17th parallel temporary line was drawn throughout Vietnam, north Vietnam as communist-led by hô chí Minh (supported by USSR and China) and South Vietnam as pro-western led by Ngo Dinh Diem( supported by USA and UK).

North Vietnam forces begin to build a supply route through Laos and Cambodia to South Vietnam in an effort to support guerrilla attacks against Diem’s government in the south. The route becomes known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail and is greatly expanded and enhanced during the Vietnam War.

17th parallel line

American intervention in Vietnam ( second Indochina war)

In August 1964, US-made fake news that US naval ship was attacked by a North Vietnamese boat in golf of Tonkin .from this incident US officials say that they are at war, and under the leadership of Lyndon B. Johnson, the USA deploy five lakh soldier to Vietnam by 1967.

Download Some important Bestseller Books

American pilots were sent to attack the north Vietnam oil facilities and torpedo boat installation. In retaliation, North Vietnamese forces guerrilla shelled the American airbase near Saigon killing five Americans and destroying five B-57 bombers. Jonhson ordered on March 2nd, 1965 to bombard in north Vietnam code name Operation rolling thunder.

Gulf of Tonkin

In starting of 1966, 2344 Americans died in Vietnam. Viet Cong was controlling over ¾ of south Vietnam with their supplies and weapons from Laos and Cambodia. 12000 miles of twisted jungle roadways Known as Ho Chi Minh trail.

To destroy this trial American 3 million tons of explosives were drop-in Laos which is the greatest in history. The killing ratio was 1:10, but Americans didn't support their government.

Vietnam war : Timeline, statistics and facts of war

Bombs used in Laos

Hundred of thousands American troops were deployed in Vietnam.it was not just American were fighting with Vietnamese, they were fighting with terrain,they have to make their ways through grass, thorn bushes bamboos 20 meters tall, a thick jungle would take an hour to move a hundred feet, black leeches caused a wound that quickly became infected and sunlight rarely reach the jungle, Bobby traps, mines laced the terrain.

Bobby traps

Timeline of Vietnam war:

1940: Japanese troops invade French Indochina and occupy Vietnam.
1941: Ho Chi Minh communist colleagues leader establish the League Known as the Viet Minh, the movement aims to resist French and Japanese.
1945: Japanese troops occupying Indochina announce an end to the colonial era, declaring Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia independent.
1946: Ho Chi Minh rejects a French proposal granting Vietnam limited self-government and the Viet Minh begins a guerrilla war against the French.
1950: The United States, increase military assistance to France for their operations in Vietnam.
1954: French troops are humiliated in defeat by Viet Minh forces at Dien Bien Phu by guerrilla tactics. The Geneva Accords signed , temporary North and South Vietnam formed with the 17th parallel as the dividing line.
1961: President John F. Kennedy sends helicopters and 400 Green Berets to South Vietnam and authorizes secret operations against the Viet Cong.
1962: In Operation Ranch Hand, U.S. aircraft start spraying Agent Orange and other herbicides over rural South Vietnam to kill vegetation that cover and food for guerrilla forces.
Agent Orange spread over the Vietnam jungle
Naphtha spread in the jungle to fire
1964: USS Maddox is allegedly attacked by North Vietnamese patrol torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin (the attack is later disputed), leading President Johnson to call for airstrikes on North Vietnamese patrol boat bases.
1965: 200,000 American combat troops arrive in South Vietnam.
1966: US troop numbers in Vietnam rise to 400,000, then to 500,000 the following year.
1969: Ho Chi Minh dies.
1973: Ceasefire agreement in Paris, US troop pull-out completed by March.
1975: North Vietnamese troops invade South Vietnam and take control of the whole country after South Vietnamese President Duong Van Minh surrenders.
1976: Election of National Assembly paves way for the reunification of North and South.

US Troop Statistics in Vietnam War

Source: Dept. of Defense

8,744,000 -served worldwide during Vietnam war

2,594,000 served in South Vietnam.

US Deaths

Battle: 47,434

Non-Battle: 10,786

Total In-Theatre: 58,220

1.3 million - Total military deaths for all countries involved

1 million - Total civilian deaths.

Vietnam war facts:

The Vietnam war last for 19 years and all three countries become communist.
Upto 1954 USA spend $1 billion in the Vietnam war which was about 80% of the war.
During the war, around 1 million Catholics migrate towards south Vietnam for temporary peace.
The USA fabricated the reason for the attack on a naval ship in Gulf of Tonkin.
The USA dropped almost 2 million tons of bomb in Laos which is almost equal to 2.1 million tons bomb which was dropped in world war 2.
According to population, Laos is the most heavily bomb country.
The deployment in the army in north Vietnam in the period of 1961-1964 increase from 850,000 to 1,0000,000.
To avoid US airpower, Viet Cong dug hundreds of miles of underground tunnels, which had nicknamed tunnel rats, it Includes a hospital, training camp, storage, brakes.
These tunnels had traps such as hand grenades, anti-personal mines, sharp u-turns with poison gas.
The first US soldier dies in the Vietnam war was James Davis in 1961.
Napalm girl photo of Vietnam war win Pulitzer prize.