2. The Japanese occupied Vietnam (French Indochina) in September 1940 and remained there until the end of World War II (August 1945). The reason for the invasion was Japan’s ongoing war with China, which began in 1937. By occupying Vietnam, Japan hoped to close off China’s southern border and halt its supply of weapons and materials.
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1. European colonization of Southeast Asia occurred throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. These conquests focused on ports along the maritime routes that provided a secure passage of maritime trade. These strategic locations were used to resupply ships and to keep others from using the ports. Colonization also occurred due to the desire for an increase in natural resources (for use and sale) and to expand the population of foreign countries in other parts of the world.
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5. In 1957 Vietnam communists called Vietcong began attacking South Vietnam beginning the war. Ngo Dinh Diem asked the United States for help and then President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent money and advisors. The president wanted to “contain” the communist regime from spreading to other countries. This was also known as the “domino theory.”
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8. Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated on November 2, 1963 causing further instability, but the United States continued to support the South recognizing General Duong Van Minh as its leader. President Kennedy gave troops permission to return fire if fired upon, initiating fighting. On November 22, 1963 John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
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Listen and watch the video above of JFK's recollection and thoughts regarding Diem's death. He has a surprise visitor!
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12. On May 10, 1969, was the Battle of Hamburger Hill which took place between American and North Vietnamese forces (People's Army of Vietnam) in the A Shau Valley. Much of the fighting took place on Hill 937, referred to as "Hamburger Hill." With over 70 US soldiers killed, the battle sparked a public debate regarding the effectiveness of military strategy of the war, particularly as the hill was later abandoned by US forces. Facing public and political pressure, General Creighton Abrams altered US strategy in Vietnam from one of "maximum pressure" to "protective reaction" in an effort to lower casualties.
13. On November 26, 1969 President Nixon signed an amendment to the Military Selective Service Act of 1967 that established conscription (mandatory service) based on random selection (lottery). Opposition to the draft during Vietnam was widespread, with some personally opposed to forced military service, some opposed to the war as illegitimate and immoral, and some opposed to the system of deferments which led to a disproportionately working-class force in Vietnam.
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11. On January 30, 1968 the North Vietnamese launch the Tet Offensive. The Tet Offensive was an attack by North Vietnam against South Vietnam and U.S. armies. The campaign launched on the Tet new year holiday and consisted of surprise attacks against over 100 military and civilian control centers in South Vietnam.
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15. The Pentagon Papers was the name given to a top-secret Department of Defense study of U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. As the Vietnam War dragged on, with more than 500,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam by 1968, military analyst Daniel Ellsberg—who had worked on the study—came to oppose the war and decided that the information contained in the Pentagon Papers should be available to the American public. He photocopied the report and in March 1971 gave the copy to The New York Times, which then published a series of scathing articles based on the report’s most harmful secrets.
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19. On November 13, 1982, led by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) and Jan C. Scruggs, a veteran of the Vietnam War, the Vietnam Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC. The Memorial was created because Vietnam veterans needed a tangible symbol that the American people honored their service.
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