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[ HOME | HISTORY | TIMELINE ]
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HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR

It's all too easy to focus on the brief period in Vietnam's history when the United States was fighting to help the South Vietnamese Government become established and survive.

In the end, South Vietnam fell to a North Vietnamese invasion several years after U.S. forces withdrew. But this was not Vietnam's first or last war.

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South Vietnam was established after the (First) Indochina War between Vietnamese nationalists and French Colonial forces after the close of the Second World War. From 1945 to 1954 a bitter struggle in Vietnam ended in the partioning of Vietnam into two countries after the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu.

Even prior to French colonization, Vietnam was subject to invasions by the Chinese and others going back to 500 B.C. Alas, war is no stranger to the Vietnamese people.

This section will broadly summarize Vietnam's history, particularly in relation to the U.S. Army involvement between 1960 to 1973, and especially the 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 50th Infantry from 1967-1970. It will not be an academically rigorous history, but should provide a basic understanding of the war and its background.

VIETNAM WAR TIMETABLE
Compiled by Ray Sarlin

Before the French

12,000 BC 1845+ (1945)

Leadup to Colonization

1847 1862
French Indochina

Colonization

1862 1939

World War II

1939 1945

The First Indochina War

1945 1954

Geneva Conference

1954 1954
Two Nations

The Second Indochina War

1954 1960

America Engages

1960 1964
Advisory

Advisory Campaign

15 March 1962 -

7 March 1965

American War

Defense

8 March 1965 -

24 December 1965

Counteroffensive

25 December 1965 -

30 June 1966

Counteroffensive, Phase II

1 July 1966 -

31 May 1967

Counteroffensive, Phase III

1 June 1967 -

29 January 1968

Tet Counteroffensive

30 January 1968 -

1 April 1968

Counteroffensive, Phase IV

2 April 1968 -

30 June 1968

Counteroffensive, Phase V

1 July 1968 -

1 November 1968

Counteroffensive, Phase VI

2 November 1968 -

22 February 1969

Tet 69/Counteroffensive

23 February 1969 -

8 June 1969

Vietnamization

Summer-Fall 1969

9 June 1969 -

31 October 1969

Winter-Spring 1970

1 November 1969 -

30 April 1970

Sanctuary Counteroffensive

1 May 1970 -

30 June 1970

Counteroffensive, Phase VII

1 July 1970 -

30 June 1971

Consolidation I

1 July 1971 -

30 November 1971

Consolidation II

1 December 1971 -

29 March 1972

Cease-Fire

30 March 1972 -

28 January 1973

South Vietnam's Peace

Broken Promises

29 January 1973 -

7 January 1975

North Vietnamese Invasion

8 January 1975 -

30 April 1975

Post Vietnam War

The Aftermath

1 May 1975 -

Present

Vietnam Today

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