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PARIS PEACE ACCORDS | |||||||||
13 Jun 73
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A new accord aimed at strengthening the January 27 cease-fire
agreement in South Vietnam is signed in Paris by the United States, North
Vietnam, South Vietnam and the National Liberation Front.
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U.S. CONGRESS UNDERCUTS PEACE | |||||||||
1 Jul 73
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U.S. Congress votes to end all bombing in Cambodia after
August 15.
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31 Dec 73
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Size of U.S. military contingent in Vietnam is limited
to 50. No Free World military personel remain in South Vietnam.
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9 Aug 74
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Richard Nixon resigns as President of the United States.
Vice President Gerald Ford becomes President.
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20 Aug 74
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U.S. Congress cuts aid to South Vietnam from $1 billion
to $700 million.
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NVA TESTS THE WATER | |||||||||
13 Dec 74-
6 Jan 75 |
North Vietnamese attack South Vietnamese positions in
Phuoc Long Province, II Corps. Phuoc Long Province falls to North Vietnamese
attack.
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NORTH VIETNAM INVADES THE SOUTH | |||||||||
8 Jan 75
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North Vietnamese Politburo orders major People's Army
of Vietnam (PAVN) offensive to "liberate" South Vietnam by NVA
cross-border invasion. NVA general staff plan for the invasion of South
Vietnam by 20 divisions. The Soviet-supplied North Vietnamese Army is
the fifth largest in the world. It anticipates a two year struggle for
victory, but Saigon falls in 55 days.
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14 Jan 75 |
Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger testifies to Congress
that the U.S. is not living up to its earlier promise to South Vietnam's
President Thieu of "severe retaliatory action" in the event North Vietnam
violated the Paris peace treaty.
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21 Jan 75 |
President Ford tells a press conference that the U.S.
is unwilling to re-enter the war.
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5 Feb 75 |
NVA General Van Tien Dung crosses into South Vietnam to
take command of the final offensive.
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9 Mar 75 |
The Battle of An Loc begins.
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10 Mar 75
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25,000 NVA attack Ban Me Thuot, II Corps, which falls
to NVA attack the next day half of the 4,000 South Vietnamese soldiers
defending it surrender or desert. .
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14 Mar 75
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President Nguyen Van Thieu decides to abandon the Highlands
region and two northern provinces and.orders withdrawal of ARVN forces.
Instead of an orderlywithdrawal, this turns into a general retreat, with
masses of military and civilians fleeing, clogging roads and creating
chaos. The NVA shell the retreat which becomes known as "the convoy of
tears."
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18 Mar 75 |
NVA leaders meet and decide to accelerate their offensive
to achieve total victory before May 1.
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19 Mar 75
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Quang Tri Province, I Coprs, falls to NVA attack.
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24 Mar 75 |
Tam Ky falls to the NVA.
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26 Mar 75
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City of Hue falls to NVA attack after a three-day seige.
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26 Mar 75 |
Chu Lai is evacuated.
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28 May 75 |
35,000 NVA prepare to attack Danang and artillery fire
falls on the city.
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30 Mar 75
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100,000 South Vietnamese soldiers surrender after being
abandoned by their commanding officers. Danang falls.
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1 Apr 75
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Cities of Qui Nhon, Tuy Hoa and Nha Trang are abandoned
by the South Vietnamese, yielding entire northern half of South Vietnam
to the North Vietnamese.
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1 Apr 75
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Cambodian President Lon Nol abdicates. U.S. Navy Operation
Eagle Pull commences to evacuate U.S. embassy staff from Phnom Penh.
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8 Apr 73-
20 Apr 73 |
Battle of Xuan Loc rages 38 km north of Saigon, as ARVN
18th Infantry Division attempts to hold off attack by three NVA divisions
(40,000 men). The overstretched NVA meet stiff resistence.
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12 Apr 75
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South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu resigns.
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14 Apr 75
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American airlift of homeless children to the United States
from South Vietnam ends. A total of about 14,000 arrived.
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17 Apr 75
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Cambodia falls as Khmer Rouge troops capture Phnom Penh
and government forces surrender.
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20 Apr 75 |
U.S. Ambassador Graham Martin meets with President Thieu
and pressures him to resign given the gravity of the situation and the
unlikelihood that Thieu could ever negotiate with the Communists.
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21 Apr 75 |
A bitter, tearful President Thieu resigns during a 90
minute rambling TV speech to the people of South Vietnam. Thieu reads
from the letter sent by Nixon in 1972 pledging "severe retaliatory action"
if South Vietnam was threatened. Thieu condemns the Paris Peace Accords,
Henry Kissinger and the U.S. "The United States has not respected its
promises. It is inhumane. It is untrustworthy. It is irresponsible." He
is then ushered into exile in Taiwan, aided by the CIA.
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22 Apr 75 |
Xuan Loc falls to the NVA after a two week battle with
South Vietnam's 18th Army Division which inflicted over 5000 NVA casualties
and delayed the 'Ho Chi Minh Campaign' for two weeks.
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23 Apr 75 |
100,000 NVA soldiers advance on Saigon which is now overflowing
with refugees. In a speech at Tulane, President Ford attempts to wash
his hands of the conflict.
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27 Apr 75 |
NVA troops encircle Saigon, which is defended by some
30,000 ARVN troops, many of whose leaders have fled. NVA starts rocketing
the city.
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28 Apr 75 |
'Neutralist' General. Duong Van "Big" Minh becomes the
new president of South Vietnam and appeals for a cease-fire. The NVA ignore
this request.
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29 Apr 75
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NVA begins attack on Saigon, shelling Tan Son Nhut Airbase
killing two Marines. President Ford activates Operation Frequent Wind
to evacuate 7,000 Americans and South Vietnamese from Saigon. The signal
is a radio broadcast of Bing Crosby's "White Christmas".
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29-30 Apr 75
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U.S. Navy conducts Operation Frequent Wind to evacuate
all U.S. personnel and selected South Vietnamese from Vietnam. Three U.S.
aircraft carriers off the coast of Vietnam process the incoming refugees.
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SAIGON FALLS | |||||||||
30 Apr 75 |
The final ten Marines from U.S. Embassy depart by chopper
at 8:35 a.m.
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30 Apr 75
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NVA captures the Presidential Palace by 11 a.m..
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30 Apr 75 |
President Minh broadcasts a message of unconditional surrender.
The war is over.
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1May 75
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It's Over. Most Yanks Got out.
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[ before the french | french indochina | the
second war | america's war ] [ south vietnam's peace | after the fall | lessons learned ] |
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