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Posted by sean mcgowan on August 31, 19104 at 14:52:39:
In Reply to: Re: Why did the Vietnam war happen? posted by Kati on May 31, 19104 at 20:52:33:
The Vietnam War, also referred to as the Second Indochina War, was a military conflict fought in Vietnam from 1959 through 1975 between South Vietnam and the United States on one side and North Vietnam and the National Liberation Front (NLF) on the other side. The Vietnam War started after the 1956 elections in South Vietnam were cancelled by South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem. The elections, which were a provision of the Geneva Conference, were to reunite all of Vietnam under one power, and at the time, the Communist party was favored to win. Diem was denounced by Ho Chi Minh, the president of North Vietnam, and faced a great deal of opposition from the Viet Cong, a group of guerrilla warriors aided by North Vietnam. The Viet Cong established the National Liberation Front in 1960.
In 1964, North Vietnam attacked US destroyers. This resulted in the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, which allowed US president Lyndon B. Johnson to make war plans. The United States increased its military aid to South Vietnam and began air raids on North Vietnam. In 1967, Nguyen Van Thieu became president of South Vietnam, providing some stability. In 1968 the My Lai masacre occurred. The masacre involved US troops killing approximately 300 Vietnamese villagers. Also in 1968, the Tet offensive began to attack Saigon, Hue, and other important cities.
Negotiations to end the war began in 1968. A peace agreement was reached in 1973. The agreement provided an end to hostilities, the withdrawal of US and Allied troops, the return of prisoners of war, and the formation of a four-nation international control commission to ensure peace. Fighting between South Vietnam and the Communists continued until 1975, when North Vietnam made a successful offensive. Vietnam was formally reunified in 1976, and Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
you've probably already been told this but nevermind!