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Vietnam War Timeline
The Vietnam War was a long and deeply divisive conflict in which the United States spent two decades trying to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam — and ultimately failed.
Put the Events in Order
The events shuffled, to number from first to last. With answer key.
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After France was driven out of Vietnam in 1954, the country was divided into communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam. The United States, fearing the spread of communism across Southeast Asia, began sending military advisors to help South Vietnam — a commitment that grew, year by year, into a full-scale war involving more than half a million American troops. The war was brutal and confusing, fought not in open fields but in dense jungles against an enemy that blended into the civilian population. At home, it tore the country apart: millions of Americans marched against it, while others fiercely supported it. By 1975, when North Vietnamese tanks rolled into Saigon, more than 58,000 Americans and millions of Vietnamese had died.
- 1954
Vietnam Divided
After France is defeated at Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam is temporarily divided at the 17th parallel into communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam.
Why it mattered: The division set the stage for a civil war — and for the United States to replace France in trying to prevent a communist takeover of the south.
- 1955
US Advisors Arrive
President Eisenhower sends American military advisors to help train South Vietnam's army.
Why it mattered: US involvement began small but the commitment to keeping South Vietnam non-communist would grow steadily over the next decade into a full-scale war.
- 1964
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
After reported attacks on US Navy ships in the Gulf of Tonkin, Congress passes a resolution giving President Johnson sweeping authority to escalate military action in Vietnam.
Why it mattered: The resolution became the legal basis for sending hundreds of thousands of US troops to Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.
- 1965
First US Combat Troops
President Johnson sends the first US combat troops to Vietnam; by year's end, nearly 200,000 American soldiers are in the country.
Why it mattered: The US was now fighting the war directly, not just advising, and American casualties began to mount alongside South Vietnamese ones.
- 1968
Tet Offensive
North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launch a massive surprise attack on more than 100 South Vietnamese cities during the Tet holiday.
Why it mattered: Though US forces repelled the attacks, the scale of the offensive shocked Americans who had been told the war was nearly won — and decisively turned public opinion against the war.
- 1969
Vietnamization
President Nixon begins withdrawing US troops and shifting the fighting to South Vietnamese forces, a policy he calls Vietnamization.
Why it mattered: Vietnamization acknowledged the US could not win militarily and began the long withdrawal — but the war continued for six more years.
- 1970
Kent State Shootings
National Guard soldiers kill four students during an antiwar protest at Kent State University in Ohio.
Why it mattered: Kent State intensified the antiwar movement and deepened the painful divide at home — support for continued US involvement collapsed further.
- 1973
Paris Peace Accords
The United States and North Vietnam sign a peace agreement; US combat troops withdraw from Vietnam.
Why it mattered: The accords ended direct US military involvement, but fighting between North and South Vietnam continued almost immediately.
- 1974
South Vietnam Weakens
With US troops gone and Congress cutting military aid, South Vietnam struggles to hold off North Vietnamese advances.
Why it mattered: Without American support, South Vietnam's government and military steadily weakened — the final collapse was approaching.
- 1975
Fall of Saigon
North Vietnamese forces capture Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, on April 30; the last Americans are evacuated by helicopter from the US embassy roof.
Why it mattered: The fall of Saigon ended the war with a complete North Vietnamese victory. Vietnam was reunified under communist rule, and more than 58,000 Americans had died in the conflict.
Vietnam War Quiz
Check what you learned — read on screen, or download the Quiz with Answer Key above for a worksheet version.
Why was Vietnam divided in 1954?
- A) After a civil war, the United Nations split it into a Chinese North and a French South
- B) After the Tet Offensive, the United States split it to protect the government in Saigon
- C) After Japan's defeat, the Allies split it into a Soviet North and an American South
- D) After France lost, peace talks split it into communist North and non-communist South
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
- A) A resolution by Congress cutting off all money for American troops in South Vietnam
- B) A resolution by Congress giving the president broad power to escalate the war
- C) A declaration of war by Congress against both North Vietnam and China
- D) A resolution by the United Nations ordering US ships out of the gulf
What was the Tet Offensive?
- A) A surprise landing by US and South Vietnamese troops on the North Vietnamese coast
- B) A final attack by North Vietnamese tanks that captured Saigon in 1975
- C) A surprise attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces on southern cities
- D) A bombing campaign by US and South Vietnamese planes on northern cities
Why did the Tet Offensive change the war politically?
- A) It ended in a communist victory that captured Saigon and forced the US to surrender
- B) It destroyed the North Vietnamese army, leading Congress to declare the war over
- C) It convinced Americans the war was nearly won, raising support for sending more troops
- D) It shocked Americans who were told the war was nearly won, turning opinion against it
What was Vietnamization?
- A) Ho Chi Minh's plan to unite North and South Vietnam under communist rule
- B) Nixon's plan to invade North Vietnam and place it under South Vietnamese rule
- C) Nixon's plan to pull out US troops and shift fighting to South Vietnamese forces
- D) Johnson's plan to send US combat troops and take over fighting from South Vietnam
What happened at Kent State in May 1970?
- A) College students voted to support sending more troops to Vietnam
- B) National Guard soldiers killed four students during an antiwar protest
- C) President Nixon announced the end of the military draft in a speech
- D) Antiwar protesters killed four National Guard soldiers during a march
What did the Paris Peace Accords of 1973 do?
- A) Ended direct US military involvement, though North and South kept fighting
- B) Ended the draft at home, though US combat troops stayed for five more years
- C) Ended the war by reuniting Vietnam under a single elected government
- D) Ended the war with a South Vietnamese victory and a northern surrender
How did the Vietnam War end?
- A) North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon and reunified Vietnam under communist rule
- B) South Vietnamese forces captured Hanoi and reunified Vietnam under their own rule
- C) United Nations forces took over Saigon and held elections in both halves of Vietnam
- D) American forces defeated North Vietnam and left the country divided at the 17th parallel
Show answer key
1. D · 2. B · 3. C · 4. D · 5. C · 6. B · 7. A · 8. A
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How to print
Every sheet above is a ready-to-print PDF sized for US Letter paper (8.5 × 11"). The fill-in version keeps the dates and gives students lines to write each event, with the events listed at the bottom to place — good for review. The ordering activity and the quiz each end with an answer key.
Frequently asked questions
Why did the United States get involved in the Vietnam War?
The US got involved primarily to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. Under the domino theory, American leaders believed that if South Vietnam fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow. The US first sent military advisors in the 1950s, then combat troops in 1965, eventually committing more than half a million soldiers at the peak of the conflict in 1968-69.
How did the Vietnam War affect the United States?
The Vietnam War had a profound and lasting impact: more than 58,000 Americans died and hundreds of thousands were wounded or suffered lasting psychological trauma. The war deeply divided American society, created a widespread loss of trust in the government, and produced the War Powers Act of 1973, which limits the president's ability to commit troops without congressional approval.
What paper size should I print this on?
The timeline is sized for standard US Letter paper (8.5 × 11 in.). The Download PDF button gives you a print-ready file that fits the page automatically.