• 26 April - 21 July 1954 – the GENEVA conferences came to the armistice agreement and the final declaration on peace in INDOCHINA; VIETNAM was divided in two :

- the north to be ruled by a communist government presided by HO CHI MINH
- the south to be ruled by a pro-US government presided by DIEM.

• On October 9th 1954, the last French troops left HANOI and HO CHI MINH entered the city.

• On October 28th 1956, the last French soldier left INDOCHINA.

Vietnam war

• December 20th 1960 – the South-Vietnamese Front National de Libération (FNL) was created. On February 1961 creation of a “national liberation army”.

• In December 1961 the number of US “military advisors” reached 15,000.

• On June 2nd 1962, the international control commission denounced the assistance North Vietnam gave to the Vietcong (short for Vietnamese communists)

On November 11th 1963 there was a putsch against DIEM. The Americans dropped him ; as a consequence he “accidentally committed suicide”. General MINH became the new leader of the country. He himself was to be overthrown by General KHANH on January 30th 1964. On August 4th 1964, the “TONKIN GULF incident” (i.e. the attack of two US destroyers by two North-Vietnamese motor torpedo boats marked the beginning of the mass involvement of the US in VIETNAM February 28th 1965, beginning of systematic bombing of NORTH VIETNAM. The number of US soldiers in VIETNAM reached 125,000 in the summer of 1965.

• June 19th 1965, General KY took power. General THIEU became head of South Vietnamese State.

• January 30th 1968, beginning of the “Tet offensive”. It ended in February with the defeat of the communist troops which had lost 60,000 men.

• May 10th 1968, beginning of negotiations in PARIS

• 1972 –US blockade of NORTH VIETNAM. The B52’s bombings of NORTH VIETNAM intensified.

January 27th 1973, PARIS agreements on the “end of hostilities and the return of peace in VIETNAM”; In fact the war carried on in the south and extended to CAMBODIA. April 1975, fall of PHNOM PENH. The Khmer Rouge entered the city. They were to deport the city’s two million inhabitants within hours. April 30th 1975, fall of SAIGON.