The Vietnam War Timeline

The Geneva Conference partitions Vietnam into North Vietnam and South Vietnam. (21/07/1954)

On May 8th 1954 the Geneva Conference opened. It was attended my a host of countries who all shared the view of ending hostilities and restoring peace in French Indochina and Vietnam.

On April 27th the convention drew up a declaration that had the prime aim of ending foreign miltary incursions into Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The main points of the declaration were:

• The independence of Indochina from France (the French had been defeated at Dien Bien Phu on the eve of the Conference.)
• Clearly define north and south zones to which associated military organisations should retreat.
• A free election to take place in 1956 to settle the leadership and running of Vietnam - this to be supervised by the international community.

The declaration stressed the division of Vietnam was never to be seen as an advocation of territorial or or political assignment, but rather a provisional division until such a time as a free ballot could decide the future of the country.

Despite the declaration, Guerrilas from the North continued with incursions in the South and the U.S. increased it's military support of the RVN in the South. Eventually this activity would escalate into the Vietnam War between the United States of America and North Vietnam.