September 1945: Hồ Chí Minh’s Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence On 2 September 1945, approximately 500,000 people…
27 November 1948: Phan Kế An’s Secret Rendezvous with Hồ Chí Minh in the Việt Bắc
By November 1948, Hồ Chí Minh had been hiding in…
May 1949: Nguyễn Văn Tỵ’s Observations in North-Central Vietnam
The year 1949 was pivotal in the history of North…
26 June 1950: North Korea invades South Korea
At the onset of the Korean War, President Harry Truman…
September 1950: MAAG Sent to Aid French Forces in Vietnam
An American Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) was sent to…
15 September 1950: The Battle of Đông Khê
The Battle of Đông Khê was a major battle of the First…
1950: Tô Ngọc Vân and The Border Campaign
In modern-day Vietnam, one artist’s legacy unites Hanoi and Ho…
Late-1950: Huỳnh Văn Thuận’s First Indochina War Series in the Việt Bắc
The autonomous zones of the Việt Bắc and the Tây…
December 1950: Phan Kế An paints “Remembering the Northwest”
By the end of 1950, North Vietnam had politically and…
February 1951: Hồ Chí Minh creates Đảng Lao Động (the Vietnam Worker’s Party)
The formation of the Vietnam Worker’s Party (Đảng Lao Động)…
1951-1953: The Campaigns for the Red River Delta and Hòa Bình
In the years leading up to 1953, both the French…
November 1951: General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny leaves Vietnam
In November 1951, General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny was…
Early-1952: Training in China and the “Soldiers of Bronze Foot and Iron Skin”
At the beginning of 1952, the First Indochina War between…
1 November 1952: US explodes the world’s first hydrogen bomb in the Pacific
A weapon that would come to define world history, America’s…
23 November-2 December 1952: Battle of Nà Sản
A crucial battle that succeeded France’s failed Operation Lorraine. Although…
5 March 1953: Joseph Stalin dies
An inspirational leader for the communist world at the time,…
November-December 1953: Tô Ngọc Vân’s Re-educational Pilgrimage
Towards the end of 1953, Tô Ngọc Vân was sent…
January-March 1954: Prelude to The Battle of Điện Biên Phủ
On 28 April 2018, Colonel Phạm Thanh Tâm, at eighty-six years…
22 February-11 March 1954: Phạm Thanh Tâm’s Journey to Điện Biên Phủ
Phạm Thanh Tâm describes his march to Điện Biên Phủ…
13 March-7 May 1954: The Battle of Điện Biên Phủ
Phạm Thanh Tâm recounts his experiences and roles as a…
8 May-21 July 1954: The Geneva Conference
A day after the French defeat at Điện Biên Phủ,…
1955: Northwest Countryside in Newly Liberated Vietnam
In the years that followed liberation from French colonial rule,…
February-October 1955: The Battle of Saigon and the Battle of the Sects
On 22 February, in Tây Ninh, representatives from the Bình Xuyên…
26 October 1955: Ngô Đình Diệm Elected President of South Vietnam
The State of Vietnam referendum scheduled for 23 October 1955 determined…
1 November 1955: MAAG Formed for South Vietnam
On 1 November 1955, the American Military Assistance Advisory Group for South…
1956-1959: Nguyễn Sỹ Ngọc’s Intimate Paintings of his Re-education Pilgrimage
The period between 1956 and 1959 was one of consolidation…
12 December 1957: Vietnam Fine Arts Association Formed
Formation and Roles On 12 December 1957, the Vietnam Fine…
1958: Lê Huy Toàn’s ‘SMOLEVSK’ Revelation
Colonel Lê Huy Toàn became one of Vietnam’s best-known wartime…
6 May 1959: President Ngô Đình Diệm’s 10/59 Edict
In response to the increased insurgency efforts by National Liberation…
19 May 1959: North Vietnam forms Group 559 to Build the Ho Chi Minh Trail
On 19 May 1959, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV)…
8 July 1959: Major Dale Buis and Sergeant Chester Ovnand killed at Biên Hòa
In July 1960, under continued pressure by northern insurgents, President…
April 1960: North Vietnam Imposes Military Conscription
In April 1960, North Vietnam imposed universal military conscription for…
April 1960: Release of the Caravelle Manifesto Calling for Ngô Đình Diệm’s Resignation
In April 1960, eighteen South Vietnamese intellectuals signed the Caravelle…
20 December 1960: The National Liberation Front is Formed
The National Liberation Front (NLF) was founded in South Vietnam…
20 January 1961: John F. Kennedy Inaugurated as President of the United States
On 20 January 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the 35th…
May 1961: Formation of the Central Executive Committee of the People’s Revolutionary Party
The Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN), loosely translated from…
12 May 1961: Lyndon B. Johnson visits the Republic of Vietnam
On 12 May 1961, as part of his tour of…
June 1961: Lê Quốc Lộc’s Peaceful Hanoi
In April 1961, America’s failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro…
October-November 1961: More American aid sent to South Vietnam
In October 1961, top Kennedy aides General Maxwell Taylor and…
27 February 1962: Ngô Đình Diệm’s Palace Bombed
On 6 February 1962, the Military Assistance Command in Vietnam…
March 1962: Operation Sunrise
In March 1962, Operation Sunrise started what was known as the…
September 1962: Nguyễn Thanh Minh’s Assignment to the Painting Division of the Cultural Department in Tây Bắc
After leaving the Vĩnh Lợi revolutionary base in Bình Dương…
End of 1962: Nguyễn Thanh Minh’s Propaganda Art from the Tây Bắc
As well as documenting life in the Tây Bắc, Minh…
2 January 1963: The Battle of Ấp Bắc
On 28 December 1962, US intelligence services detected a Việt…
March 1963: Nguyễn Thanh Minh’s Continued Propaganda Expedition to the Northwest of Vietnam
In 1963, Nguyễn Thanh Minh continued his assignment with a…
11 June 1963: Buddhist Monk Commits Suicide by Self-immolation
Under Ngô Đình Diệm’s Roman-Catholic orientated regime, a ban had been…
2 September 1963: Kennedy Openly Criticises Ngô Đình Diệm Regime on National T.V.
On 2 September 1963, President of the United States John…
November 1963: A Bloody Month
Through the course of November 1963, both South Vietnam and…
30 January 1964: General Nguyễn Khánh seizes power in Saigon
Before dawn on 30 January 1964, General Nguyễn Khánh ousted…
February 1964: Wilfred Burchett Questions the Strategic hamlet Programme
In November 1963, veteran Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett embarked on…
April 1964: Trịnh Kim Vinh and the Female Guerrilla
In 1964, Trịnh Kim Vinh began her diploma course at the…
May 1964: Trần Viet Sơn in Hà Tĩnh Province
Between 1964 and 1966, Trần Viet Sơn returned to Hanoi and…
May 1964: Thái Hà’s First Liberty Class in Bến Tre Province
In Bến Tre Province, South Vietnam, Thái Hà captured the…
2 August 1964: The Gulf of Tonkin Incident
On 2 August 1964, the USS Maddox was attacked by…
10 August 1964: The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Enacted
On 7 August 1964, the United States Congress passed the Gulf…
September 1964: Phạm Thanh Tâm Captures a MIG 17 Pilot at Nội Bài Airport in Hanoi
In 1964, a year after he had enrolled in a…
14 October 1964: Leonid Brezhnev Becomes General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
On 14 October 1964, Leonid Brezhnev became the General Secretary…
1 November 1964: Biên Hòa Air Force Base Attacked
The Attack on Biên Hòa At 2:00 am, a Việt…
7 February 1965: Operation Flaming Dart
After being authorised by President Lyndon Johnson, Operation Flaming Dart…
March 1965: Operation Rolling Thunder and First Combat Troops Land in Đà Nẵng
On 2 March 1965, the US Air Force, the US…
June 1965: Nguyễn Thanh Minh and Nghĩa Lộ Guerrillas
Nguyễn Thanh Minh describes his experience of student assignments and…
July 1965: Phan Kế An in the Northern Central Provinces
An early member of the Việt Minh, Phan Kế An…
July 1965: Quách Văn Phong Encamped with Battalion 840
Quách Văn Phong recounts his impressions of Cam Ranh Airforce Base.…
August 1965: Phạm Thanh Tâm Documents Military Training in Hoà Bình Province
In 1963, Phạm Thanh Tâm began his art education at…
September 1965: Văn Đa on Cát Bà Island
In 1965, during its prominence as a sanctuary for People’s…
November 1965: Thái Hà’s Second Liberty Classes in the Mekong Delta
In 1962, Thái Hà went to study at Central Nguyễn…
1-8 January 1966: Operation Marauder
The Plain of Reeds (Đồng Tháp Mười) had long been…
March 1966: Trần Viet Sơn Begins Work for the Propagating and Training Department in Military Zone 5
Between 1964 and 1966 Trần Viet Sơn returned to Hanoi…
9-10 March 1966: The Battle of A Sầu
In the decisive one-day Battle of A Sầu, US Amry…
April 1966: Phạm Thanh Tâm in Quảng Trị Province
In 1963, Phạm Thanh Tâm began his art education at…
May 1966: Quách Văn Phong Lives with the Raglai Ethnic Minority
Quách Văn Phong describes his experience of living with the…
18-21 August 1966: The Battle of Lòng Tận
After constructing a base at Núi Đất in Phước Tuy…
October-December 1966: Thái Hà’s Third Liberty Art Class in Cà Mau Province, South Vietnam
After being commissioned to head south along the Ho Chi…
Early 1967: Artists Capture Resistance Life in North Vietnam
By the beginning of 1967, America had increased its troop…
31 March 1967: The Battle of Ấp Gù
On the 31 March 1967, American military forces were sent…
May 1967: Võ Xưởng in the Bunkers in Phước Long Province
A video on the Tết Offensive as described by prolific…
Early-Mid 1967: Artists Capture Resistance Life in South Vietnam
Together with artists on assignment in the North, artists based…
August 1967: US Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara Testifies that Bombing is Ineffective in Vietnam
Despite a relatively optimistic view of the war at the…
November 1967: Nguyễn Văn Thiệu elected President of South Vietnam and Khe Sanh is Fortified
On 3 September 1967, Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was elected president…
January 1968: Nguyễn Thanh Châu Depicts the Tết Offensive in Saigon
At the end of January 1968, Nguyễn Thanh Châu witnessed the…
21 January 1968: The Battle of Khe Sanh
On 21 January 1968, two to three divisions of the…
30 January 1968: The Battle of Huế
By the end of January 1968, spelling the start of…
31 January 1968: The Tết Offensive Begins
On 31 January 1968, General Võ Nguyên Giáp launched a series…
31 January 1968: Battle of Quảng Trị City
The Tết Offensive, launched on 31 January 1968, aimed at…
February 1968: Bằng Lâm Goes South for the Tết Offensive
Operation Rolling Thunder In the wake of Operation Rolling Thunder…
March-May 1968: Nguyễn Thanh Minh Based at Dragon’s Jaw Bridge
During their studies at the Vietnam Fine Arts College, students…
March-June 1968: Trần Hữu Chất Documents the Bà Nà Ethnic Minority
In 1964, Trần Hữu Chất enlisted in the army once…
16 March 1968: The Mỹ Lai Massacre
On 16 March 1968, Charlie Company of the US 1st…
31 March 1968: President Lyndon B. Johnson Announces Bombing Halt in Vietnam
On 31 March 1968, US President Lyndon B. Johnson announced…
Mid-1968: Trenches and Guerrillas in South Vietnam
By mid-1968, the Second Indochina War had escalated into a…
August-December 1968: Bùi Quang Ánh Reveals Life on the Hồ Chí Minh Trail
In 1968, the Hanoi Fine Arts College was transformed into…
5 November 1968: Richard Nixon Elected 37th President of the United States
On 5 November 1968, Richard Milhous Nixon beat Hubert Humphrey…
December 1968: US Troop Numbers in Vietnam Reach Approximately 540,000
Approximately 540,000 American troops were recorded in Vietnam by December…
January 1969: Lê Minh Trường on the Hồ Chí Minh Trail in the Trường Sơn mountains
PhotographerLê Minh Trường was one of the most venerated photographers…
8 March 1969: Lê Lam in Long An Province
Between 1965 and 1974, Lê Lam took the advice of…
18 March 1969: Operation Menu and Secret Carpet Bombing in Cambodia
More than a year since the start of the Tết…
3 April 1969: Policy of “Vietnamisation” Announced by Melvin Laird
Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announced the US government’s new…
10-20 May 1969: The Battle of Hamburger Hill
In May 1969, US involvement in Vietnam was at an…
21 June 1969: PAVN Soldiers Storm the US Tây Ninh Combat Base
After shelling for two days, approximately 600 People’s Army of…
25 July 1969: Nixon Doctrine Announced in Guam
On a stopover at the American air force base in…
2 September 1969: Hồ Chí Minh Dies in Hanoi
On 2 September 1969, Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) President…
15 October 1969: Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam Demonstrations Around the World
With anti-war sentiment reaching fever-pitch in America and around the…
3 November 1969: President Nixon’s “Silent Majority” Speech
On 3 November 1969, President Nixon addressed the American nation…
1 December 1969: US Government Institutes Draft Lottery
Contrary to the new Nixon Doctrine, in which the Nixon…
Early 1970: Artists Record the Growing Conflict in Southern NLF-controlled Regions
By the beginning of 1970, the conflict in Vietnam had…
20 February 1970: Kissinger begins secret talks with Lê Đức Thọ and Xuân Thùy
On 20 February 1970, Kissinger began secret talks with Lê…
18 March 1970: Cambodian Coup
On 18 March 1970, Cambodian Head of State King Norodom…
March 1970: Nguyễn Ðức Thọ’s Propaganda Art from Seng Phan, the Khăn Muốn Front, in Laos
Icons, or at least the iconic image of a strong,…
30 April 1970: The Cambodian Campaign
On 30 April 1970, US President Richard Nixon publicly announced…
May-June 1970: Phan Kế An Sketches in the Tây Bắc
During the months of May and June, veteran artist Phan…
May 1970: Kent State University Shootings
On 4 May 1970, in direct opposition the US incursion…
October-December 1970: Phạm Đỗ Đồng’s Portraits of Guerrilla Commandos in South Vietnam
Immediately after leaving the Vietnam Fine Arts College, Phạm Đỗ…
October 1970: Proposed Ceasefire and Start of the Khmer Republic
On 7 October 1970, US President Richard Nixon proposed a ceasefire…
15 October 1970: Bằng Lâm at 148 Naval Workshop in Hạ Long Bay
In February 1965, Bằng Lâm enlisted in the People’s Army…
19 October-13 November 1970: The Tchepone Operation
By 1970, it was determined that the Royal Laos Armed…
12 November 1970: Calley Goes to Trial for Mỹ Lai Massacre
On 12 November 1970, 1st Lieutenant William “Rusty” Calley Junior…
Late 1970: Bùi Quang Ánh on the Hồ Chí Minh Trail in Savannakhet, Laos
In April 1970, Bùi Quang Ánh travelled south with poet…
Early 1971: Bùi Quang Ánh Travels from Savannakhet, Laos, to Yên Bái Province
After spending over two months in Savannakhet, Laos, artist Bùi Quang…
8 February-25 March 1971: Operation Lam Sơn 719
On 8 February 1970, Operation Lam Sơn 719 (Chiến dịch Lam…
March 1971: Nguyễn Ðức Thọ and Operation Lam Sơn 719
Nguyễn Ðức Thọ describes his first-hand experience of participating in…
April 1971: Operation VVAW Dewey Canyon III, 500,000 March in Protest in Washington D.C.
Over a period of four days, from 19 to 23…
13 June 1971: The Pentagon Papers are Released
On 13 June 1971, The New York Times published leaked documents…
July 1971: Phạm Đỗ Đồng Sketches in An Giang Province
Like other artists such as Nguyễn Thanh Châu, Phạm Đỗ Đồng…
August 1971: Nguyễn Thanh Châu in the Sác Forest
After a nine-month journey down the Ho Chi Minh Trail…
18 August 1971: Australia and New Zealand Announce Troop Withdrawals from Vietnam
On 18 August 1971 Australia and New Zealand – US…
September 1971: The Opening of Vì Dân Hospital in Saigon
Bệnh Viện Vì Dân (often known in English at the…
3 October 1971: Nguyễn Văn Thiệu Re-elected as President of South Vietnam
On 3 October 1971, Nguyễn Văn Thiệu ran for re-election…
November-December 1971: Bằng Lâm and the Vietnam People’s Navy
Before he joined the Naval Training Bureau in 1972, war…
29 November 1971: North Vietnam Signs Agreement with the Soviet Union for Continued Support
The relationship triangle between the Soviet Union, China and North…
Early 1972: Artists Capture Increased Military Mobilisation in South Vietnam
At the beginning of 1972, two months before the Easter…
Spring 1972: Communist Guerrillas Begin the Easter Offensive
Background In the spring of 1972, communist guerrillas launched the…
May-June 1972: Nguyễn Thanh Châu and Resistance Life in Tiền Giang Province
From May to June 1972, Nguyễn Thanh Châu continued his assignment…
July-October 1972: Trưóng Hiếu Documents Fighting in Mỹ Tho
Trưóng Hiếu in Mỹ Tho In the end stages of…
October-December 1972: Nguyễn Thế Vinh Continues his Assignment in the Central Highlands
During October through to December 1972, artist Nguyễn Thế Vinh continued…
December 1972: Hanoi’s Defence Against Operation Linebacker II
By December 1972, artist Nguyễn Thế Vinh had been a member…
January 1973: Trần Hoàng Sơn and Mr. Bội in Quảng Nam Province
Background During the Paris Peace Accord negotiations, war artist Trần…
27 January 1973: Paris Peace Accords Signed
After five years of tense negotiations, the Paris Peace Accords…
February 1973: Nguyễn Thanh Châu Captures a Scene of Hope int he Mekong Delta
After the Paris Peace Accords were signed on 27 January…
April 1973: Trưóng Hiếu Documents Guerrilla Life
After volunteering to join the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN)…
May 1973: Lê Lam Sketches a Female Guerrilla
Between 1965 and 1974, Lê Lam took the advice of…
July 1973: Lê Minh Trường on Active Patrol in Cà Mau Province
Photographer and war correspondent Lê Minh Trường was one of…
September 1973: Trịnh Kim Vinh Renders a Scene using Lithography
After her return to Vietnam after graduating from the Dresden…
October 1973: Nguyễn Thanh Châu Captures the PLAF at War
In the remaining years of the Second Indochina War, Nguyễn…
February 1974: Phạm Đỗ Đồng and the Model Soldier of the logistics department
Artist Phạm Đỗ Đồng lived in the south of Vietnam…
May 1974: Phạm Đỗ Đồng and the “Soldiers of Emulation” in Tây Ninh Province
From 1969 until 1975, war artist Phạm Đỗ Đồng lived…
July 1974: Ngô Viễn Chí Battles “Fierce” Water to Deliver Supplies
In July 1974, artist Ngô Viễn Chí was stationed with…
July 1974: Nguyễn Ðức Thọ Attends a Party Cell Meeting
In the period between 1970 and 1975, Nguyễn Ðức Thọ…
Mid-July 1974: Phạm Đỗ Đồng at a Medical Camp in Tây Ninh Province
After his assignment to the southeastern provinces of South Vietnam,…
September 1974: Ngô Viễn Chí and the Daily Chores of Unit Đ814
In September 1974, Ngô Viễn Chí was still encamped within…
October 1974: Phạm Đỗ Đồng Documents Logistic Regiment 220 on the Đồng Nai River
In between 1969 and 1975, war artist Phạm Đỗ Đồng…
January 1975: Nguyễn Ðức Thọ Documents Defences in Hai Phong and Hạ Long
Nguyễn Ðức Thọ recounts his experience of witnessing missile controllers…
15 March 1975: Bùi Quang Ánh Records Liberation Soldiers in The East Forest
At the beginning of March 1975, the People’s Army of…
17 April 1975: The Fall of Phnom Penh
By April 1975, the Khmer Republic was in chaos and…
End of April 1975: Nguyễn Thanh Châu Joins the March into Saigon
Towards the end of April 1975, forces from the People’s…
April-May 1975: Phạm Thanh Tâm Documents the Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon in April 1975 was the second…
Mid-May 1975: Phạm Thanh Tâm Continues to Document the Liberation of Saigon
After documenting the liberation of Saigon at the end of April…
September 1975: Ngô Viễn Chí Searches for his Old Unit at the Vì Dân Hospital in Saigon
Five months after the liberation of Vietnam, Ngô Viễn Chí…
2 July 1976: Socialist Republic of Vietnam Established
On 2 July 1976, Vietnam became the Socialist Republic of…
2 November 1976: Jimmy Carter Elected President
On 2 November 1976, Jimmy Carter was elected the 39th…
21 January 1977: President Carter Pardons 10,000 Vietnam War Draft Dodgers
Two days after being elected President of the United States,…
Mid-1977: Ngô Viễn Chí Finds Pineapples and Industry in Newly-named Ho Chi Minh City
In the first half of 1977 (the exact date is…
April 1978: Chinese-Hoa Minority Flee Vietnam
In April 1978, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam took increasingly…
June 1978: Sino-Vietnamese Relations Deteriorate After Vietnam Joins COMECON
In June 1978, Vietnam became the 10th member of COMECON,…
3 November 1978: Vietnam and the Soviet Union Sign a Treaty of Friendship
Amid reports of increased clashes between Vietnamese and Chinese forces…
End of November 1978: Chinese Exodus from Vietnam at an All-time High
With Sino-Vietnamese relations at their lowest in November 1978, the…
25 December 1978: Vietnam Invades Cambodia
On 25 September 1978, the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN)…
7 January 1979: PAVN Forces Enter Phnom Penh
On 7 January 1979, the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN)…
8 January 1979: People’s Republic of Kampuchea Established
On 8 January 1979, the day after the People’s Army…
17 February 1979: China Invades Vietnam
On 17 February 1979, China invaded Vietnam, aiming to capture…
April 1979: Lương Xuân Đoàn at the “Steel Fortress” Outside of Đồng Đăng
By the time war broke out with China on the…
June 1979: Artists Capture the Destruction at Đồng Đăng
In June 1979, three months after the end of the…