Vietnam Background

Background Info for your Info ► officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam) ► It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east ► With a population of over 86 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world.

Background Info for your Info ► The capital is Hanoi in the North ► The largest city is Ho Chi Minh City in the South. Was known as Saigon ► The official language is Vietnamese, a derivative from the Asian language groups

Background Info for your Info ► Vietnam was under Chinese control for a thousand years before becoming a nation-state in the 10th century ► Vietnam's independence was gradually eroded by France when the entire country became part of French Indochina ► the French maintained control until the Japanese invaded French Indochina in 1941 during World War II

Background Info for your Info ► In 1941, the Viet Minh — a communist and nationalist liberation movement — emerged under Ho Chi Minh, to seek independence for Vietnam from France and to oppose the Japanese occupation ► After the defeat of Japan, the Vietminh occupied the city of Hanoi in the North and set up a provisional government

Background Info for your Info ► The French still occupied South which led to continued fighting between 1945 and 1954 ► The French were finally defeated and forced to withdrawal in 1954 after the Battle of Dienbienphu ► This battle for Independence left the nation divided politically into two countries

Background Info for your Info ► Bitter fighting between the two sides continued during the Vietnam War ► True to form, the US got involved to stop the spread of Communism; the ultimate goal of US Foreign policy at the time ► In 1975, the war ended with a Communist victory