WAR infographic

Ancient Vietnam was under Chinese rule for roughly a 1000 years until 938 AD.

Vietnam was a French colony from the mid-19th century (French Indochina was established)

In the early 1900s, nationalist movements emerged in Vietnam. They demanded less French influence.

The Vietnamese had been under French colonial rule for 6 decades.

In 1940, Japan invaded Vietnam.

In 1941, Vietnam had two foreign powers occupying them

Then, revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh arrived back in Vietnam.

He established a headquarters in a cave in northern Vietnam and militant nationalist organization (Viet Minh)

The Viet Ming goal was to rid Vietnam of the French and Japanese occupiers.

Ho Chi Minh established Communist rule in 1945.

The Viet Minh announced the establishment of an independent Vietnam with a new government called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

After Vietnam declared independence from France, neither France nor the US recognized this claim.

U.S. President Truman aided France with military equipment to fight the Viet Minh.

1946 - Communists in the north begun fighting France for control of the country.

First Indochina War (1946–1954)

1949 - France established the State of Vietnam in the southern half of the country.

May 1954 - The Battle of Dien Bien Phu - resulted in serious defeat for the French

peace talks in Geneva.

The Geneva Accords end the French Indochina War.

The French decided to pull out of Vietnam.

The subsequent treaty split Vietnam along the latitude known as the 17th Parallel (17 degrees north latitude)

Ho was in control in the North and Bao in the South.

The Communist-led north and US-supported south.

In 1955, the anti-communist politician Ngo Dinh Diem pushed Emperor Bao aside to become president of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam (GVN)

The United States hardened its policies against any allies of the Soviet Union and had pledged firm support to Diem and South Vietnam.

A general democratic election was to be held in 1956 - to reunite the country under one government.

The United States refused to agree to the election, fearing the communists might win.

South Vietnam carried out the election only in South Vietnam.

After eliminating most of his rivals, Ngo Dinh Diem was elected.

The Diem's regime was corrupted and extremely unpopular.

The United States continued to prop it up

The resistance against Diem’s regime was organized by the Ho Chi Minh–backed National Liberation Front (the Viet Cong).