How did the Vietnam War begin?
The Vietnam War began in November 1955 and lasted until April 30th 1975. The war was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other anti-communist countries. The conflict started as a result of the long-standing political differences between the North and South, and was further exacerbated by the presence of foreign powers.
Background
During the Second World War, the Japanese had occupied French Indochina which included Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. After the Japanese were defeated, the Viet Minh, a nationalist and communist party, declared independence from French rule in 1945. The French refused to recognize this declaration and attempted to re-establish their colonial rule over the region. This resulted in a war between the French and the Viet Minh, which lasted from 1946 to 1954. The French were eventually defeated at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, and as a result, Vietnam was partitioned into North and South at the Geneva Conference.
North Vietnam vs South Vietnam
In the North, Ho Chi Minh, a communist leader, established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV). In the South, the United States supported Ngo Dinh Diem, a non-communist leader, to establish the Republic of Vietnam (RVN). This partition was intended to be temporary, and the two sides were meant to reunify at a future date. However, the two sides were never able to agree on a plan for reunification, and the temporary partition became a permanent division of the country.
The North was supported by communist countries such as China and the Soviet Union, while the South was supported by the United States and its allies. This external support allowed the conflict to escalate into a full-scale war between North and South Vietnam in 1965.
U.S. Involvement
The United States became involved in the war in order to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. The U.S. initially provided military and economic aid to South Vietnam and by 1965, had over 500,000 troops in the country. The war was fought using a strategy of attrition and the U.S. was unable to achieve its objectives. After a decade of fighting, the U.S. withdrew its forces in 1973, and South Vietnam fell to the communists in 1975.
Conclusion
The Vietnam War was a long and devastating conflict that resulted in the deaths of millions of people. The war began as a result of the political differences between North and South Vietnam and was further exacerbated by the presence of foreign powers. The United States became involved in order to prevent the spread of communism in the region, but was ultimately unsuccessful in achieving its objectives.
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