Vietnam is an important state in Indochina, in South East Asia. It was part of the French colonies of Conchinchina and Siam. During World War II it was occupied by the Japanese army. The Vietnamese people, organized in guerrilla groups, fought against Japanese colonialism, under the leadership of the communist leader, Ho-Chi-Minh.
After the Second World War, the Ho-Chi-Minh forces prevailed, expelling the Japanese and declaring the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, with its capital Hanoi (1945), of a socialist nature . This movement collided with the forces of French imperialism, which were in the south of the territory, unleashing a bloody war, with the use of napalm incendiary bombs, bombardments of the civilian population, which lasted 8 years. The Vietnamese resisted this war with the support of the Soviet Union and China.
Around 1954 (July 21), French forces were defeated at Dien – Bien – Phu , the last stronghold in North Vietnam. The French had to accept an armistice, whose agreements were signed at the Geneva Conference (Switzerland), in which the following facts were recognized:
• The independence of the former colony of Cochinchina, in 3 States:Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam .
• Vietnam was separated by the 17th parallel into two zones:North Viet Nam with its capital Hanoi, led by Ho Chi Minh, and South Vietnam, with its capital Saigon, led by Emperor Bao - Dai.
• General elections were anticipated after two years to see unification.
The political situation in the North was consolidated; but in the South it was really impossible, due to popular protests and the existence of guerrillas . Emperor Bao Dai was deposed and Ngo Dinh Diem appointed as head of the Republican Provisional Government. The South Vietnamese, known as Vietcong , were fighting for their unity, with the support of their compatriots from the North. After the assassination of President Diem, in 1963, the situation in the South worsened, precipitating the North American intervention, with material and men, occupying world attention due to the rawness and power of the war material used by both opponents. The heroic struggle of the Vietnamese forced the Americans, around 1973, to sign a treaty in Paris, ending hostilities. The North Vietnamese and the Vietcong took the city of Saigon, calling it Ho Chi Minh City . Both groups are carrying out a gradual unification.