Before the 2nd World War, Vietnam was a colony of France. During the war, French Indo China was occupied by the Japanese. When the war was over, the French took the place of the Japanese in Vietnam. In the period between 1945 and 1954 there was a struggle for independence headed by the communist Vietminh, headed by Ho Chi Minh, against the French rulers of Indochina. In August 1945 Vietminh guerrillas seized the capital city of Hanoi. They fought for an independent Vietnam, with Ho Chi Minh as their president. During this uprising the French lost their colony and they wanted to regain their power. This started a long war in 1946. During this war, the former emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai, was given help by the French to become the leader of the country. In July 1949 he set up the state of Vietnam (South Vietnam) with as new capital Saigon. America had already interfered with the war, but became more and more involved with it. In 1950 they wanted to help the south of Vietnam by sending over a military advisory group. This group was engaged in the training of South Vietnamese troops in the use of U.S. weapons. In the spring of 1954 the Vietminh won a big battle against the French at ien Bin Phu. Even with the help of America, France was unsuccessful, and they gave up the fight. Vietnam was partioned at the 17th parallel between North and South Vietnam. The north became a communist republic, while the south became a republic under the right wing dictator, Ngo Dinh Diem.On May 8, 1954 there was a peace conference in Geneva. The North and South Vietnamese delegates met with those of France, Britain, the Soviet Union, the United States, Communist China, Laos and Cambodia to discuss the future of Indochina. On this conference they decided that Vietnam was to be split up and that in 1956 3 elections should be held. The main intention was that Vietnam would after these elections once again become one country. However the Geneva truce crumbled. Di...
