f French Indochina.1945Japan forced Emperor Bao Dai to declare the independence of northern and central Vietnam. After the war, the emperor stepped down and Communist leader Ho Chi Minh assumed power.1954The Communist-led Vietminh defeated the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Vietnam was divided into two nations. Ho Chi Minh became president of North Vietnam, and Bao Dai became the leader of South Vietnam.1957 Backed by North Vietnam, Communist guerrillas called the Vietcong began to rebel against the South Vietnamese government.1965United States forces landed at Da Nang and began fighting in Vietnam.1969Ho Chi Minh died.1973The United States ended its military involvement in the Vietnam War.1975South Vietnam surrendered to northern forces. Thousands of Vietnamese began fleeing the country.1976North and South Vietnam were unified under a Communist government. Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.1978Vietnam invaded Cambodia and removed the Khmer Rouge government.1989Vietnam claimed to have withdrawn all of its forces from Cambodia.1990sEconomic reforms encouraging limited private enterprise and foreign investment were instituted.1994The United States ended its long-standing trade embargo with Vietnam. In return, Vietnam offered increased cooperation in providing information about soldiers killed or missing in the Vietnam War.1995 President Clinton announced the normalization of diplomatic relations with Vietnam. This followed the establishment of Liaison Offices in Hanoi and Washington, DC....
