Vietnamese History & War DatesMost Vietnamese historians consider the Dong Son civilization (that covered a large area in Southeast Asia) the first people that lived constantly in this region. In 208 BCE a general named Trieu Da established a state called Nam Viet which encompassed southern China and the Red River Delta.
The historical significance of Nam Viet remains controversial because some historians consider it a Chinese occupation, while others believe that it was an independent state. From 111 BCE to the 10th century CE, Vietnam was ruled by successive Chinese dynasties. During this period of time, Buddhism became a dominant influence in the religious and cultural life of the people. Sporadic independence movements were attempted, but were quickly suppressed by Chinese forces.
In 939 CE a Vietnamese army defeated the Chinese forces at Bach Dang River and gained independence after 10 centuries of Chinese control, but the complete autonomy was obtained a century later. During the rule of the Tran dynasty, Vietnam defeated three Mongol attempts of invasion. The final battle of the war in which the Vietnamese general Tran Hung Dao defeated most of Mongolian forces was held also at Bach Dang River.
The feudalism in Vietnam reached the highest point of development under the Le dynasty, in the 15th century, particularly during the reign of emperor Le Thanh Tong. Between the 11th and 18th centuries, Vietnam expanded southward in a process known as the "Southward Expansion", when it conquered the Kingdom of Champa. The independence of Vietnam ended in the 19th century CE, when the country was colonized by the French Empire.
Under the French administration began the modern history of Vietnam, when have been made significant political and cultural changes in the society. A modern western-style system of education was developed and the Christian religion was introduced in the country. Developing an economy that exported tobacco, indigo, tea and coffee, the French largely ignored the increasing calls for self-government and civil rights. A nationalist political movement emerged soon and the young leader Ho Chi Minh started the fight for independence. Still, the French maintained the dominant control until the World War II, when the Japanese invasion occupied entire Indochina.
All war dates underline the fact that the natural resources of Vietnam were exploited for the military campaigns of Japan in Burma, the Malay Peninsula, and India. In the final years of the war, a strong nationalist insurgency emerged under Ho Chi Minh, who led the country to independence and communism.
Main Historical Events in VietnamAfter defeat of Japan in the war, the nationalist forces fought against the French colonial forces in the First Indochina War, which lasted between 1945 - 1954. The French suffered a major defeat in the battle of Dien Bien Phu and shortly afterwards withdrew from the country. The country was divided along the 17th Parallel in two parts, North Vietnam and South Vietnam. This division was meant to be temporary, but disagreements emerged soon over the organizing of elections and reunification. The controversial attack on USA ships in Gulf of Tonkin trigged a U.S. military assault on the North Vietnamese military installations and the deployment of more than 500,000 troops in South Vietnam. U.S. forces were soon engaged in a vicious guerrilla war against Viet Cong, the South Vietnamese communist militia.
The North Vietnamese forces attempted unsuccessfully to occupy the South during the offensive in 1968 and the war soon spread into the neighboring countries Laos and Cambodia. The U.S. began transferring combat roles to the South Vietnamese military forces. The effort had mixed results, but with USA support the South Vietnamese regime was able to resist.
The accord from Paris, in 27th January 1973, recognized formally the sovereignty of both sides. All American combat troops were withdrew starting from 29th March 1973. Local fights continued, but the war ended when the North invaded once again and conquered the South on 30th April 1975. South Vietnam became the Republic of South Vietnam, a puppet-state under the military occupation of North Vietnam, before the officially reunification with the North under the communist rule and creation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on 2th July 1976.
More than 30 years of war have devastated the economy and the urban and rural infrastructure across the nation. Millions of people were killed and the war dates show that more as 50,000 U.S. soldiers were killed! Hundreds of thousands of people fled the communist regime, an event which is known as the "boat people" run.
The Vietnamese communists banned all other political parties, arrested suspects believed to have collaborated with USA, and started a campaign of collectivization of farms and factories. The reconstruction of the war-ravaged country was slow and serious humanitarian and economic problems confronted the communist regime. In 1978, the Vietnamese army invaded Cambodia. This action was convicted by China, which launched a brief incursion into the northern part of Vietnam in 1979. This conflict made Vietnam more dependent on Soviet economic and military aid. When came the decline of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, Vietnam lost this help and was forced to change its political orientation.
In a historical shift in 1986, the Communist Party of Vietnam implemented free-market reforms known as the "Renovation". The private ownership of farms and companies was allowed and the foreign investments were encouraged. The economy of Vietnam started a rapid growth in agricultural and industrial production, construction, and exports. Vietnam's economic development has been increased significantly due to the investments made by the expatriate Vietnamese community living in USA and the European countries.
Vietnam normalized its relations with the United States in 1995 (date when the USA - Vietnam War can be considered ended) and nowadays is an important member of the Association of South-Eastern Asian Nations. The power of the Communist Party over government remains firm, even if there are increasing calls for political freedom made by a new pro-democracy movement.
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