Vietnam History

Vietnamese history dates back to 2,700 years ago. The very first occupier of this bountiful land was China. For years Chinese dynasties alternately ruled the people and the entire country. Only in 938 BC was Vietnam freed from Chinese occupations. However, the country remained subordinate to China until the French arrived to colonize. In 1939, the Second World War made way for the defeat of the French by the Japanese. Although a colony of the Japanese, Vietnam stayed under the administration of the French. After the war, France tried to win back their rule over the country but they failed. Due to the Geneva Conference, which aimed to promote peace in the Indochina territories, the country was divided in half. Instead of the planned reunification, the partition only led to the infamous Vietnam War. This war caused a striking number of deaths and the destruction of a huge area of the country. It ended with the fall of Saigon and the defeat of the Chinese and Russian tag team.

After the war, the earlier planned reunification finally came to fruition. However, the country remained cut off from the rest of the world because of an on-going Cold War. Only in 1986 did Vietnam start the reforms that led to the Vietnam people know today. Due to the reforms, which were largely based on the Chinese Communist Party, the people of the country are enjoying continuous economic growth.