History

Vietnam is a small country in Southeast Asia. In 1946 the Vietnamese fought to become independent from the French Indochina. Although the United States was not active in fighting at this time they provided military equipment to the French. In 1954 the French were defeated and Vietnam was divided into Communist-ruled North Vietnam and noncommunist South Vietnam. 

The Vietnam War was the longest war in which the United States took part. The war began in 1964 and ended in 1975. 
The first U.S. troops entered Vietnam in March 1965. Until 1969, North Vietnam and the United States did most of the fighting.

North Vietnam wanted to end U.S. support of South Vietnam and to unite the north and south into a single nation. The United States and the South Vietnamese army tried to stop them.

To the Communist, the Vietnam War was just another attempt by a foreign power to rule Vietnam. They also viewed the war as a war of national liberation and a continued struggle with France. The Soviet Union and China supported the Vietnamese Communist with war supplies but did not send troops. 






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