The history of the territory that we know as Vietnam has more than one millennium. For such a long time, the state has known ups and downs, joy and sorrow, poverty and prosperity. China had a great influence on him. Unfortunately, the Vietnamese people have rarely seen peace on their territory; throughout their existence, they have experienced many wars, the last of which ended not so long ago, at the end of the 20th century.

The story begins around the 1st millennium BC. e. At that time, there were large settlements of the ancient Viet in the north. The first state appeared in the 7th century BC. e. along the banks of the Hong Ha River in the south of modern Vietnam. Then it was called Vanlang. The capital was Phong Chau.

In the 3rd century BC. Auviets came from South China and mixed with the local population. The new state was named Aulac with its capital in Koloa.

In the following centuries there were many wars with China, sometimes Vietnam was under its dominion (I-X centuries AD), sometimes it gained freedom and independence. The ruling dynasty, capitals and borders of the empire changed. In the Middle Ages, wars began with the Mongols.

For almost the entire 18th century, the north and south of Vietnam existed separately. The northerners dealt with internal problems, the southerners expanded south, seized the Khmer lands in the territory of modern Cambodia. There were wars with Laos and Siam.

colonial period

By the middle of the 19th century, the state was severely weakened by wars and had a weak army. Foreign policy towards European states was unreasonable, as a result of which French colonization began in 1857. Until 1873, the main cities were captured - Da Nang, Nam Bo, Saigon and Hanoi. The northern and central parts became protectorates. Thus, Vietnam, together with Laos and Cambodia, formed French Indochina. On June 6, 1884, France forced Vietnam to conclude a peace treaty, according to which it established a protectorate over the entire country.

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, there was a liberation partisan movement against the colonialists, although it did not achieve success. The uprisings were spontaneous and for the most part small in number. Changes began in 1930 with the creation of the Indochinese Communist Party, led by Ho Chi Minh.

During World War II, the country was occupied by the Japanese. On March 9, 1945, they organized a coup d'état in Indochina, liquidating the French administration. But the Japanese did not rule Vietnam for long. After their surrender, on September 2, 1945, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was established, headed by Ho Chi Minh. This date is considered to be the end of the French colonial rule. True, the French were in no hurry to give up their possessions and until 1954 they waged a war, which was called the First Indochina War.

In May 1954, French troops were surrounded and defeated at Dien Bien Phu. After that, on July 20, an agreement was signed at an international meeting in Geneva, according to which France renounced all its rights to Vietnam. The Asian country finally became free and independent.

According to the agreement reached in Geneva, the state was divided into 2 parts along the 17th parallel (along the Benhai River). In fact, two independent states appeared: the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (Northern Vietnam) and the State of Vietnam (South Vietnam). North Vietnam proclaimed a line of building socialism under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. South Vietnam, with the covert support of the United States, became a republic headed by President Ngo Dinh Diem and with Saigon as its capital.

This division marked the beginning of a protracted civil war between the north and south, which subsequently involved many countries in Asia and the United States. The point of contention was that the communist North wanted to spread its influence and build socialism in the South. And the South resisted this in every possible way, choosing a different path of development (America played an important role in this choice).

History of the Vietnam War

It all started in the late 50s. In 1959, North Vietnam begins to send weapons to the guerrillas in the south to overthrow the power of Ngo Dinh Diem, as he decided to forcefully spread socialism throughout Vietnam. In 1960, the pro-communist National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (abbreviated NLF) was established. On November 1, 1963, the military removed Ngo Dinh Diem and a series of coups began. By 1965, North Vietnam controlled one-third of the territory of the South and every year more and more spread its influence.

The United States did not like this turn of events at all and they decided to firmly prevent the spread of the “communist infection” to the south of Vietnam. Beginning in 1961, they supplied weapons to the Ngo Dinh Diem regime, but this did little to help. Then in 1965 they openly declared war on the North and the Vietnam War began. The reason was the "Tonkin Incident" - the shelling by Vietnamese boats of an American destroyer, allegedly located in neutral waters.

In March 1965, the United States began systematic bombing of North Vietnam, and also began to transfer weapons, equipment and soldiers (more than half a million) to South Vietnam to fight the guerrillas from the NLF and the Viet Gong from the North. In 1967, Nguyen Van Thieu, America's protege, became president. The North would not have had a single chance to resist the might of the United States, if not for the help of communist China and the USSR. They supplied weapons and specialists.

In early 1968, the NLF conducted combat operations in almost all major South Vietnamese cities. All this led to heavy losses among the American troops. This, and the fact that there have been demonstrations against the Vietnam War in the United States for several years, forced us to sit down at the negotiating table with North Vietnam.

Since 1969, a gradual withdrawal of American troops began. On June 8, the Republic of South Vietnam (RUV) was proclaimed and the Provisional Revolutionary Government was established.

In the same year, a sad event occurred for North Vietnam - the leader and main ideologist of the Communist Party, Ho Chi Minh, died.

By 1971, almost all of the American ground forces had returned home, but the war was not yet over. The United States continued to bombard the North with enviable regularity. Mining of North Vietnamese ports, sea and river routes also took place.

But all this did not help much. As a result, having achieved nothing, the United States in 1973 signed the Paris Peace Accords and completely stopped any military operations in the country and support for the North Vietnamese regime.

Nevertheless, until 1975 the civil war between the North and the South continued. But without American support, the South could no longer resist the communist occupation. On April 30, 1975, the Saigon troops surrendered, finally losing the war.

Recent history of Vietnam

Immediately after the end of the Vietnam War, the building of communism in the South began. All banks and large companies were nationalized. On July 2, 1976, the North and South became united, the new state was named the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The constitution was adopted, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. A year later, on September 20, 1977, the country became a member of the UN.

In the late 1970s, Vietnam established close ties with the Soviet Union, and on November 3, 1978, an agreement on friendship and cooperation was signed. The USSR actively helped to restore Vietnam after the war and build communism, supplying money, equipment and specialists in various fields. Factories were built, etc. Many Vietnamese came to us to exchange experience, studied at our universities.

At the end of 1978, Vietnam began a war with Cambodia (then called Kampuchea), because it was dissatisfied with the actions of the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot. Within a few months, most of the country was occupied. This did not please China, which sympathized with the Khmer Rouge terror, and they declared war on Vietnam. It lasted only 3 weeks, from February 17 to March 5, 1979, and was terminated due to the intervention of the USSR, which settled the differences between these countries peacefully. Nevertheless, about half a million Chinese left Vietnam and all diplomatic relations were interrupted for 12 years (resumed in 1991).

Thoughtless copying of Soviet socialism led Vietnam to poverty. This was especially noticeable in the south, whose economy in the past was based on private enterprise. In the 1980s, a number of reforms were carried out, restrictions on commodity relations were lifted and peasants could sell part of their products on the market.

On December 15, 1986, the “renovation policy” (“doi moi”) began, which provided for the liberalization of socio-economic life and the stimulation of the private sector in industry. The control of the party over all spheres of public life was somewhat weakened.

In 1992, a constitution was adopted, which is still in force today.

After the collapse of the USSR, the support of Vietnam by the Soviet Union ended. The country had to cope with problems on its own: inflation, poverty. Therefore, the borders were opened for European entrepreneurs who began to invest in the economy and production. It became even easier after the lifting of the US trade embargo on February 3, 1994. On July 11, 1995, there was a resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Since the late 90s, the country has begun to develop the tourism business. Americans and Europeans appear at the resorts. Every year many new hotels, restaurants and other infrastructure are being built.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Russian travelers began to discover Vietnam. Moreover, some resorts (for example, Mui Ne and Nha Trang) are simply colonized by Russians, as a result of which many signs, signs and menus in restaurants are duplicated in Russian. It is easy to find Russian-speaking guides.

The mixing of the population of Vanlang with the coming Auviets occurred by the 3rd century BC. Already in 258 BC. Aulac, the state of the Lakviets and Auviets, arises. Coloa became the capital.

King An Duong-vyong became a victim of betrayal by his Chinese commander Zhao Tuo: he stole his son, taking the king's daughter as his wife. The Chinese captured Au Lak, calling himself the king of the new state of Nam Viet.

Chinese era

In 111 BC. The Han Chinese overthrow the last monarch of the Chieu Dynasty. Nam Viet was divided into 3 territories: Gyaoti, Kyuutyan, Nyatnam. The Chinese came to power in Vietnam.

Resistance to the new authorities resulted in a series of uprisings. Warrior women also showed themselves: the sisters Chyng Chak and Chyeng Ni expelled the Chinese from their country for three years. This was not the last female-led uprising in Vietnam. The rebellion under the leadership of Chieu, the national heroine, is also inscribed in the history of the country.

However, all resistance, both men and women, were doomed. By 1-2 centuries AD China has robbed Vietnam of the last vestige of independence. For a long 8 centuries, with interruptions, the Chinese ruled the country. Until the 10th century, the capital was the city of Hoaly. Only in 938 Vietnam gains independence thanks to the uprising that was raised by Ngo Cuyen, a Vietnamese feudal lord.

The Li dynasty is on the throne in the country by the 11th century. The state changes its name to Dai Viet (Great Viet) with the capital Thanglong (Hanoi).

The Chinese were expelled, but their "traces" were visible in Vietnam. In 1017, a temple of Confucius was built in the capital, and the national academy Ham Lam was created. In the 12th century, Confucianism was recognized as the state religion.

In the 13th century, the country was already able to repel the invasion of the Mongols into its territories. From 1257 to 1288, the Mongols encroached on the lands of the Vietnamese three times. Vietnam is joined by areas in the mountains, as well as the territory of the southern Chams. The history of the Cham people can be learned by visiting the Cham Museum, opened in Da Nang.

Emperor Lee Ho Kyui led his country into strife and political crisis. China immediately took advantage of the situation, and since 1407 the Ming dynasty rules in Vietnam. After 20 years, a simple fisherman Le Loy leads an uprising against the invaders. A beautiful legend about the “Lake of the Returned Sword” in Hanoi is associated with it (we talked about Hoan Kiem Lake in one of our articles). The Late Le dynasty (1428-1788) comes to power. The "golden age" of medieval Vietnam begins.

At the beginning of the 17th century, Daviet was shaken by the confrontation between the two clans Chin and Nguyen, although the kings from the Le dynasty formally rule. Clan leaders generously distribute land, spend state money, which leads to an increase in exactions from the population. The result of such a reign was the uprising of the Teyshons (1771), led by three brothers. Nguyen Hue, one of them, proclaims himself emperor in 1788.

A king from the Le dynasty asks his brother for help. And his brother was Qianlongu - the emperor from the Chinese Qing dynasty. The Chinese army attacked Vietnam. The decisive battle near Thang Long (1789) brought victory to the Vietnamese and retained the throne of Nguyen Hue. However, after 3 years, the king suddenly dies. Commander Nguyen Phuc Anh gathers an army and, with the support of France, calms down the rebels. In 1804, he sits on the throne, calling himself Gia Long. The capital is moved to the city of Hue. In the same year, the next name of the state was approved - Vietnam. The dynasty ruled Vietnam until 1945.

Thai Hoa, the Palace of Supreme Harmony, was built in 1805. In the palace, the emperor gathered his subjects for state affairs. The imperial throne made of gold, covered with a veil woven with precious threads, is also kept here.

Modern Vietnam- if you look at the map, this is a narrow strip of land in the eastern part of the Indochina peninsula, stretched from north to south for almost 4000 km, separated by the Haiwan mountain pass, which separates the two parts of the modern state geographically and climatically, and once politically. At one time, these were separate entities with their own rulers and culture, who played an important role in the history of the entire Southeast Asia and eventually formed the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Southern part of modern Vietnam 1st to 6th century AD was part of the Indianized state of Funan, known for its sophisticated art and architecture. The Funanese built an elaborate system of canals that crossed the Mekong Delta and may have extended it to what is today Ho Chi Minh City. The canals were used both for transportation and for irrigating rice fields. Funan's main port was Ok-Eo, located near what is today the city of Ratja in the Mekong Delta.

In the middle of the 6th century, Funan was attacked by the Khmer state of Chenla, who gradually annexed the territory of Funan (the Khmers are believed to have originally come from South China before 200 BC). This was the time before the construction of the great Angkor in Cambodia! Having made a sightseeing tour to Cambodia and a holiday in Vietnam, you can see for yourself the greatness of this state, walk between the ruins of ancient Angkor Wat and other Khmer temples hidden in the jungle, and then be transported to agrarian Vietnam and enjoy your vacation on the endless beaches of seaside resorts in Vietnam.

Northern part of modern Vietnam- the region of Tonkin and northern Annam was under the strong influence of China already in the 9th century. BC. At the end of the III century. BC. the area was conquered by the Chinese commander Zhao Tuo, who, taking advantage of the weakening of the Qin dynasty, created an independent kingdom of Nam Viet (208). Emperor Wu of China annexed Nam Viet, which remained under Chinese rule until 939.

After the Chinese conquest of Nam Viet in southern Annam, south of present-day Hue, the Indonesian people known in history as the Chams established an independent kingdom. The Tyams made raids by land and sea into the more civilized northern regions, which forced the Chinese from time to time to equip punitive expeditions.

In the early years of the 9th century, the Tyam king Harivarman I resumed invasions of Chinese Annam. But from the beginning of this century until the middle of the next (when King Indravarman III repelled the Khmer invasion) Champa remained relatively peaceful. Meanwhile, the Chinese Vietnam launched an offensive near Nanchao (862-863). Some time after that, the Annamese, taking advantage of the chaos in China, began a struggle for independence, which was eventually crowned with success (939).

The last years of the 10th century are marked by almost continuous warfare between Champa and the now independent Annam. The conflict began with an invasion of Annam by the Cham king Parameshwaravarman (979), which was repulsed. The Annam king Le Hoan, in turn, made a devastating raid on Champu, as a result of which its capital was sacked and the king died (982). At this time, the uprising in Annam plunged the country into chaos, as a result of which a new dynasty arose, founded by King Harivarman II (989). The war between Champa and Annam soon resumed and continued for another century.

1000-1044 Periodic wars between Champa and Annam.

1068-1069 Cham invasion of Annam.

1103 Annamians thwarted an attempt by the Tyams to reconquer the disputed provinces.

1130-1132. Suryavarman II of Angkor forced the Tyams (apparently not against their will) to help him in the invasion of Annam, but this action was unsuccessful.

1145-1149 War between Champa and Angkor. Suryavarman was the head of Champa, but then he was expelled as a result of the Tyam uprising.

1149-1160s Uprising and unrest in Tampa.

1150 Khmer invasion of Annam. The Khmer suffered a catastrophic defeat near Tonkin.

1167-1190 Constant war between Champa and Angkor. The Cham invasion of Cambodia was initially successful largely due to the effective actions of the crossbowmen. Angkor was taken and plundered. The Khmers rallied under Jayavarman VII, who recaptured the Chams and then subjugated Champa, dividing the country into two puppet states.

1191-1192 Civil war in Tampa. Suryavarman, one of the puppet rulers, united the country, then drove out the occupying Khmer troops.

1192-1203 Continuation of the war between Cambodia and Champa.

1203-1330 Khmer occupation of Champa. It ended with the voluntary withdrawal of the Khmers (probably because their numbers were not enough to fight the Thais).

1220-1252 The reign of Jaya Parmeshwaravarman II in Champa. He resumed the long-standing war with Annam over disputed lost areas. The resolution of the conflict was delayed. The monarch was killed during the Annam invasion led by King Chan-nyan-Tong. Both sides reconciled.

1257 Mongol invasion of Annam. Khubilai sent his ambassador Sogata to subdue Champu to the Mongols. Obviously, Sogat managed to advance along Annam without serious resistance, but he could not defeat the Chams, who went into the mountains and waged a long guerrilla war.

1285 Mongolian catastrophes. Tagan, the son of Khubilai, brought an army to Annam to help Sogat. He took Hanoi, but was then defeated and recaptured by the Annamites. Driven back to Champa, he fell at the hands of the Chams.

1287 Last Mongol invasion. The invaders took Hanoi, but could not advance further due to the determined resistance of the Annamese, led by King Chan-nyan-Tong (1278-1293). Both sides made a salutary decision. The kings of Champa and Annam recognized the emperor's suzerainty. Kublai was glad to end the costly incursions.

1312-1325 Resumption of war between Champa and Annam. Champa was defeated and annexed by Annam (1312). Then the united Chamo-Annam troops repelled the invasion of Ramkhamhenga Thais (1313). This was immediately followed by uprisings of darkness against the Annamites. Finally, Ta A Nan expelled the Annamites and became king. For a quarter of a century, these two tormented countries lived in peace.

1353 Invasion of the Tyams. The Annamans recaptured them from the disputed province of Hue.

1360-1390 The reign of Te Bong Nga in Champa. An outstanding military leader, he constantly fought with Annam. Te captured and sacked Hanoi (1371). Despite many victories, Te failed to completely subdue Annam. He died in a naval battle with Annamese and Chinese pirates.

1400-1407 Civil war in Annam. Despite this internal struggle, the Annamese troops conquered the northern province of Champa.

1407 Under the pretext of restoring order after internal unrest, Annam is conquered by China.

1418-1427 Guerrilla war against the Chinese. Its leader was Le Loy.

1427-1428 Siege of the Chinese garrison in Hanoi. After the surrender and retreat of the Chinese, Le Loi proclaimed himself king, then made peace with the Ming dynasty, recognizing the suzerainty of China (1431).

1441-1446 Civil war in Tampa. Frequent raids of the Tyams in Annam are repulsed.

1446-1471 The Annamese invasion of Champa. After initial success and the capture of the Cham capital Vijaya, the Annamese were temporarily expelled, but returned and began to consistently conquer Champa. Thus ended a war that had lasted for centuries. The kingdom of Tmpah, which had lost its power, continued to exist in the south as a buffer between the Annamese and the Khmer.

1460-1497 Reign of Le Thanh Tong. He dealt a mortal blow to Tampa and included it in his possessions.

As a result of the weakness of the rulers and incessant civil wars, Annam fell into decline. Before the middle of the 16th century, Tonkin and Annam separated, although nominally Tonkin was ruled from Annam. Shortly thereafter, the southern province - the former Champa - becomes independent. Later, Annam conquers the main part of Tonkin and unites over 60% of the Vietnamese territory under his rule (1592).

Although the Ly dynasty was recognized as the only legitimate ruling dynasty in Vietnam, the rivalry between the Trinh (north) and Nguyen (south) surnames led to seven wars. The Nguyen had Portuguese military advisers. The Hue built two huge walls that crossed the main roads north of Hue. The Traongdak wall stretched for 6 miles in length, had an equipped camp for troops and was an obstacle on the way up the Nkhat Ly river. The second, the 11-mile-long Dong Hoi Wall, was fortified with heavy artillery. In the course of 50 years of fighting, the trines have never managed to overcome any of these walls. In 1673, the Lingh River was recognized as the border between the two territories.

The Nguyen surname profited from the peaceful state and extended its power to the south and west at the expense of Cambodia and Laos.

During the 17th and 18th centuries Vietnam was divided between the feudal clans of Trinh in the north and Nguyen in the south. The Nguyen expanded their territories into Khmer (Cambodian) lands in the Mekong Delta, including the area of ​​what is now Ho Chi Minh City, and in the middle of the 17th century Cambodia was forced to accept Vietnamese suzerainty. Vietnamese settlers came to the area and founded the city Saigon in the ancient land of the Khmers.

Approximately 700,000 Khmers live in Vietnam today, mostly in the Mekong Delta. Looking at the map, you will still see the thumb of Cambodia (called "Parrot's Beak" because of its shape), which extends almost to the very border of modern Ho Chi Minh City. Resentment over Vietnam's historic annexation of ancient Khmer territory served as an excuse for the Khmer Rouge to massacre Vietnamese peasants living near the Cambodian border, leading to war with Vietnam in late 1978.

1714-1716 During the succession struggle in Cambodia, King Preah Shrei Tomea was overthrown by his uncle Keo Fa, who was supported by the Vietnamese army and a small Laotian detachment. Tomea fled to Siam, turning to King Tyai Shra for help. The Siamese in 1717 invaded Cambodia, reached the capital of Keo Fa. He recognized the dependence of Cambodia on Siam. The Siamese agreed to this and refused to support Preah Shrei Tomea. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese captured several small border provinces of Cambodia in the Mekong region.

1739-1749 The Cambodian army attempted to retake the coastal region of Ha Tien, which had been captured by the Vietnamese during the previous war. The Cambodians were defeated. The Vietnamese again invade Cambodia and annex another part of its territory in the Mekong region.

1755-1760 Expansion into Cambodia. The Khmers were unable to resist the Vietnamese aggressors as their Siamese allies were busy at war with Burma.

1769-1773 War with Siam for Cambodia. Having first won a series of victories, the Vietnamese then suffer defeat.

1773-1801 Civil War. It arose as a result of the rivalry of two surnames - Trin and Tai Son, and the first of them was destroyed. The throne was taken by Nguyen An, who took the title of Gia Long and settled in the capital Hue (1802). During this struggle, Nguyen An received tangible assistance from Siam, so Siamese control over Cambodia was strengthened and Siam's political influence in Vietnam increased.

1812 Intervention in Cambodia. The King of Cambodia, in order to bring peace to the people, pays an indemnity to both Vietnam and Siam. The king's brother rebelled, turning to Siam for help. King Ang Chan fled to Vietnam. The Emperor of Vietnam immediately sent help. The Siamese left without a fight. Vietnam came to dominate Cambodia.

1826-1829 War with Siam. It ended with the establishment of the power of Siam over most of the territory of Laos.

1831-1834 The Siamese invade Cambodia. Cambodian king Ang Chan flees to Vietnam. The invasion of the Vietnamese army forced Siam to withdraw troops. Cambodia remained under de facto control of Vietnam.

1832 Vietnam annexes Xing Khouang, an eastern Lao kingdom.

1841-1845 War with Siam for Cambodia. Cambodians who rebelled against Vietnamese rule asked Siam for help. After 4 years of war, a dual Siamese-Vietnamese protectorate was established over Cambodia, but with a clear predominance of Siamese power.

1851-1857 Clashes with France.

1858-1862 French invasion of Cochin Hina. As a result, Tu Duc began peace negotiations with the French and transferred three eastern provinces to France.

1862-1873 Tu Duc was troubled by a series of uprisings. French intervention and appeasement led to the annexation of three southeastern provinces.

1873-1874 Hanoi Incident. The French captured Hanoi, but soon abandoned it.

1882-1883 Resumption of the Vietnamese-French War. The French expedition captured Hanoi and the fortified posts at Hue. Vietnam recognized the protectorate of France.

1885-1895 Widespread uprising. The Vietnamese supported the uprising launched by Prince Si Wat-tha against the French.

1824-1847 French intervention.

Vietnam Wars with France. The policy of acquiring colonies, popular among European states, leads in 1851-1857. to a series of clashes between Vietnam and France, claiming its protectorate. After the French invasion of Cochin Hina, Emperor Tu Duc began peace negotiations with the French and transferred three eastern provinces to France, later annexed by France. Military conflict erupts again in 1882 when a French expedition captures Hanoi and the fortified posts at Hue. This time, Vietnam fully recognized the protectorate of France.

French period Saigon was captured by the French in 1859 and became the capital of the French colony of Cochin China (South Vietnam) a few years later. In 1887, France expanded the territory of its colony to include all of Indochina (modern Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia), and Saigon became its capital. Even after the renaming of Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City, the old word Saigon remains more pleasant to the ear of the tourist in the context of history and culture.

The French tried to change Saigon in their own fashion, and succeeded in laying out wide boulevards and building a number of fine examples of French architecture, as well as converting a large number of local residents to the Catholic faith. The French colonial authorities carried out ambitious public projects by building the Saigon-Hanoi railway, as well as ports, an extensive irrigation and drainage system, and reinforced dams. The colonial administration also established various public utilities and established a number of research institutes.

The only place where the French failed was in winning the hearts and minds of the locals. Indo-China was ruthlessly exploited as a profitable enterprise, and the Vietnamese watched with dismay as their incomes fell while the French grew rich. The government imposed heavy taxes on the peasants, destroying the traditional rural way of life. The colonial administration also imposed a monopoly on alcohol, salt and opium in order to increase their revenues. In Saigon, she began to produce a fast-burning variety of opium that helped increase dependence on it, thus making huge profits.

French capital was invested in the fast-growing mines, tea, coffee and rubber plantations, which became infamous for their meager wages and brutal treatment of Vietnamese workers. The peasants lost their land and became little more than wandering laborers. This set the stage for revolts. It took a long time for the French colonial administration to crush one small uprising after another, during which public executions were carried out.

After a series of anti-French uprisings at the beginning of the 20th century, France again had to bring in troops. However, in 1940 the situation changed - Japan introduced troops into the territory of the French colonies in Indochina, as well as into many provinces of neighboring China.

Ultimately, the communists proved to be the most successful among the anti-colonial groups. The Communists succeeded in the late 1920s by organizing large strikes by urban workers. However, in 1940 the uprising in the south was brutally suppressed and the structure of the party was seriously undermined. French prisons were overrun by communists and turned into revolutionary "universities" by prisoners where Marxism-Leninism was taught.

The Second World War. When France capitulated to Nazi Germany in 1940, the Indochinese government, led by the Vichy-appointed Admiral Jean Decou, ​​agreed to the presence of Japanese troops in Vietnam. For their own convenience, the Japanese, eager to exploit the region's strategic location and its natural resources, left French administration for the day-to-day running of the country.

In 1941, Ho Chi Minh created the Vietnam Independence League (Vietnam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi), better known as the Viet Minh, which began a resistance war against the Japanese occupation (and thus received help from China and the United States) and grew into a large political organization during time of the Second World War. Despite their large nationalist program and pronouncements, the Việt Minh was under the control of the Ho communists from the beginning.

After the end of World War II The French are returning. The easy victory of the French troops over Viet Minn forces the Vietnamese to switch to guerrilla warfare, which is very successful in the future. In 1947, French paratroopers attempted to capture Ho Chi Minh at his headquarters in Bac Cann, but the leader of the Vietnamese Communists managed to escape.

Further developments could well serve as a good lesson to the American Rangers in the future. A war on another continent, against a foreign people, in completely different climatic and natural conditions makes victory almost unattainable. This is evidenced by the number of victims when in 1950 the Vietnamese destroyed the French motorcade on the N4 highway, and when trying to save it, the French 1st parachute battalion was completely destroyed.

Even modern methods and tactics of war do not bring the desired results. French paratroopers land and capture the old Japanese airfield at Dien Bien Phu (Valley of the Clay Jars). French commander Christian de la Croix de Castries begins building a defensive camp there. The commander of the Viet Minh troops, General Vo Nguyen Zap, decides to transfer artillery to the hills surrounding the camp. This is done using a mass of porters. During the siege of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnamese anti-aircraft artillery destroys almost half of the French aircraft. On May 7, 1954, the Vietnamese take Dien Bien Phu. 4,000 Frenchmen were killed in action, 11,000 were captured. All Vietnamese who served the French were shot.

In 1954, the French leave Indochina, leaving behind Vietnam, divided into North and South.

1960 Formation of the People's Liberation Front of South Vietnam.

1964 "Tonkin Incident". The US goes to war against North Vietnam.

1969 "Tet" offensive. 80,000 North Vietnamese soldiers go on the offensive to take control of the cities south of the 17th parallel. Saboteurs raid Saigon and even infiltrate the territory of the US embassy.

Vietnam (American) War. With the defeat of Japan in 1945, the Vietnamese had high hopes for real independence. However, France had other intentions and tried to reassert its control over all of Indochina. The Franco-Viet Minh War began in 1946 and eventually ended with the dramatic defeat of France near Dien Bien Phu (northwestern Vietnam) in 1954. A peace agreement was concluded between France and the Viet Minh in Geneva. The Geneva Accords provided for the temporary division of Vietnam into two zones (thus, the country was divided into North and South Vietnam) and the holding of national elections on July 20, 1956.

After the signing of the Geneva Accords, the South was ruled by a government led by Ngo Dinh Diem, a fierce Catholic anti-communist. His power base was greatly strengthened by some 900,000 refugees fleeing the communist North.

In 1955, Diem, convinced that if elections were held Ho Chi Minh would win, refused to comply with the Geneva Accords; instead, he held a rigged referendum on his future rule. Diem proclaimed himself President of the Republic of Vietnam, and Saigon became its capital in 1956.

In December 1960, Hanoi announced the creation of the National Liberation Front (FLN), whose goal was to "liberate" the South by all means (including military) and reunify the country. In the South, the FLN became known as the Viet Cong or VC; both words are shorthand for Vietnam Kong San, which means Vietnamese communists. Regular units of the Army of North Vietnam (DIA) also joined the Viet Cong.

By his tyrannical rule, Diem has made many enemies. In the early 1960s, Saigon was rocked by anti-Diem protests led by students and Buddhist clergy, including several self-immolations of monks. These events, combined with the indifference expressed towards them by Diem's ​​daughter-in-law, Chan Le Xuan, shocked the world. In November 1963, Diem was killed by his own soldiers in Saigon.

The first American soldiers to die in the Vietnam War were killed in Bien Hoa (30 km from Saigon) in 1959, when there were approximately 700 American troops in Vietnam. As the military situation in South Vietnam continued to deteriorate, the US sent more and more military advisers and soldiers to Vietnam. In April 1969, the number of American soldiers in Vietnam reached its highest number - 543,400 people.

To pull itself out of this endless guerrilla war, the US began a policy of "Vietnamization" that saw the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARV) equipped and trained to fight the war without direct American involvement. American troops began to gradually withdraw, while the United States began peace negotiations with North Vietnam. The Paris Accords, signed by the warring parties on January 27, 1973, provided for a ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of American troops, and, on the Viet Cong side, the release of 590 American prisoners of war.

In March 1975, the North Vietnamese army quickly occupied the strategic part of the Central Plateau of South Vietnam in a surprise attack. In the absence of US military support or advice, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu personally decided on a strategy of tactical retreat to more fortified positions. This was a gross military mistake. The completely unplanned retreat turned into a rout as panic-stricken South Vietnamese soldiers deserted en masse in an attempt to save their families.

President Thieu, who had been in power since 1967, resigned on 21 April 1975 and fled the country. He was replaced by Vice President Tran Van Huong, who stepped down a week later, handing over the presidency to General Duong Van Min. He, in turn, lost his post less than 43 hours after taking office, surrendering on the morning of April 30, 1975 at the Independence Palace in Saigon (now the Reunification Palace). The first official act of the North Vietnamese was to change the name of the city of Saigon and its suburbs to the city of Ho Chi Minh City.

1979 Vietnam sends its troops to Cambodia. China is making an unsuccessful attempt to "punish" Vietnam, but the attempt to march on Hanoi fails due to tactical miscalculations by the Chinese command.

After the reunion. Whatever they say, but the North Vietnamese troops ("bodoy", in Vietnamese) were well disciplined. The inhabitants of Saigon were afraid that their enemies would engage in violence, murder and robbery, but this never happened. It is not true that revenge for the war was not on the agenda - it will be later, but during the first three weeks of the occupation, the North Vietnamese Army behaved impeccably. Indeed, there were the only cases of theft by the South Vietnamese. The arrogant Saigon treated the "boda" like a redneck. Unfortunately, this redneck had AK-47s.

In the third week, the destruction of crime began. Those suspected of stealing were simply arrested and shot. However, even this was only the beginning of a new harsh reality. Reunification (officially called "liberation") was accompanied by large-scale political repression, which destroyed any trust and goodwill that the South could have had for the North. Despite promises to the contrary, hundreds of thousands of people with ties to the previous regime fell under suspicion. Their property, which the northerners considered to be the result of capitalist exploitation, was confiscated, and they themselves were subsequently arrested and placed without trial in forced labor camps or in re-education camps. Others simply fled abroad. However, many of the prisoners were released in 1979.

The purges affected not only former opponents of the communists, but also their descendants. For more than a decade after the end of the war, the children of the former "counter-revolutionaries" were still treated as if they had some kind of hereditary disease and thus were denied the right to education or work. This desire to take revenge on the children of the former regime has now presented Ho Chi Minh City with a huge new set of social problems - it may take decades to eradicate the poverty, illiteracy and crime that comes from them.

Open Doors. After reunification, Vietnam established an economic system modeled after that of the former Soviet Union. The economy collapsed and it took billions of rubles of Soviet aid to prevent economic collapse. When the Soviet Union itself collapsed in 1991, Vietnam had no choice but to look for ways to restore relations with the West. The decision to experiment with capitalist reforms quickly restored Ho Chi Minh's fortunes. Moreover, bureaucrats from Hanoi traveled south to seek out their former capitalist enemies and learn from them the art of doing business.

Vietnam is currently is an open country that welcomes tourists from all over the world and especially from Russia. Many citizens of the former USSR have acquired property here, started a business or simply live for their own pleasure in this hospitable country on the shores of the South China Sea in the Pacific Ocean. You are always welcome here, and our Company will help you organize your trip, see our tours to Vietnam from Asia-Travel Company.

Currently in central Vietnam there is a recreated military base of the US Army, tours to which are very popular with American tourists. There is also a system of tunnels of the Vietnamese partisans, similar to the tunnels of Kuti, which will be discussed below.

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Early history

The origin of the Vietnamese people is unknown. Recent archaeological finds indicate that the very first inhabitants of northern Vietnam appeared here about 500,000 years ago. On the territory of central Vietnam, monuments of the material culture of the Lower Paleolithic have been preserved; Mesolithic and Neolithic cultures existed in northern Vietnam as early as 10,000 years ago and the local population may have been engaged in primitive agriculture as early as 7000 BC. In the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic there was a peculiar Bakshon-Khoabinskaya culture. During the advanced Neolithic period, Vietnam entered the region of cultures characterized by the use of the "shoulder ax" and pottery with stamped ornaments.

Metal tools appeared at the end of the 2nd millennium BC. e., the late stage of the Bronze Age began in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. The higher level Dong Son culture of the Bronze Age emerged around the 3rd century BC. BC. At the turn of N. e. transition to the Iron Age. From the 1st to the 6th century AD the south of what is now Vietnam was part of the Indianized state of Funan, which was famous for its sophisticated art and architecture. The Funanese built an intricate system of canals that were used both to transport goods and to irrigate rice fields. The main port city of Funan was Ok-Eo, which was located in the modern province of Kien Giang. Archaeological excavations have provided evidence of Funan contacts with China, Indonesia, India, Persia, and even the Mediterranean. One of the most unusual finds at Oc Eo was a gold Roman medallion dated to 152 AD depicting Antony Pius. In the middle of the 6th century, Funan was attacked by the pre-Angkorian state of Chenla, which gradually annexed the territory of Funan to its own.

The Hindu state of Champa arose around present-day Da Nang at the end of the 2nd century. Like Funan, it was Indianized (i.e., the Chams adopted Hinduism, began to use Sanskrit as a sacred language, and were strongly influenced by Indian art) through brisk trade relations with India and the arrival of Indian scholars and priests. By the 8th century, Champa had expanded its territory southward to what is now Nha Trang and Phan Rang. Champa was a semi-pirate state and lived partly by raiding the entire coast of Indochina. As a result, it was in a constant state of war with the Vietnamese in the north and the Khmer in the west. Magnificent examples of cham sculpture can be seen at the Cham Museum in Da Nang. When the Chinese conquered the Red River Delta in the 2nd c. BC, they discovered here a feudally organized society engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture, hunting and fishing. These proto-Vietnamese also traded with other peoples in the region. In the next few centuries, a significant number of Chinese settlers, officials and scientists arrived in the Red River Delta, seizing large tracts of land. The Chinese tried to introduce a centralized state system among the Vietnamese and carried out the forced sinicization of their culture, but the local rulers staunchly resisted these efforts.

The most famous act of resistance during this period was the rebellion of the Trung sisters (Hai Ba Trung). In 40 AD the Chinese executed one high-ranking feudal lord. His widow and her sister rallied the tribal leaders around them, raised an army, and started an uprising, forcing the Chinese governor to flee. After that, the sisters declared themselves queens of the new independent Vietnamese state. However, in 43 AD. the Chinese again invaded the country and defeated the Vietnamese; the Trung sisters chose to throw themselves into the Hat Giang river and perish instead of surrendering. The early Vietnamese learned a lot from the Chinese, including the use of metal for plowing and animal domestication, dam building, and irrigation work. These innovations made possible the formation of a culture based on rice farming, which remains the basis of the Vietnamese way of life to this day. Since there was much more food, the population also grew, forcing the Vietnamese to look for new land to grow rice. During this period, Vietnam was the main port on the sea route between China and India. Chinese scholars who came to Vietnam as officials and refugees introduced the Vietnamese to Confucianism and Taoism. Indians sailing east brought Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism to the Red River Delta, while Chinese travelers introduced Mahayana Buddhism to the Vietnamese. Buddhist monks brought with them the scientific and medical knowledge of the civilizations of India and China; as a result, Vietnamese Buddhists soon developed their own famous doctors, botanists, and scientists. In the 3rd - 6th centuries, there were numerous large and small uprisings against Chinese rule, which was characterized by tyranny, forced labor and irrepressible demands for tribute, but they were all suppressed. In 679, the Chinese named this country Annam, which means "Pacified South." From that date on, the collective memory of those early attempts to shake off the Chinese yoke began to play an important role in shaping the Vietnamese identity. The Tang Dynasty in China ended at the beginning of the 10th century, and shortly thereafter the Vietnamese rebelled against Chinese rule. In 938, Ngo Quyen defeated the Chinese armies at the Battle of the Bat Dang River, ending 1,000 years of Chinese domination. He lured them into a cunning trap by planting iron-studded stakes at the bottom of the river, which pierced and sank the Chinese ships. Ngo Quyen formed an independent Vietnamese state, but after his death, Vietnam fell into anarchy. This continued until 968, when the politically astute and powerful Din Bo Lin took the throne as emperor. According to the tradition of those times, he reached the following agreement with China - in return for recognizing its de facto independence, Vietnam recognized Chinese sovereignty and agreed to pay tribute as respect for three years. Ngo Kuen's successors, the Dinh dynasty, named the new independent state Dai Viet. In 968 they founded Hoaly (about 100 km north of Hanoi), making it the capital, but in 1009 another Ly dynasty moved the capital to Thanglong (Hanoi). This period was marked by a stable rule, as evidenced by the construction of many beautiful pagodas and the flourishing of the arts, and in particular the Temple of Literature (Vietnam's first university).

Chinese invasion

The Li dynasty also expanded its territory to the south at the expense of places previously occupied by the Chams. In the middle of the 13th century, the Li dynasty was replaced by the Chan dynasty, whose main task was to repel the huge army of the Mongol invaders in the North. The Vietnamese used the same trick as Ngo Quyen did in 938. This time, the Chinese nightmare was the commander Tran Hung Dao, who successfully sank the fleet of the Mongol Khan Kublai Khan in 1288. After 120 years, the Chinese returned, this time in the face of a mighty dynasty The Ming, and again ruled Vietnam from 1407 to 1427. Another hero was needed, and he appeared again, this time in the person of Emperor Le Loi. He spent ten years fighting the Ming, using a form of guerrilla warfare that would serve as an important lesson for future generations of Vietnamese. The tales of Le Loem's expulsion of the Chinese from Vietnamese soil have become myths and many popular legends about that time. The most famous is the legend of Le Loi's magic sword, with which he defeated the Chinese. It says that when he sailed on one of the many lakes of Hanoi after his solemn return, a huge turtle surfaced and, grabbing his sword, plunged into the water. The emperor took this as a sign of peace, and that the sword had returned to its guardian spirit. In honor of this incident, the emperor renamed this lake "Ho Hoankiem" - the Lake of the Returned Sword.

Expansion

Le Loi's reign was marked by further southward Vietnamese expansion by both he and his successors, which ultimately led to the defeat of the Champa state in 1471. This rapid advance soon led to the loss of effective government of the country, which became impossible exercise from Hanoi. As a result, the country was actually divided into two parts - the Chinh feudal clan ruled in the north, and the Nguyen clan ruled in the south. Ultimately, this feudal division was ended in 1771 as a result of an uprising led by three brothers from the village of Taishon. The Tay Son Rebellion, as it became known, expanded into more areas as the rebels moved south, and in 1783 they captured Saigon, killing the Nguyen clan leaders who had sought refuge there, as well as 10,000 Chinese living in Cholon. Only one Prince Le Anu managed to escape to Thailand, where he began to ask for military assistance from the Thais. In 1788, one of the brothers, Nguyen Hue, declared himself emperor and changed his name to Quang Trung. Meanwhile, the Chinese used this to invade the North. Quang Trung, like his illustrious predecessors, deceived the Chinese by launching an offensive during Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, while the Chinese were celebrating it outside of Hanoi. This once again was a lesson for them, which the Vietnamese will repeat in the future.

Nguyen dynasty. French rule.

Quang Trung died unexpectedly in 1792 and over the next 10 years, the surviving members of the Nguyen feudal clan reasserted their control with the help of Prince Nguyen Anh, the only survivor of the Nguyen clan. With the help of the French, he declared himself Emperor Gia Long and in 1802 made Hue the official capital of a new country, Vietnam. Thus began the Nguyen dynasty, which ruled the country from 1802 to 1945. This period of Vietnamese history is marked by the increasing intervention of France, which saw the country as quite ready to be turned into a colony and exploited. For many years the French had been sending priests and missionaries to Vietnam, but now they were considering the potential of Vietnam, with its untapped resources and labor force, as a French colony. Gia Long's successor Emperor Ming Mang became increasingly hostile to Catholicism and Western influences, which he considered degenerate. The persecution of Catholics he began was intensified by his successors and culminated in the executions and massacres of priests and converts in the 1850s. This gave the French the pretext they were waiting for. In 1859 they occupied Saigon, arguing that they were protecting the Catholic minority. By 1867, France had captured all of southern Vietnam, which became the French colony of Cochin China. In 1884, along with neighboring Laos and Cambodia, Vietnam became a French Protectorate and part of the "Indochinese Union". French colonial rule was characterized by low wages and a situation in which the vast majority of Vietnamese were forced to work in coffee, tea and rubber plantations, as well as in coal mines and zinc and tin mines. The introduction of the French monopoly on alcohol, tobacco, salt and opium at the end of the 19th century made the situation of the population even worse. Against this background, the widespread dissent and revolts are not surprising, especially given the success of the first revolution in China in 1911 under Sun Yat-sen and then in Russia in 1918 under Lenin.

Fight for independence.

In 1930, on the initiative of the Vietnamese National Party (Vietnam Quoc Zan Dang), created on the model of the Chinese National Party (Kuomintang), an armed Yenbai uprising broke out in the area northwest of Hanoi. After its suppression, the resistance movement was headed by the Communist Party of Indochina, formed in 1930 by Ho Chi Minh. During the period when the Popular Front was in power in France, the Vietnamese communists, together with the Trotskyists, expanded their influence and even participated in Cochin and Saigon in local government elections. In 1940-1941, the communists led an unsuccessful uprising in the far south, and organized unrest in the north. The French did not want to leave Vietnam, although in 1940 they actually transferred control of the country to Japan.

From July 1941 to August 1945, Japanese troops occupied all of Vietnam. In 1941, Ho Chi Minh founded the Vietnam Independence League, known as the Viet Minh. At the end of World War II, detachments of the Kuomintang Chinese entered the northern part of the country, and the British entered the territory of South Vietnam. The Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, made Hanoi their base and formed "People's Committees" throughout Vietnam. After the surrender of Japan in August 1945 and the abdication of Emperor Bao Dai (belonging to the Nguyen dynasty), who enjoyed the favor of China, the Viet Minh as a result of the August Revolution, on September 2, 1945, announced the creation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) and formed an interim government, whose chairman became Ho Chi Minh. In accordance with the Vietnamese-French agreements of 1946, France agreed to recognize the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) as a "free state" with an army and a parliament, as part of the Indochinese Confederation and the French Union. The first president of the DRV was Ho Chi Minh, who simultaneously headed the government as prime minister.

At the end of 1946, France and the Viet Minh accused each other of violating the agreements, and on December 19, Viet Minh detachments attacked French troops. France sought to win over the local population, placing in 1949 the former emperor Bao Dai in charge of a nominally independent government. However, the Việt Minh refused to recognize the new regime, and after 1949 consolidated its position with the support of China. In turn, since 1951 France has received major military and economic aid from the United States. The US had previously assisted Ho Chi Minh in the fight against the Japanese by sending CIA officers to train the Viet Minh. However, they now viewed Vietnam as another country that had "turned red". After the communist successes in Korea in 1948 and China in 1949, the US began to provide financial assistance to the South, hoping to create a favorable regime that was anti-communist in its ideology. The culmination of the struggle for independence from the French came in 1954, when France suffered a military defeat at Dien Bien Phu. Vietnamese troops under the command of General Vo Nguyen Giap lured 16,000 French corps to the remote northwest of the country. Here in the valley the French were trapped and heavily bombarded by the heavy artillery which the Vietnamese had managed to set up on the surrounding heights. This circumstance and the demand of the international community to stop the aggression hastened the conclusion of a peace agreement at the international conference in Geneva. The meeting was attended by representatives of the United States, France, Great Britain, the USSR, China, Laos, Cambodia and two Vietnamese governments: Bao Dai (South Vietnam) and Viet Minh (Northern Vietnam). The agreement on the cessation of hostilities between France and the Viet Minh, signed in July 1954, provided for the temporary division of the country along the 17th parallel; the holding in July 1956 of elections necessary for the reunification of North and South Vietnam; the withdrawal of French military units from the North and the prohibition of the buildup of armaments in any of the zones; the formation of an international commission to oversee the implementation of the agreement. Thus, the existence of two independent states, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (Northern Vietnam) and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), was recognized.

North Vietnam retained for subsequent years the basic state structures that began to take shape as early as 1946 and proclaimed a line of building socialism under the leadership of the Communist Party and President Ho Chi Minh. In South Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem deposed Bao Dai in 1955 and assumed the presidency. Diem managed to cope with the opposition of the military elite, the Cao Dai and Hoahao sects and the Dai Viet party, and he was re-elected president in 1961. The Saigon authorities tried to discredit the Viet Minh in the eyes of his supporters who remained in the South, but faced active military confrontation in many rural areas, especially in Cochin.

In 1960, opponents of the regime created the pro-communist National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NLF). In the cities, non-communist opposition groups opposed Diem. Buddhists denounced the regime's discriminatory policies, and several Buddhist monks and nuns even set themselves on fire in protest. On November 1, 1963, the military overthrew Ngo Din Diem, followed by a series of coups. Unrest among Buddhists, Catholics, and students continued until civil rule was restored in late 1964. In June 1965, General Nguyen Van Thieu took the post of head of state, and General Nguyen Cao Kyi took over the post of prime minister. In 1966, a specially elected Assembly adopted a military-approved Constitution, which came into force on April 1, 1967.

In September, presidential elections were held. Thieu and Kee were voted president and vice president respectively. Up to a third of the entire population living in the territory under the control of the NLF did not take part in the election campaign. Meanwhile, the scale of hostilities expanded. American military advisers have been in the South since 1960. In 1965, the United States sent army formations to help the Saigon government, launched the first air strikes on North Vietnamese territory, and intensified the bombardment of the rebellious areas of South Vietnam. The NLF received military reinforcements from the North, aided by the USSR and China. By 1968, more than 500,000 American soldiers were involved in the fight against the guerrilla army of the Viet Cong (formerly Viet Minh). The strength of the Viet Cong lay in its dominance in the countryside and among the rural population. Although the Americans controlled the cities, almost 80% of the Vietnamese lived in rural areas. With this support, the Viet Cong could go into hiding and fight American forces on their own terms and when it suited them. January 30, 1968, when the whole country was preparing to celebrate Tet, the Viet Cong simultaneously launched an attack on the main cities in more than 100 places - the effect was crushing, sometimes it seemed that Saigon itself had already fallen. All this, together with the debacle at Khe Sanh (actually, the American Dien Bien Phu), led the American public to oppose the long-term American military presence in the region.

In April, peace talks began between US and North Vietnamese representatives. Then began a partial evacuation from the South of American troops, whose number at one time reached 536 thousand people. In the summer of 1969, at free democratic elections in the liberated regions of South Vietnam, a people's revolutionary administration was established. On June 6-8, at the Congress of People's Representatives, the Republic of South Vietnam (RSV) was proclaimed and the Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG) was established. Ho Chi Minh died the same year. From 1969 to 1971, the South Vietnamese army expanded the area under its control. The United States at that time withdrew its military units from the country, compensating for these steps with air bombardments. In 1971, Thieu was re-elected President of South Vietnam. In the spring and early summer of 1972, the communists organized a major offensive, which proceeded very successfully until it was stopped by the actions of American aircraft and counterattacks by South Vietnamese troops. The United States responded by increasing air raids and carrying out extensive mining of North Vietnamese ports and sea and river routes. At the end of the year, the United States began a massive bombardment of the cities of North Vietnam. On January 27, 1973, the four parties involved in the war signed a peace agreement in Paris that provided for a ceasefire in the South, the recognition of the 17th parallel as a temporary demarcation line, and the withdrawal of American troops from the country. It was supposed to convene the National Council and elections, which were supposed to decide the fate of the South Vietnamese government. The last American formations left Vietnam in April 1973, but the political clauses of the treaty were never implemented. The South was ultimately forced to defend itself, which it failed to do. The Saigon administration tried to run an election campaign on its own, which was opposed by the PRP, which demanded the creation of a tripartite council. All this time, the fighting was not interrupted. In March 1975, the Saigon army was forced to leave the region of the central plateau (Teinguen), after which it disintegrated. A few weeks later, the armed forces of the PRG and North Vietnam surrounded the southern capital. Thieu resigned on 21 April and the Saigon military units capitulated. Saigon eventually fell to communist forces on April 30, 1975 and was soon renamed Ho Chi Minh City. (see Vietnam War)

Post-war period. Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Initially, it seemed that both parts of the country could exist as independent, albeit closely related, state entities. However, the communists were in a hurry with the unification process. In the summer and autumn of 1975 they nationalized the banks and large enterprises of the South. In April 1976, general elections were held for the National Assembly of a united Vietnam. On July 2, 1976, the official reunification of Vietnam and the proclamation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam took place. During the war, Vietnam was helped by both the USSR and China. In the late 1970s, Vietnam established close ties with the Soviet Union. The socialist transformation of the economy in the South took its toll primarily on the large Chinese community in Vietnam. Its conflicts with the Vietnamese took the form of ethnic strife and had a negative impact on relations between Vietnam and China. In addition, China took the side of the anti-Vietnamese Pol Pot regime in Cambodia.

In December 1978, Vietnamese troops entered Cambodia and by the beginning of 1979 had occupied most of its territory. In February 1979 there was an armed conflict on the Vietnamese-Chinese border. In 1978-1980, at least 750 thousand people left the country (more than half of them ethnic Chinese). Many returned to their historical homeland by land, and some set off on a journey across the South China Sea by boat. The desire of the Vietnamese authorities to carry out socialist transformations already in the late 1970s led to negative consequences. The government in Hanoi concentrated all its efforts on military actions and was entirely dependent on the assistance of the USSR. The South Vietnamese economy, based on private enterprise, was artificially fueled by large cash infusions. In the 1980s, the government took a more pragmatic course, giving more latitude to local planners, lifting trade restrictions, and allowing farmers to sell some of their produce on the market. However, in the middle of the decade, a huge budget deficit and emission gave rise to rapid inflation.

In 1989, the country adopted a long-term program of radical reforms, including measures to suppress inflationary trends, liberalize banking and other legislation, and stimulate the private sector in industry. The adopted state policy of “renovation” (“doi mei”) was confirmed and further developed at the VII (1991) and VIII (1996) congresses of the CPV. As part of the economic reforms, in January 1991 a law was passed on the admission of private enterprises. The new constitution adopted in 1992 provided for a clearer division of functions between the party and the state, the introduction of a market economy, the strengthening of the role of the private sector and the possibility of private land use. Nevertheless, the country's leadership stated that the course towards socialism with the leading role of the Communist Party is preserved and multi-party democracy will not be established. At the Seventh Congress of the Communist Party in June 1991, Do Myoi, who had previously held the post of head of government, was elected the new general secretary (he was replaced in this post by Wo Van Kiet). The new appointments reflected the balance of power in the party leadership. Before Mooi, a member of the communist movement since 1939, was considered a supporter of the orthodox course, Wo Van Kiet was one of the leading advocates of market reforms.

In June 1992, the government announced the release of all members, advisers and supporters of the former South Vietnamese regime. In the July 1992 National Assembly elections, for the first time, more candidates were nominated than there were seats in parliament. 2 independent candidates were also admitted to the elections. In July 1993, the National Assembly passed a law that allowed peasants to purchase land for use (the state remained the supreme owner of the land). Viet Nam established links with the International Monetary Fund and began to cooperate with it in the implementation of economic policy. In November 1994, the Vietnamese government and the IMF agreed on a medium-term economic program that provided for real growth in 1994-1996 by 8-8.7% and a reduction in inflation from 10.5 to 7%. In November 1995, Vietnam, international organizations and creditor states agreed to provide this country with assistance in 1996 in the amount of 2.3 billion dollars. Negotiations continued on the payment of debts on loans provided in the 1970s by Japanese banks. In 1996, Vietnam and Western creditors reached an agreement to restructure $900 million in debt. In 1997, Hanoi was to receive $2.4 billion in aid again. Economic liberalization in the country was not accompanied by the refusal of the Communist Party from its monopoly position in the state. In November 1995, the Supreme Court sentenced two former high-ranking party officials to 15 and 18 months in prison for "abusing the rights to freedom and democracy to the detriment of national security." Both advocated reform and democratization of the ruling party. The Eighth Congress of the Communist Party in June - July 1996 called for the continuation of cautious reforms while maintaining state control over the economy and the political system. In 1997, there was a change of leadership in the country. In connection with the National Assembly elections in July, all three leading leaders were replaced: Communist Party General Secretary Do Muoi, President Le Duc Anh, and Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet. Communist Party candidates received 85% of the votes and took 384 out of 450 seats, 63 seats went to non-partisans, 3 mandates were received by independents. In September 1997, Chan Duc Luong became the new president, Pham Van Hai became the head of government, Le Kha Fieu became the head of the Communist Party in December 1997, and in 2001, Nong Duc Manh.

In the late 1990s, the Vietnamese leadership launched an anti-corruption campaign. Within its framework, some of the country's top officials and politicians, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Head of Government, etc., were removed from their posts. The bureaucracy was also blamed for the ongoing economic stagnation. Since 1998, 3,000 members have been expelled from the CPV due to corruption, and penalties have been imposed on 16,000. In general, during the decade of reforms, Vietnam managed to maintain economic growth at the level of 7.6% per year and double the gross domestic product; from 1985-1986, industrial production increased five times, and food production doubled. But market reforms led to the growth of social differences and the gap between town and countryside, to the discontent of the poorest sections of the population and national minorities. In February 2001, the party leadership was concerned about major unrest among minorities who protested against the placement of large industrial rubber and coffee plantations on their lands (the program was developed with the participation of the International Monetary Fund). These problems were discussed at the next IX Congress of the CPV in April 2001. It was stated at it that the country is at the stage of a long and difficult "transition to socialism", which preserves the diversity of economic forms and forms of ownership. The CPV characterizes the economic system during this period as a "socialist-oriented market economy", emphasizing, at the same time, the priority role of the public sector.

In an attempt to alleviate social tensions, the congress approved amendments to the party charter, banning members of the CPSU from owning their own private businesses. Corruption in the party and the state, “individualism, opportunism, the lust for power, fame and profit, localism” were subjected to sharp and emotional attacks. after a certain age, democratic procedures are expanded. Nong Duc Manh, 60, former chairman of the National Assembly, became the new general secretary of the CPV. This is the first party leader belonging to a national minority (tai). His choice is considered a compromise between the "reformist" and more "conservative" wing of the party. In the elections to the National Assembly in May 2002, out of 498 seats, the candidates of the Communist Party won the majority, 51 - non-party, 3 - independent. In 2002 and 2003, despite the ban on strikes, labor conflicts broke out in various sectors of the Vietnamese economy. Vietnam's relations with the US and China improved in the 1990s. In October 1990, the Vietnamese foreign minister visited Washington for the first time and negotiated the fate of 1,700 missing American soldiers. In March 1992, the United States and Vietnam reached an agreement that the American side would provide humanitarian aid to Vietnam in the amount of $3 million annually in exchange for assistance in searching for missing Americans. In December, the US eased the trade embargo against Hanoi, imposed in 1964.

Finally, in August 1994, both countries established diplomatic relations. In April 1997, Vietnam pledged to pay the United States $145 million in debt from the former South Vietnamese government. In June 1997, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Hanoi, and in March 2000, the US Secretary of Defense, who officially apologized for the US role during the Vietnam War, which claimed the lives of almost 3 million Vietnamese and 58,000 American soldiers. In 2000, US President Clinton visited Vietnam, which gave a new impetus to relations between the two states. In the autumn of 1990, for the first time since the freeze of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China in 1979, both countries signed an agreement on citizens' travel in Beijing. In November 1991, China and Vietnam agreed to formally normalize relations, and in February 1992 the Chinese foreign minister traveled to Hanoi. In November - December of the same year, the visit of Chinese Premier Li Peng followed. He discussed with the Vietnamese leaders disputed territorial issues, the situation in Cambodia, and signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of economy, science, technology and culture. Chinese President Jiang Zemin agreed in November 1994 to expand economic ties between the two countries. In turn, the leader of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Do Muoi, visited Beijing at the end of 1995 and continued negotiations on border disputes. Vietnam's relations with Asian as well as Western countries developed. In 1995 Vietnam was admitted to ASEAN. In February 1993, French President François Mitterrand became the first Western head of state to visit Hanoi since 1954. He signed seven cooperation agreements and promised to double the financial aid to 360 million francs. In July 1995, Vietnam and the European Union entered into an agreement on trade and cooperation.

Vietnam is a very, very ancient country, the first settlers inhabited the lands of these places during the Paleolithic era. Like China and Egypt, Vietnam is the oldest independent state.

There is a legend about the appearance of the Vietnamese people. Once upon a time, the lord of the seas and water elements, Lac Long Quan, married the charming fairy Au Ko, who was the daughter of the god of mountains. But the young husband preferred to spend most of his time in the depths of the sea, and nothing could bring the husband and wife together, the appearance of sons also did not affect their relationship.

The legend claims that a hundred heirs were born. And soon Lak Long Quan made an offer to his wife to separate their sons and disperse - to her in the mountains, and to him in the sea. He motivated this decision by the fact that they are from different families, he is a dragon, and she is a fairy, and they cannot live together, although there is love between them. Au Ko agreed, and those sons who left with their father and began to live on the coast were the progenitors of the modern Vietnamese people, and those who climbed into the mountains with their mother were the highland peoples of the country. Parents, a fairy and a dragon, passed on to their children the knowledge that they themselves possessed. Their father taught them to sow and cultivate arable land, and their mother taught them to plant mulberry orchards and silkworms. It was the fairy Au Ko who told people about how tasty and sweet sugar cane juice is. The dragon was destined to play a significant role in the formation of the state of Vietnam.

After Lac Long Quan, his power passed to his eldest son, who founded the first Vietnamese Hung dynasty and called the country Vanlang. These events took place, according to legend, in 2879 BC, the people who then inhabited these lands were called Laviets. Today, historians consider them to be the true progenitors of the current Vietnamese people. There were 18 rulers in the Hung dynasty, they succeeded each other on the throne and held power in their hands until 257 BC.

The death of the Hung dynasty is attributed to the daughter of the last king named Mi Nuong. Her father proclaimed a competition throughout the country between applicants for the hand of Mi Nuong, since she was supposed to marry only an outstanding and courageous person. The ruler of the neighboring kingdom of Teiau also claimed her hand, its inhabitants were called Auviets. When he lost the contest and did not marry the beautiful My Nuong, he ordered his successors to wipe out the Vanlang country from the face of the earth. This was done by the grandson of the unfortunate groom, who attacked Vanlang, enslaved him and created a new state with a new name, combining both old ones - Aulac, that is, Auviets and Lakviets.

The winner renamed himself and remained in the annals of Vietnamese history as An Duong Vuong. The first accomplishment that he undertook was the construction of Koloa, the capital of the new state. He planned to build a fortress in the shape of a snail, but here An Duong Vyong was disappointed, as the walls erected during the day invariably collapsed at night.

The Golden Turtle Kim Kui, a mythological animal very revered in Vietnam, came to the aid of the ruler. She said that the hill around which they unsuccessfully tried to build a fortress is occupied by an evil spirit that takes the form of a harmless chicken. Then An Duong Vyong himself caught the bird and beheaded it, after which the fortress was successfully completed. It is curious that the Golden Turtle helped An Duong Vuong completely free of charge, and also gave him a magical crossbow that fired a hundred arrows at a time.

This crossbow played its victorious role in the war with China, which became the first battle of which there are documents. But, despite the victory over the Chinese Qin Empire, the Aulac state soon ceased to exist. It happened again through the fault of the ruler's daughter.

After the war with Qin, a certain Chinese general settled in the area north of Aulak, now it is the city of Guangzhou, which belongs to China. When this happened, the Qin empire no longer existed, and this general called himself the ruler of those lands that were under his control. The general's goal was to conquer Aulac. To do this, the cunning Chinese was able to marry his son to the heiress of An Duong Vyong named Mi Tiau.

After the wedding, the young people began to live in Koloa, it was this step that was conceived by the insidious general. He persuaded his son to destroy the magic crossbow in order to take away his power from Aulak. The general's son broke his crossbow and immediately left the castle, heading north towards his father. Mi Tau, in love, rushed after her husband. Immediately, the Chinese army attacked the state of An Duong Vuong, who, relying on a crossbow, was not prepared for an attack. When he understood the state of things. He fell into a strong rage, rushed after his daughter, caught up with her and beheaded her. Then he also committed suicide by jumping into a pond.

Koloa Fortress is located at a distance of 20 kilometers from Hanoi. The pond where the ruler of Au Lak found his last resting place still exists, there is a statue of An Duong Vuong with a magic crossbow in his hand, and in the temple dedicated to his daughter, there is a statue of the headless My Tiao.

Chieu Da, the treacherous husband of Mi Tiau, created a single new state from his lands and the lands of Aulak, called Nam Viet. Interestingly, when Chieu Da became the ruler of Nam Viet, he began to position himself as a real Vietnamese. He defended the interests of the Vietnamese people before the Chinese Han Dynasty, cared for the well-being of the local Vietnamese, constantly carried out reforms in their favor.

Before Chieu Da, the Vietnamese were ruled by kings, he became the first Vietnamese emperor and did everything to strengthen the power and significance of the Vietnamese state. But Chieu Da had no luck with the heirs, they turned out to be nothing outstanding, weak, and soon lost what their father had achieved. For example, one of the sons married a Chinese woman, very domineering and decisive, who kept both her husband and then her son under her heel.

When Chieu Da died, this son succeeded him as Emperor of Nam Viet, but his Chinese mother forced him to become part of the Chinese Han Empire and completely submit to her. The emperor did not have time to do this, he was killed together with his mother by one of the officials, who understood the disastrous consequences of joining the Chinese empire.

Immediately after these dramatic events, a war was unleashed with the Chinese, which Nam Viet lost. The result of losing the war was the complete subjugation of the Chinese empire. Vietnam for the next thousand years turned out to be the northern province of China. This long era has been called the "Northern dependency" in Vietnamese history. But despite Chinese domination, the Vietnamese people have retained their cultural traditions. Throughout the time of enslavement, Vietnam fought against the Chinese colonialists. Every now and then, liberation uprisings flared up, for example, the uprising led by the Chyng sisters is known. This event once again emphasized the importance of the role of women in the history of Vietnam, showed their authority in society, much more significant than in Chinese society.

One of the uprisings became truly liberating, after which Vietnam gained the desired independence for 50 years. As a result, the country began to be called Vansuan, and the legend says that the rebels won not without the help of a dragon.

Further, everything developed in such a way that the Chinese officials controlled the Vietnamese territory more and more weakly, even the Chinese governors acted as defenders of the interests of the Vietnamese people. The Chinese troops were withdrawn from the lands of Vietnam to suppress a large uprising in China, then the Chinese Tang dynasty was overthrown, and a long period of disunity and confusion began in China. Instead of the Tang dynasty, other large and not very states grew up, there were several dozen of them. One of them, with a similar name Dai Viet, attacked Vietnam, this attack repeated Chieu Da's military actions to capture Vietnam a thousand years ago. But Dai Viet failed to achieve its goal - to connect the lands of South China with North Vietnam.

By that time, the Vietnamese already had excellent commanders, one of them repulsed the attacks of the aggressor on the Batdang River. The famous military leader Ngo Quyen came up with a clever move that served him faithfully. It consisted of the following - sharp stakes were driven into the bottom of the river, and the Vietnamese fleet allegedly began to retreat. The light ships of the Vietnamese painlessly sailed through a dangerous place, and the enemy heavyweights, who sailed in pursuit, were trapped. They pierced their bottoms and went to the bottom.

Ngo Kuyen founded the new Ngo dynasty, under him the capital returned to Koloa again. When Ngo Quyen died, anarchy began in the country. This stage in the history of Vietnam acquired the name of the “epoch of 12 rulers”, when each specific king constantly made attempts to seize the lands of his neighbor. But the people soon realized that it was necessary to unite, otherwise they would face extermination. In 968 AD, the commander Din Bo Lin managed to unite the country and move the capital to the Hoa Lu mountains. Now these two ancient lands - Koloa and Hoaly are of great interest to historians and travelers. Din Bo Lin appointed himself emperor, and he had to constantly restrain the aggression of the local nobility, who dreamed of conquering the country.

In 980, the emperor, along with his heir, was killed by conspirators, power passed to the commander Le Hoan, who married the widow of Din Bo Lin. He declared a new Le dynasty, defeating the Chinese Song dynasty with the same stakes driven into the bottom of the same Batdang river.

But the Le dynasty was also destined to end ingloriously, it turned out that the son of the emperor had real sadistic inclinations, his favorite pastime was the torture of his subordinates, whom he watched with pleasure. The indignant people as a result of the coup killed a sadist, and the Buddhist monks began a conspiracy.

The next ruler, Ly Cong Huang, founded the first long dynasty in the history of the country in independent Vietnam. He again moved the capital from the mountainous regions to the bend of the Red River. This was facilitated by a giant dragon that took off into the sky right in front of the emperor floating down the river. So says the legend. In the place where the dragon rose from, it was decided to build a new city - Thang Long.

The years of the Li dynasty are the years of the formation of Vietnam as a centralized state. The Li era lasted from 1010 to 1225, when for the first time power was concentrated in the capital of the state. Buddhism had a very great influence on the population in the country, because Buddhist monks helped the people get rid of the sadistic ruler.

In 1069, the country was renamed Dai Viet, which means Great Viet. Subsequently, for the first time in history, Vietnam itself attacked the southern provinces of China in order to return the lands of the ancient Nam Viet, located near the Chinese city of Guangzhou. But this military campaign did not become a victorious procession. Much has changed over the years, the culture of the population has developed, its ethnic structure has been transformed, in connection with which, the people have come closer to the Chinese nation. The Vietnamese army was perceived with hostility and did not receive support from the local Vietnamese.

True, in the southern part of the country, the Vietnamese army was more successful. She conquered the kingdom of Champa, after which the well-known "Advancement to the South" of the Vietnamese people began. This movement to the south was due to the unusually rapid and powerful growth of the Vietnamese population, as well as the fact that there was very little land suitable for habitation in North Vietnam.

At the end of the 12th century, a huge crisis began in the state, affecting many areas - politics, economics, social life. Rod Chan, who had long been waiting for the right moment to overthrow the government and ascend to the throne, immediately took advantage of this. A civil war broke out between Li and Chiang. The outcome of this military conflict was unexpected. At the decisive moment, the emperor of the ruling dynasty concluded a truce with representatives of the Chans and granted them the most important positions in the state. Thus, the outcome of the war was decided and the Li dynasty no longer posed a threat to the Chans. Later, the Chans even persuaded the emperor to marry his seven-year-old daughter to one of the representatives of the Chan dynasty, who was only eight years old. When the emperor died, this girl ascended the throne and handed over the reins of power to her husband. This meant that a new dynasty was once again in power in Vietnam.

Further, the Chans behaved cruelly, they killed all members of the imperial family of Lee and issued an order to change the name of Lee to the name of Nguyen. This order applied to absolutely everyone. Therefore, in modern Vietnam, Nguyen is the most common surname.

The era of the reign of Chans is the strengthening of feudal relations in Vietnam, this happened from 1225 to 1400. During this time, the state grew stronger along with rich and noble landowners, and then weakened, and by the beginning of the 15th century, landowners represented a serious economic power and political force.

The Chang Dynasty covered itself with glory in opposing its Mongol army, which was then the most powerful and invincible in the world. Three times the Mongols tried to capture Dai Viet, but they were given a fitting rebuff. In the 14th century, the advance to the south resumed, areas of the city of Hue were annexed to Dai Viet.

The second half of the 13th century was occupied by constant and long military operations, which could not but affect the state of agriculture. The agrarians began to express dissatisfaction, crowds of poor peasants wandered around the country, who tried to cling to the lands of rich landowners so that they would not be taxed there.

Imperial power was weakening, and the power of wealthy landowners, on the contrary, was growing stronger. In this situation, when the authority of the authorities fell sharply, and the opposition raised its head, the nobility began to catch up with the chancellor Ho Kyui Li, who since 1378 was the de facto ruler of the country. It was in his power to strengthen the army and return back the areas of Dai Viet, torn away by Champa. Further, the chancellor directed his activities to strengthening the centralized power and the nobility. He carried out significant reforms to reorganize the government apparatus, strengthen regulatory bodies. All these actions were not to the liking of the rich feudal lords, and they decided to ask for help from China.

As a result, in 1407, the Chinese army ended the Huo dynasty. The country was occupied by Chinese troops. The occupation continued until 1427, when, finally, the national liberation movement drove the invaders out of Dai Viet. At the head of the uprising was Le Loy, who, after the liberation of the country from the Chinese army, founded the Le dynasty and continued the reformist activities of his predecessor.

So in the 15th century it was already possible to speak of progress. The rapid growth of cities began, land plots became the property of the state, trade was actively expanding both within the country and abroad. The apparatus of officials and the army became orderly and harmonious. The official ideology was recognized - Confucianism. From 1460 to 1497, the state of Vietnam experienced an unprecedented rise in all spheres of activity, Dai Viet finally annexed Champa and some western regions.

At the beginning of the 16th century, a number of peasant uprisings occurred, and attacks on the central apparatus of power by the noble families of the country also began again. As a result, by the middle of the 17th century, two independent states were formed on the territory of Dai Viet, and this was under the nominal power of the Le dynasty. These are the state of Dangnggoai with the capital Thang Long, today's Hanoi, and the state of Dangchaung with the capital Fusuan, now the city of Hue. The first belonged to the Chini dynasty, and the second to the Nguyen. The Chini developed the lands in the northwest of Vietnam, and the Nguyen - in the south.

The 18th century was marked by the strongest outbreak of popular anger in the Nguyen state. It began in the mountains, the uprising was led by peasants, brothers from the mountainous region of Taishon. The meaning of the rebellion was expressed in the call - "to take away the property of the rich and divide it among the poor." The wave of discontent that swept across the country turned out to be so powerful that the entire family of the Nguyen rulers was eradicated, miraculously only little Nguyen Anh survived.

By 1778, the leaders at the head of the peasant movement began to strongly lean towards the revival of feudalism. One of the leading brothers proclaimed himself emperor, and in 1786 the Teishon army seized the lands of the Chinei state. Thus, all power was actually concentrated in the hands of the Teyshons. The Le dynasty made an attempt to regain power, but was overthrown by the Teyshons.

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By 1802, the surviving heir Nguyen Anh was able to destroy the Teishon and establish his own power on the lands of both former states of Chiney and Nguyen. Two years later, the country began to be called Vietnam, and the city of Hue was proclaimed its capital. During this period, the last dynasty in the history of the state, the Nguyen dynasty, was founded, and Nguyen Anh, known in historical records as Emperor Gia Long of Vietnam, became its emperor.

During the reign of Gia Long, he carried out several useful economic reforms, as a result of which the life of the population became better. This continued until the middle of the 19th century, until a new, completely unknown misfortune happened - the French colonialists. It is known that the capture of South Vietnam by the French took place in the period from 1858 to 1862, as a result, South Vietnam was turned into a colony of France, which was called Cochin China. In this regard, the Saigon Treaty is mentioned, according to which three provinces of Vietnam in the South went to France, and prerequisites were created for the unhindered advance of the colonialists inland. And so it happened, in the 80s North Vietnam was also conquered, which opened the way for the colonialists to the Chinese provinces, rich in mineral deposits.

In 1887, France created the Indochinese Union, under the flag of which all the Vietnamese lands it seized, as well as Cambodia, Laos and part of China, were united. But the Vietnamese people did not sit idly by, they fought, and very actively, for their independence from French domination. Vietnamese insurgent detachments were formed everywhere, and Chinese "black flags" and liberation squads fought next to them. The uprising in support of the ruler lasted until the very end of the 19th century. It was organized by Ham Ngi, the emperor, and supported by the masses of the people. Ham Ngi was captured and exiled to Algeria for the rest of his life.

The movement of the rebels under the slogan in support of the ruler turned out to be the last traditional action of the masses in defense of the monarchy. The subsequent political actions of the Vietnamese government were strongly affected by Japan's victory over Russia in 1905.

The year 1930 was marked by the founding of the Vietnamese Communist Party, led by Ho Chi Minh. Soon it was named the Communist Party of Indochina.

from 1941 to 1945, Vietnam was under the occupation of the Japanese army, while the French administration was retained.

In 1941, Ho Chi Minh formed the League of Struggle for the Independence of the country, it was called the Viet Minh. The essence of the League was the organization of the national-patriotic front, the program of the front was written. The main point of the program was the transfer of land ownership to farmers.

This movement, which swept across the country, ended in the complete victory of the revolution in August 1945. It resulted in the proclamation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

This outcome of the liberation movement was influenced by the victory over fascism and the surrender of the Japanese army. Ho Chi Minh became the President of the Republic of Vietnam, putting a lot of effort into building a free Vietnam. So, in 1946, Vietnam adopted its first Constitution in the history of the country. But France did not give up so easily, and did not stop hostilities in the south of the country.

The independence of Vietnam hung in the balance, and then the whole people rose to defend their interests. It was a real liberation war, resistance, which lasted for 9 years, until 1954. All this time, the peacekeeping forces of other countries tried to resist the colonialists. Also in France itself, a movement was launched against the shameful war. In the end, the French government was forced to surrender its positions and sign the Geneva Agreement, according to which France undertakes to organize the withdrawal of its army from the state of Vietnam and create conditions for the reign of peace.