The founder of the first Vietnamese state of Vanlang was King Hung, who, according to legend, was the eldest son of the dragon Lac Long Quan. In total, there were 18 Hung kings in this dynasty.
From Hung Vuong, the famous Chung sisters Chung Chak and Chung Nyi lead a short period of struggle against Chinese occupation at the beginning of the 1st millennium.
The first Hung Vyong is a very revered historical figure. Many Vietnamese cities have streets named after Hung Vuong.

Hanoi First Railway Station

Based on the study of the remains of an ancient man found in 2009 in Laos, scientists concluded that the first people of the modern type came to Indochina from Africa about 63 thousand years ago. Then their further advancement took place - north to China and southeast to Indonesia.

In the period of the last stages of the Late Neolithic and the beginning of the Bronze Age, in the Red River basin, a mixture of tribes formed in the basin of the Chinese Yangtze River and in the south of the Indochina Peninsula took place.

The documented history of Vietnam begins in the 3rd millennium BC. e. Hung Vuong (King Hung) founded the proto-state Van Lang by the name of the largest tribe at that time and laid the foundation for the first Vietnamese Hong Bang dynasty. The Vanlang state occupied the territories of North Vietnam and South China almost to Hong Kong. Phong Chau was its capital. The Hong Bang dynasty had 18 Hung kings who ruled until the 3rd century BC.
The inhabitants of Wanlang were engaged in rice cultivation, breeding of buffaloes and pigs, construction of dams, and various crafts.

In the 5-2 centuries BC. On the territory of Vietnam, the culture of the Bronze Age, which became known as Dong Son culture, reached significant development.

Having replaced the Hungs, in the 3rd century BC. Thuc Phan, who received the throne name of An Duong Vuong, became the head of the Vietnamese state with the name Au Lak. The fortress of Koloa became the capital of Aulak. Its ruins are located near Hanoi. The Au Lak state was located mainly in what is now North Vietnam and the northern part of Central Vietnam. It got its name from the name of the Au Viet tribe, which overthrew the Hung dynasty.

In the middle part of Vietnam in the 2nd century AD. the kingdom of Champa (Tyampa) arose with a Hindu culture. It existed until the 14th century, when it became a vassal of the Vietnamese Annam.
The territories south of Champa were part of the Khmer state of Funan.

Vietnam Wars with China

Throughout its history, Vietnam has had to fight many times with China or wage a long struggle for liberation. Already from 110 BC to 938 AD, Vietnam was under Chinese occupation. In 544, the Vietnamese managed to expel the Chinese governor from the country. However, in 603, the territory of Vietnam was again conquered by the Chinese Sui dynasty.
In 939, the country was finally liberated from almost a thousand years of Chinese domination. In 1069 a unified Vietnamese
state of Dai Viet (Great Viet).
In the 12th century, Dai Viet waged wars with China in the north and with Cambodia in the south, as a result of which they significantly expanded their borders.
In 1257-1288. Mongolian troops invaded the country three times, but were repulsed by the Dai Viet army.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the Vietnamese again had to fight with China. The peak of the struggle of the Vietnamese people against the Chinese feudal lords was in 1428.

A beautiful legend is also associated with this page of history. In 1385-1433. lived a simple fisherman Le Loy, who was destined to become the organizer and leader of the struggle against the Chinese feudal lords, the founder of the royal dynasty of Le. Once Le Loy was fishing in a lake in the city of Hanoi and suddenly saw a huge turtle emerge from its depths to the surface. She held a golden sword in her mouth. Le Loi took the sword from the turtle and organized an uprising against the enslavers, which ended in the victory of the Vietnamese. The people proclaimed him king.
Once, already being king, Le Loy sailed on the same lake with his retinue. Suddenly, the sword that was with him slipped out and fell overboard, and a turtle surfaced from the depths and carried the sword away.
Everyone saw this as a sign from above: the sword was handed to him only to save the homeland, and when the goal was achieved, to hide it away from sin.
In fact, Le Loi came from a feudal family from the province of Than Hoa. In 1418, he raised an uprising against the seized Vietnam
Chinese Ming Dynasty. The loss of the sword in the lake actually took place in the presence of a huge tortoise that emerged from the depths at the moment when the sword fell into the water. The lake was then named Ho Hoan Kiem, which means Lake of the Returned Sword. It is located in the central part of the Vietnamese capital and a large turtle still lives in it, which is being monitored by scientists. Photos of the lake can be viewed on the Hanoi page.

Penetration of European colonialists into Vietnam

The 16th century can be called a new era in the history of Vietnam, which is characterized by its Europeanization. At this time, European Catholic missionaries begin to penetrate Vietnam and convert the Vietnamese to the Catholic faith, paving the way for the subsequent direct colonization of the country. They achieved the greatest success in the south of Vietnam.
In the 17th century, the Vietnamese state was weakened by continuous internal wars.
In 1771-1802. there was a large peasant anti-feudal movement "Taishon uprising". In the course of it, social reforms were carried out, measures
in the socio-economic field and culture, which contributed to the unification of the country and the strengthening of the centralized state. As a result of internal contradictions, the rule of the Tayshons ceased to exist and the monarchy was restored. The last royal Nguyen dynasty in the history of Vietnam came to power. In 1802, the capital of Vietnam was moved to the city of Hue.

In 1858, the Franco-Spanish squadron occupied the port city of Da Nang. In 1859 the French took Saigon. The war went on
until June 1862, after which the emperor ceded the three eastern provinces of Cochin to the French. In 1867, the French additionally annexed three western provinces of Cochinchina and formed the colony of Cochinchina.

1883-1884 - a new invasion of the French and their conquest of all of Vietnam.
1887 - French Indochina is formed on the territory of Vietnam and Cambodia.
1940-1945 - Japan occupied Vietnam during the Second World War, but left the French colonial administration there. March 9, 1945
Japan formally declared Vietnam an independent country. Emperor Bao Dai was declared head of state.

Vietnamese struggle for independence

At the end of the summer of 1945, Japan, which occupies Vietnam, is defeated in the 2nd World War. In Vietnam, the August Revolution takes place and the abdication of the last emperor, Bao Dai, takes place. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) is proclaimed, led by the first president, Ho Chi Minh.
The August Revolution took place with great support from the people. Before her, half of the land belonged to a few families of landowners. Millions
peasant families did not have not only their own land, but even dwellings. The famine of 1945 claimed almost a third of the population.

1946 - the beginning of the French war against the DRV in order to regain its power in Vietnam and restore the colonial regime.
1954 - the defeat of the French troops in the Dien Bien Phu area. Geneva agreements between the DRV and France to end the war. A demarcation line was drawn along the 17th parallel, dividing Vietnam into two parts (the northern part - the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the southern part - the Republic of Vietnam). This country adopted a national flag depicting three red stripes on a yellow background, symbolizing the three historical parts of all of Vietnam: northern, or Tonkin, middle, or Annam, southern, or Cochin China. Thus, the government of South Vietnam, in their ambitions and dreams, "appropriated" the rest of Vietnam.

1955 - France and the United States strengthen the Republic of Vietnam. France, through the puppet government of South Vietnam, is trying to maintain its colonial regime, but the influence of the United States gradually prevails and France is losing its positions.

In the mid-1950s, in the North, in the DRV, the collectivization of peasant farms was carried out, often under duress. This causes widespread dissatisfaction among the peasants, unrest begins. The authorities are resorting to large-scale repression and, as a result, are deprived of the deep popular support that was at the beginning of the revolution. Together with the landlords, who owned vast areas of land and cruelly exploited hired workers, the regime repressed the owners of medium and small farms, which flourished only due to the intensive work of their families. During the repressive period, unlike the USSR and China, there were no "cultural revolutions", temples of various denominations were not taken away or destroyed, the cultural heritage of previous eras was not discarded, and continuity in historical science continued.

Vietnam War

The Second Indochinese (so-called Vietnam) War is described on the Vietnam War page.

post-war period

1976 - Both parts of the country are merged into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. After a long period of numerous wars, a peaceful period of history begins (not counting the conflict with the PRC in 1979).
1979 - a short armed conflict with China on the northern borders of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The conflict arose due to the fact that Vietnam sent its troops into Cambodia to stop the genocide of the Cambodian people by the Cambodian ruler Pol Pot, who was supported by Beijing. The Chinese army numbered 600,000 troops in 44 divisions. In service - 550 tanks and armored personnel carriers, 480 artillery pieces and 1260 heavy mortars. Numerous aviation, concentrated near the city of Pingxiang, the combat fleet, based on the island of Hainan, provided support. A very combat-ready Vietnamese army, which went through the crucible of a ten-year war with the United States and the South Vietnamese regime, managed to push Chinese divisions back into their territory in a month. The Chinese claim that they left on their own, remaining in the disputed territories.

In the late 70s, a crisis began that caused unrest throughout Vietnam, especially in Saigon. Gangs were operating from among the former military personnel of the South Vietnamese army and just criminals. Corruption flourished among officials and party workers, which, against the background of the poverty of the main part of the population, caused general discontent.

In the 1980s, economic aid from the USSR began to decrease.

In 1986, the "doi moi" renewal policy was proclaimed. The proclaimed new economic policy made it possible to open the way to a market economy, but with the preservation of the leading role of the Communist Party. As a result of the fusion of market and planned elements in the economy, Vietnam has managed to achieve visible results in the economy, foreign policy, education, and infrastructure development.

Ancient history of Vietnam, Middle Ages, colonization and bloody wars

The history of Vietnam dates back to the 3rd millennium BC, it was at this time that the first written mention of the Viet appeared. Since that time, the country, like a Phoenix, has risen from the ashes many times. Its entire history is a chronicle of endless liberation wars. Most of all, Vietnam has suffered from its vast northern neighbor - China, and this still affects the attitude of the Vietnamese towards the Chinese, despite the more or less peaceful coexistence today. The contrast between feudal, then socialist and modern Vietnam is striking. This people is very similar to us Russians. He was never an aggressor and a conqueror, but only carefully kept what was rightfully his. The whole history of Vietnam testifies to this.

End of III millennium BC. e. Almost the entire territory of modern Vietnam is inhabited by tribes - the ancestral predecessors of the current Khmers and the inhabitants of Malaysia and Indonesia. And those who gave rise to the modern people - the Vietnamese - lived in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, occupying the northern lands. And this people was called Laviet. In the struggle for fertile land in the middle of the II millennium BC. e. they began to rapidly conquer the areas in the Red River Delta from the tribes living there.

A little later, the ancestors of modern Thais began to settle in the mountainous northern regions. The Laquiet gradually expelled them from there, pushing them to the south. Subsequently, the expelled Thais, mixing with the local population, became the ancestors of some peoples now inhabiting Indochina, primarily the Chams.

The first state to unite the Lakviet tribes was created at the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. e. the leader (vyong) of one of the tribes ─ Hung. Thus began the history of the modern Vietnamese state. The first dynasty of rulers of Vietnam, Hung Bang, begins with him. The state he headed was called Vanlang and stretched across the territory of North Vietnam and South China almost to Hong Kong. The history of the dynasty consisted of 18 kings and its reign lasted until the 3rd century BC. e. and had 18 kings. The main occupations of the Vanlang people were rice growing, cattle breeding (they raised pigs and buffaloes), handicrafts and building dams. Phong Chau was the capital of the states.

In the III century BC. there was a change of dynasty and renaming of the state. The Hungs were overthrown by the northern tribes of Au Viet, who elevated Thuc Phan to the throne and gave him the throne name of An Duong. Thus began the history of the new state formation. The new state was called Au Lak and was located on the territory of Northern and partially Central Vietnam. The capital was not far from the present Hanoi, it was the Koloa fortress. But Aulak did not manage to exist for a long time, the state quickly fell into decay and in the middle of the 3rd century BC. joined the state of Nam Viet, which occupied large areas of southern China and northern Vietnam. It was this era, according to historians, that became the final stage in the formation of the culture and statehood of the Laviets in ancient history.

Namviet also did not manage to exist for a long time as an independent state. It was conquered by the then powerful Chinese Han Empire. This marked the beginning of a long history of almost eight hundred years of Chinese rule in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese people did not humbly endure it. The conquered country gradually accumulated strength and gained power, while the Chinese empire weakened and lost control over the conquered territories. It all ended in the 10th century AD, when the hated yoke was thrown off by a powerful popular uprising led by the Vietnamese landowner Ngo Kuyen. The liberation was marked by the birth of a new dynasty - Li and the return of the capital to the city of Koloa. History takes a turn again, the country changes its name again and becomes Dai Viet. There are changes in the administration of the state, and the official religion is established - Confucianism. The first academy is created - Khan Lam, the capital moves again, this time to the city of Thang Long - modern Hanoi.

The strengthened state successfully repels the Mongols' raids and gradually expands at the expense of the northern mountains and southern lands, conquering them from the Chams. Buddhism and Taoism gradually penetrate the country. History has shown that these religions at that time spread only as folk beliefs.

Middle Ages

The history of the beginning of the 15th century was again marked by Chinese aggression against Dai Viet. Taking advantage of the decline in which the country was coming, and the strife caused by the unpopular reforms of the ruler Lee Ho Kyui, the Chinese Ming Dynasty captures it and stays here for a short 20 years. Resisting the Chinese, the united people drive them out. Le Loi, who led the popular uprising, became the head of a new dynasty - the Later Le, who ruled until the end of the 18th century. It was during this period of history that the heyday of medieval Vietnam falls.

The name of this hero is associated with a legendary story that the Vietnamese carefully guard - the legend of the returned sword. Riding a boat on the lake in the center of the capital - Thang Long, Le saw a huge turtle emerging from its depths, holding a golden sword in its mouth. Le accepted him and considered this a sign that he should lead an uprising for liberation from the Chinese yoke. Subsequently, being already an emperor, he again sailed in a boat on this lake and accidentally dropped his sword into the water. The turtle reappeared above the water and dragged the sword with it to the bottom. This was taken as a sign from above that the sword had served its purpose and should be returned. Since then, the reservoir has gone down in history as the Lake of the Returned Sword, and today is one of the attractions of Hanoi, which is visited by tourists.

In the history of the first third of the 17th century, a split occurs in Dai Viet - two clans begin to compete - Chinh and Nguyen. Trying to attract the Vietnamese nobility to their side, both of them began to distribute land to their supporters, emptying the state treasury. At the same time, the state needed large funds to strengthen its military power. The result was a ruthless taxation of tribute to the common people, who could not stand it and by the end of the 18th century raised an uprising led by three brothers. One of them is Nguyen Hue, who eventually became emperor. In history, the rebellion appears under the name "Taishon Rebellion". The disgraced and deposed king from the Le dynasty made an attempt to resort to the help of the Chinese emperor of the Qing dynasty. The Chinese again invaded Dai Viet, but they were quickly thrown out of the country by the angry Tay Sons. The story of Nguyen Hue in power did not last long, three years later he died suddenly.

Power intercepts the Nguyen clan in the person of the commander Nguyen Phuc Anh. He gathers troops and, having enlisted the support of France, suppresses popular unrest, proclaims himself emperor with the throne name Gia Long and transfers the capital to Hue. A new dynasty rules Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. We can say that this is how the history of colonial Vietnam began.

Colonization of Vietnam

In the 16th century, the history of the Europeanization of Vietnam begins. It was connected with the need for modern military technologies, which the feudal authorities of the Asian country did not have. And they did not have a numerical superiority over their long-standing opponents - the Chinese. The Trinh clan made an alliance with the Dutch, while the Nguyen preferred France. The Dutch did not have much interest in Indochina, so they disappeared after three years, but the French increased their attention to Vietnam, taking advantage of the fact that no one in Europe cared about him. Providing support to the Nguyens, they concluded a very favorable agreement with them, according to which France received land in Indochina.

However, their interest in Eastern affairs was cooled by the French Revolution, and the French forgot about Vietnam for a while. During this period of history, Catholic missionaries, who began their penetration as early as the end of the 16th century, were more actively drawn into the country. For a long time, the presence of the French was limited to them, and even adventurers who, together with the missionaries, tried to act in Vietnam through intrigue.

The Vietnamese preferred to adhere to the policy of "closed doors" and were in no hurry to let the French again rushing towards them. As well as paying dividends under previously concluded agreements. France understood that a military invasion of Vietnam was not yet possible due to a lack of forces. So about 30 years passed, until the French were lucky in the form of the Opium War won by the Europeans with China. Napoleon III sent a solid army of 2.5 thousand infantrymen and a well-equipped fleet of 13 ships to “open” the locked doors. Spain also decided to participate in the capture. In 1858, the combined forces approached the port of Da Nang in Central Vietnam and stormed it a day later. Another page of the war appeared in the history of Vietnam.

The invasion was not welcomed by either the imperial army or the people, so the French ran into powerful resistance. Realizing that it would not be possible to split the cohesive Center of the country, the French decided to settle in the south and struck at the Zyadin fortress, located not far from the Mekong Delta and the united settlements that later formed the city of Saigon. The southern provinces suited the French quite well. There were sources of water, food and access to the sea through the Mekong Delta. From here they could influence the course of history and the intractable emperor Tu Duc by capturing the country's main source of food - rice plantations.

The French could not completely take over the southern lands for another long 3 years, while the rallied Vietnamese people kept them in a captured fortress. Only in 1861, General Charne, with the help of support from the sea, broke the resistance and forced Ty Duc to sign an agreement on the transfer of three southern provinces to France.

Changes broke out in the south - the almost European Saigon grew and flourished, trade under the leadership of France in the ports of South and Central Vietnam was in full swing. The Indochina Bank was established and a prison for opponents of the regime was built on the southern island of Con Dao. The history of the colonization of Vietnam began.

Further, the process of seizing Vietnamese lands went on increasing. The interest of the French also turned to Tonkin - North Vietnam. It was possible to capture it only during a military operation, and the French undertook it in the late 80s of the 19th century. The capture was quick due to the fact that the current emperor had made many opponents in the northern provinces. It was they who helped the French establish their power here.

France and China agreed, and Beijing abandoned its claims to the unfortunate, war-torn Vietnam. Thanks to this, France was able to take possession of Loas and Cambodia and created the Indochinese Union of three countries on this territory. France got Vietnam at its full disposal by signing the enslaving "Armand Treaty" with the government of Vietnam, according to which South Vietnam - Cochin China - was a colony, and Central Vietnam - Annam - and Tonkin at this stage of history remained under the protectorate of European conquerors.

The Vietnamese people, who never bowed their heads before the invaders, began to create guerrilla detachments in the deep jungle, laying the foundation for a long-standing and powerful liberation movement that arose later, in the history of the 20th century. But the French did not know about it yet.

20th century - a country on fire

The 20th century brought Vietnam so much death and destruction that it probably did not know in its entire history. While revolutionary fermentation was slowly going on among the people, the Vietnamese intelligentsia and bureaucratic people were much more loyal to the colonial authorities and wanted only the establishment of a constitutional monarchy for themselves.

Ho Chi Minh and the Communist Party

From the end of the 19th century, the people's liberation detachments began to greatly annoy the French. At the beginning of the 20th century, more advanced, European-educated representatives of the Vietnamese youth joined them. Radical movements, in particular, the communist one in Russia, did not leave them indifferent. It was then that for the first time in history the name of one of these followers ─ Nguyen Ai Quoc, known to the whole world under the name of Ho Chi Minh, was mentioned. In 1922, he organized a party called the Intercolonial Union of Colored Peoples, the forerunner of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

By the 1930s, three organizations were already operating on the territory of the country and the border regions of Laos and Cambodia - the Communist Party of Annam, the Communist Party of Indochina and the Communist Union of Indochina. And in 1930, these three parties were united into one by the decision of a conference specially convened in Hong Kong. It went down in history under the name of the Communist Party of Indochina. At that time, Ho Chi Minh took an active part in all party affairs.

The year 1940 was marked for Vietnam by a new invasion, this time by the Japanese, who were trying to establish for themselves additional lines of defense from the Chinese in the territory of a small neighboring country. The French did not allow them to roam in the occupied lands. The Japanese did not dare to openly go against France, which signed an agreement with the countries of the Nazi coalition. True, in 1945 they completely removed the colonialists from power, but this did not last long - until the surrender of Japan in World War II in August of that year. This moment becomes a turning point in the history of Vietnam.

Declaration of independence, war with France and the division of Vietnam

All this time, starting in 1941, Ho Chi Minh actively created and supported the League of Struggle for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh). In 1945, after the signing of the act of surrender of Japan, numerous Viet Minh partisan detachments took control of the entire country within 11 days, and on September 2, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the creation of a new state - the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Three months later, the First Indochina War began, which was destined to last almost 10 years. In the first three years, the communists lost South Vietnam. A new state was created there, headed by the secular emperor Bao Dai.

Unexpected help came from China, already communist at the time, under the rule of Mao Zedong. He helped preserve the remnants of the DRV. Just at this period of history, the United States appears on the political arena of this region. It was they who saved France from inevitable defeat. In 1954, after the 13,000-strong army was completely defeated near Dien Bien Phu, the French finally agreed to negotiations, which resulted in the announcement of a demilitarized zone along the 17th parallel by the Geneva Agreement. She divided the country into two parts - North and South. France was expelled from Vietnam and the colonial regime fell. But history prepared even greater trials for the Vietnamese.

In the South, under the leadership of the nationalist leader Nguyen Dinh Term, who announced the creation of an independent Republic of Vietnam, the regime began to acquire clear signs of a dictatorship. By 1957, an open confrontation unfolded in the country with opponents of the new government - partisan groups operating in the South.

In 1959, official Hanoi declared war on the southern Republic in order to unify the state and began illegal supplies of weapons to the southern partisans. Then the "" was laid, along which these deliveries were carried out. She passed through the territory of Laos and Cambodia. With such support, the guerrillas gradually took control of almost a third of southern Vietnam and created the National Liberation Front, known to us as the Viet Cong. The strength of the Viet Cong was such that President Nguyen Dinh Term was unable to cope with it. As a result, he was killed by his own military leaders. Subsequent history showed that the next three presidents made a fatal mistake. In the fight against the communists, they relied on the help of the Americans.

War with America

The communist influence of the USSR and China on Vietnam haunted the West. Therefore, Europe and the United States began to consider South Vietnam as an obstacle to its further expansion. At first, the United States supplied Saigon only with weapons and provided consulting assistance. A small number of American military advisers were sent to Saigon. The first overseas military units appeared here only in 1961. They helped the leadership of the Republic of Vietnam fight the Viet Cong.

The beginning of a large-scale war was laid by the story in the Gulf of Tonki, which later turned out to be a provocation. According to the United States, a Vietnamese warship fired on an American ship. The Vietnamese side claimed that the Americans illegally invaded its territorial waters.

After the incident, US senators gave President Johnson carte blanche to conduct full-scale combat operations in Vietnam. The bloody meat grinder continued for several years. Moreover, the losses were approximately equal on both sides. Most of all, the local civilians suffered from the cruelty of the belligerents ─ the peasants. Simultaneously with ground operations, American aircraft continuously bombed North Vietnam. The regular troops of Australia, Thailand and South Korea pulled up to help the Americans.

The fierce resistance of the Vietnamese army forced the United States to constantly increase the military contingent in Southeast Asia. The world community has already joined this story, condemning the senseless massacre. A wave of popular indignation swept across America, which did not add to the authority of its then government and president.

The war, which had lasted for three years, did not give an advantage to either side. And in 1968, after a powerful blow from the combined forces of the army of the DRV and the Viet Cong, the American army was demoralized. The operation took place on the eve of the New Year according to the lunar calendar and went down in history under the name "Blow on Tet". After this disastrous story, Johnson refused to send new military forces to Vietnam. Influenced by the public, which demanded an immediate halt, he announced the end of the bombing and expressed his desire to sit down at the negotiating table.

But, despite this readiness for 1970, the fire of war still did not subside. The history of the war continued until 1973, although the victory of the Viet Cong, which controlled most of the country, was already obvious. Hostilities also affected neighboring Laos and Cambodia. It was at the end of this war that the Americans used in Vietnam the defoliant ─ dioxin, which received the name "Agent Orange" here. The result was genetic diseases and deformities that still manifest themselves in local residents from generation to generation.

And only in 1972, when the massive offensive of the North Vietnamese army, armed with the latest Soviet and Chinese weapons and with the support of armored vehicles, ended in victory, the Paris Agreement of 1973 put an end to the history of the presence of American troops in Vietnam.

This inglorious bloody war ended for America, but not for Vietnam. He continues to be torn apart by internal conflicts. The Saigon army significantly outnumbered and outgunned the North Vietnamese. The story of a bloody civil war continued for another two years, until Operation Ho Chi Minh, carried out jointly by the Viet Cong and the troops of the DRV, ended it and overthrew the Saigon regime in March 1975. well describe the events of those times.

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, Lak Long Quan, married the charming fairy Au Ko, who was the daughter of the god of mountains. But the young spouse 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, Auviet and Lakviet.

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 Chan rule 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.

A brief history of Vietnam, like the history of all ancient countries, is lost in the mists of time, turning into legends. It is quite clear that in the fertile water meadows of South China and in the Red River valley around Tonkin, the ancestors of the Kinh (as the Vietnamese call themselves) settled 3-4 thousand years ago.

The history of the Vietnamese people and their long struggle for freedom and independence is closely connected with the territorial expansion in a southerly direction. Defending against China in the north, the ancient Viet gradually extended their power over the declining kingdoms of Tyampa and Cambodia in the south.

Legendary Rulers

Vietnamese legend says that Emperor Ze Min, a descendant of the Chinese deity - the patron of agriculture, married the daughter of the fairy Wu, and one of their sons, Kinh Duong-duong, became the ancestor of the Viet. He, in turn, married the daughter of a dragon, the lord of Dongting Lake in China, and their son Lac Long Quan became the first ruler of the Vietnamese state.

To maintain peace with powerful Chinese neighbors - a theme recurring throughout Vietnamese history - Lac Long Quan married the mountain fairy Au Co, who bore him one hundred sons. Subsequently, the eldest of them succeeded Lak Long Quan, marking the beginning of the Hung dynasty.

Instead of treating the Hung Dynasty as a historical fact, it should be treated as a heroic legend created to celebrate the ancient history of Vietnam. At this time, both the Han Chinese and the Vietnamese had a need to expand their territories to the south, which marked the beginning of their millennial rivalry.

In 258 BC. e. Thuc Phan, one of the leaders of the hill tribes of the Au Viet, overthrew the 18th king of the Hung dynasty and founded the new Vietnamese state of Au Lak with its capital in Koloa, a little north of modern Hanoi. About half a century later, in 207 BC. BC, the rebellious Chinese commander Zhao Tuo conquered Au Lak and proclaimed his authority over Nam Viet, a state that occupied the territory of modern Guangxi province in South China and the Red River Delta in North Vietnam. Chinese rule over Nam Viet was confirmed in 111 BC. BC, when the heirs of Zhao Tuo formally swore allegiance to the Han emperor Wu Di, which extended the power of China south to the Hai Wang Pass and made Nam Viet the Chinese province of Jiao Shi.

Tran Quoc Pagoda in Hanoi was built during the Early Ly Dynasty.

Briefly about the history of the millennium of Chinese rule in Vietnam

In the 1st century n. e. the attempts of the Chinese to impose their customs among the population of Jiaoshi caused strong resistance from the Viet. In 40, this led to the first major Vietnamese uprising against the Chinese, led by the Trung sisters, two aristocrats who proclaimed themselves co-rulers of a united Vietnam. The Chung sisters are still regarded as national heroines, but their attempt to free themselves from Chinese rule was short-lived. Three years later, General Ma Yuan regained control over this territory and began to intensively Sinicize the population. And gradually he began to succeed.

For the next 900 years, the Viet remained under the yoke of China, despite a number of major uprisings. In 544, the Vietese leader Li Bong led another rebellion, as a result of which he achieved partial independence after the accession of the Early Li dynasty, but in 603 it was crushed by Chinese armies. The victorious Chinese renamed the country Annam, or the Pacified South. However, this turned out to be an attempt to wishful thinking. In 938, the Viet, under the leadership of Ngo Cuyen, inflicted a decisive defeat on the Chinese at the Battle of the Bakhdang River and restored their independence, putting an end to the thousand-year Chinese rule. They finally gained freedom, but by this time they had become the most sinicized people in Southeast Asia, in contrast to the neighboring Chams, Thais and Khmers, who fell under the cultural influence of India.

The Vietnamese have learned at least one valuable lesson in their centuries of confrontation with China. The Chinese threat did not disappear, but it was necessary to get along with their northern neighbors. And they succeeded thanks to a combination of desperate resistance to Chinese aggression with humble apologies to the Dragon Throne for each of their victories. This cunning tactic was formalized in 968, when Din Bo Lin, the founder of the Dinh imperial dynasty, confirmed the independence of Vietnam, but agreed to pay tribute to China every three years.

Vietnam expands south

Starting from the XI century. Vietnam found new ways to imitate China, its neighbor, which aroused both fear and admiration. Firstly, Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, and not Theravada, practiced in other countries of Southeast Asia, became the main religion in the country. Confucianism was also enthusiastically accepted by the Chinese and formed the basis of state administration.

Secondly, the Vietnamese people, sandwiched between the more numerous Chinese in the north and the high Annamite Cordillera in the west, began to spread their influence in the only available direction - to the south. From the new capital of Thang Long, or Dragon Soaring (later renamed Hanoi), began a long history of conquest of the ancient Hindu kingdom of Tjampa.

An example of Hindu culture: the Cham carving of Shiva from My Son

The Viet, having repulsed the Mongol invasion in 1279, in the second battle on the Bakhdang River, continued to hold the north of the country. By the XIV century. all of Central Vietnam, up to the Hai Van Pass, was conquered, and the city of Hue came under the control of the Viet. Then the Chinese again took possession of this territory, but in 1428, as a result of a war of liberation led by Le Loi, the Viet gained independence again. Meanwhile, in the south, Vijaya's Vijaya capital was destroyed by Viet troops, and the Champa kingdom was reduced to a tiny size.

By the beginning of the XVI century. It seemed that nothing threatened the Vietnamese state - Dai Viet, in fact, history presented Vietnam with new tests.

In 1516, the first Europeans (Portuguese sailors) arrived in the country. In addition, in the far south, after the collapse of the Thiampa kingdom, rival claimants to power in Hanoi appeared among the Viet themselves. In 1527, the country was divided into two parts: the Mak dynasty (and later Chin) ruled from Hanoi lands in the Red River Delta, and the Nguyen dynasty, with its capital in Hue, dominated the south of the country.

By the 17th century instead of the Portuguese, the French became the most influential Europeans here, especially in the central and southern regions of the country. They brought with them Catholicism, which gradually spread throughout the country, despite the opposition of the followers of Confucianism and Buddhism. As a result, the Vietnamese Christian community became the second largest in Asia, second only to the Filipino. Finally, the French missionary priest Alexandre de Rode developed the romanized Vietnamese writing system, Quoc Ngy, which is still in use today.

In 1757, Vietnamese settlers bypassed the last fortification of the chams between Phan Rang and Phan Thiet and set about conquering the Mekong Delta, which was under the rule of Cambodia. During this expansion, the Khmer settlement of Preinokor was taken from the Cambodians and renamed Saigon. In the 19th century the last Cham resistance was finally broken, and Vietnam received complete control over the territories that it still controls today.

Hyonnyong Gate in Hue, the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty

Nguyen emperors and French conquest

In 1802, the ruler Nguyen Anh defeated his northern opponents and founded the Nguyen dynasty (1802 - 1945) with its capital in Hue, where he proclaimed himself Emperor Gia Long. For the first time in Vietnamese history, the center of power has shifted from the Red River Delta in the south to the center of the country. However, the power of the Nguyen did not remain unchallenged for long. In 1858, France captured Da Nang and Saigon, laying the foundation for its colonies at Annam and Cochin. In 1883, with the support of modern weapons and an unshakable faith in their civilizing mission, the French declared Tonky as a colony, and Vietnam became a French protectorate. In 1887, this provision was legally enshrined; The French, having united Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, formed the Indochinese Union (French Indochina).

It is not difficult to guess that the Vietnamese rejected the imperialist ambitions of France. This proud people, who had resisted Chinese rule for two millennia, could not meekly submit to the French.

In 1890, Ho Chi Minh, the future leader of the Vietnamese struggle for independence, was born in the small Vietnamese village of Kimlien. In 1918 he went to Paris, and three years later joined the French Communist Party. In 1930, Ho Chi Minh visited Moscow, became an agent of the Comintern, and founded the Communist Party of Indochina in Hong Kong. The French did not yet know about this, but the threat was already hanging over them.

Ho Chi Minh continued to work with his compatriots during the war years and the Japanese occupation that ended in 1945. Of course, the communists were not the only force opposed to French imperialism - Vietnamese of all political persuasions strove for freedom - but the communists were undoubtedly better organized the rest.

Ho Chi Minh in field uniform

Three Indochinese Wars

After the Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945, events began to develop with increasing speed. On August 23, Bao Dai, the last emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, abdicated. And just ten days later, on September 2, 1945, in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh declared the independence of Vietnam.

The First Indochina War began after the French attempted to restore colonial rule. Things did not go well for them, and in 1954 they suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu from Vo Nguyen Giap, the best commander of Ho Chi Minh. South Vietnam, with its capital in Saigon, was ruled by the pro-Western Catholic politician Ngo Dinh Diem. In 1955, Diem refused to hold elections, and the Viet Minh troops, with the support of Hanoi, launched an armed offensive in the south. This led to the outbreak of the Second Indochinese War - the Vietnamese call it the American War - which devastated the country for almost twenty years. In 1960, in a poorly calculated attempt to contain the spread of communism, the US sent advisers to support the southern regime. Five years later, in 1965, the US Air Force began regular bombing in the north, and in the south, in Da Nang, they landed troops. By 1968, the number of American troops in Vietnam had increased to 500,000, but that same year, the Tet, or New Year's, Viet Cong offensive undermined Washington's determination to continue the war, and in 1973 the last American soldiers were evacuated from Vietnam. Two years later, in April 1975, the North Vietnamese army captured Saigon, and the country became united again.

French tank abandoned after the First Indochina War

Hanoi's victory led to the proclamation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV). There was no major bloodshed, but a strict command economy was established, and for more than a decade the Vietnamese suffered from poverty and political oppression. Added to this was the Third Indochina War (1978-1979), when Vietnam invaded Cambodia to overthrow the deadly Khmer regime, but was itself invaded, as a lesson, by communist China.

History of Vietnam's economic growth

At the 6th Congress of the Vietnamese Communist Party, party leaders launched an ambitious social and economic reform program called doi moi (Renewal). Collectivization was revised, more attention was paid to labor productivity and the personal rights of citizens. The pace of agricultural production grew rapidly, as a result, Vietnam became one of the major exporters of rice. For 10 years, the growth of the Vietnamese economy was more than 7% per year, but in 2008 inflation began, and economic development slowed down. Despite these successes, political control remains tight and citizens' personal rights remain limited.

Fisherwoman in Mui Ne

Vietnam War