Background of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a long-term conflict between the North Vietnamese communist government and South Vietnam and its main ally, the United States. The conflict escalated because it coincided with the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. More than 3 million people (including more than 58,000 Americans) died in the Vietnam War, and more than half the victims were Vietnamese civilians. Background of the Vietnam War Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia at the eastern end of the Indochina peninsula. This region has been under French colonial rule since the 19th century. During World War II, Japanese troops invaded Vietnam. To fight the Japanese invaders and the French colonial government, Ho Chi Minh's political leaders - inspired by Chinese and Soviet communism - formed the Viet Minh (League for Vietnamese Independence). After the defeat in World War II, Japan withdrew its troops from Vietnam. This withdrawal caused the French-educated Emperor Bao Dai to rise to the...