When Did the Vietnam War Start?

The Vietnam War was also known by a number of different names, such as the Second Indochina War, the Vietnam Conflict, or the American War. The United States supported South Vietnam government because they were anti-communist.

The differences between the two halves of Vietnam help explain why the war broke out. North Vietnam was more agricultural than South Vietnam. The government in North Vietnam was training guerrilla soldiers to migrate to South Vietnam to spread the word of communism.

In South Vietnam, the leader of the country was a fanatical Catholic. Communism opposed Catholicism. Further, after 1956, North Vietnam increased the amount of guerrilla soldiers in South Vietnam. These soldiers were known as the Viet Cong, and they focused on the “soft” areas of South Vietnam. They primarily used the Ho Chi Minh Trail to travel, which made it almost impossible to detect these troops from the air.

United States Enters the War

By about 1961 the United States was involved in the Vietnam War. However, most historians place the start date back between 1955 and 1959, when North Vietnam gradually become more active about their presence in the South.

The United States was afraid that North Vietnam was attempting to take over South Vietnam. At this time, United States foreign policy believed in the policy of containment, that communism must be contained where it is, and in the Domino Theory, that if one country was allowed to fall to communism, the countries surrounding it would be more likely to fall as well.

Precursors to the the Vietnam War

Before World War II, the French ruled Indochina and Vietnam. During World War II, the league of the Independence of Vietnam (also known as the Communist led Vietnminh) fought against the Japanese when they invaded. The Japanese occupation in Vietnam united the country against foreign rule, as well as militarized some of the resistance groups.

Hanoi Becomes Communist

After World War II, the people of Vietnam were adamant about not falling back under French rule. When the Japanese surrendered to the Allies in August of 1945, the Independence of Vietnam seized control of Hanoi. Hanoi was the capital city in Vietnam. They forced the abdication of Emperor Bao Dai, who supported the French colonization in Vietnam.

North Vietnam Established

On September 2, 1945 the Independence of Vietnam declared the country independent from France. They named the country the “Democratic Republic of Vietnam” (also known as “North Vietnam”). Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the Independence of Vietnam, was declared the president of the new country. At first, France didn’t fight this change of power, and recognized the new country.

First Indochina War

However, armed conflict followed a year later because the new country and France were unable to reach a political and economic compromise. This was known as the First Indochina War.

At first, North Vietnam was at a disadvantage because of a lack of weapons. However, after the Chinese communists gained control of the Chinese government, China supplied weapons and supplies to Vietnam in 1949. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 marked the end of the war, and France was defeated.

Vietnam Gains Independence from France

The aid from both the Soviet Union and China helped Vietnam win the war. France granted and recognized the independence of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. According to the Geneva Convention, Vietnam was split at the 17th parallel. In the north of Vietnam, a socialist state (known as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam) was established.

In the south, a non-communist government was established, under Emperor Bao Dai. The same Geneva Convention decided that an election would be held in 1956 to decide who would rule the whole country. However, the election never took place, and by 1956, the split was permanent between the two sides of Vietnam.