The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was formed in 1945 under the Chairmanship of Ho Chi Minh. However, it faced a number of challenges.
● The French posed a problem to the new republic. They tried to regain control of Vietnam by using Bao Dai as their puppet. Faced with the French offensive, the Vietminh were thus forced to retreat to the hills.
● The French Commander, General Henry Navarre, was very confident of his success against the Vietnamese. But on 7 May 1954, the Vietminh annihilated and captured more than 16,000 soldiers of the French Expeditionary Corps. Thus, finally fighting for 8 years, the French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu.
● Following this defeat, the Vietnamese were persuaded to accept the division of the country. North and south were split. The north was ruled by Ho Chi Minh whereas the south was ruled by Bao Dai. This division led to a series of conflicts that turned Vietnam into a battlefield bringing death and destruction all over.
● A coup led by Ngo Dinh Diem overthrew Bao Dai’s regime and established a reign of terror in South Vietnam.
● When Communists began to gain grounds in Vietnam, the USA entered into the country with the aim of overthrowing the communist regime. This marked the beginning of Vietnam's war with the USA in which millions of Vietnamese lost their lives.
