History of Vietnam:
From the 1st to the 6th centuries, the south of what is now Vietnam was part of the Idianised kingdom of Funan. The Hindu kingdom of Champa appeared around present day Danang in the late 2nd century and had spread south to what is now known as Nha Trang by the 8th century.
The chinese conquered the Red river delta in the 2nd century and their 1.000 year rule, marked by tenacious Vietnamese resistance and repeated rebellions, ended in 938AD when Ngo Quyen vanquished the Chinese armies at the Bach Dang river.
During the next few centuries, Vietnam repulsed repeated invasions by China, and expanded its borders southwards from the Red River Delta, populating ,much of the Mekong delta. In 1858, French and Spanish-led forces stormed Danang after several missionaries had been killed. A year later, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) was seized. By 1867, France had conquered all of southern Vietnam, which became the French collonly of Cochin-China.
The Geneva Accords of 1954 temporarily devided Vietnam into two zones (the communist and the anti-communist south, US supported south),Political and idealogical opposition quickly turned to armed struggle, prompting the USA and other countries to commit combat troops in 1965.The Paris Peace Agreements, signed in 1973, provided an immediate cease-fire and signaled the withdrawal of US troops. Saigon eventually capitulated to the communist forces on 30th April 1975.
The end of the Cold war and the collapse of the USSR in 1991 caused Vietnam and Western nations to seek rapprochement. In July 1995, even intransigent America re-established diplomatic relations with Hannoi.
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