Vietnam (Vietnam War Didn't Happen)

Vietnam ,formally the Democratic Republic of Vietnam is the easternmost country in the Indochinese peninsula. Vietnam is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest and the South China Sea to the east.

First Indochina War
With the surrender of France to Nazi Germany in June 1940, the Empire of Japan proceeded to occupy the entire Indochina peninsula. They exploited Vietnam's natural resources which resulted in millions of death. After the defeat of Japan in September 1945, the French immediately retook control of Indochina, setting up the State of Vietnam as puppet goverment. This saw fighting between the Viet Minh and the French forces. The defeat of the French in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu allowed Ho Chi Minh to negotiate a ceasefire from a favorable position at the subsequent Geneva Conference. The colonial administration was ended and French Indochina was dissolved under the Geneva Accords of 1954 into three countries: Vietnam and the Kingdoms of Cambodia and Laos. Vietnam was further divided into two zones, the North, governed by the Viet Minh and the South, governed by the former emperor Bao Dai. An election be held by July 1956 to create a unified Vietnamese state.

Reunification
The general election was held on 17 July 1956, with Ho Chi Minh and North Vietnam receving 81% of the votes. The State of Vietnam ceded to exist with the government getting exiled and Vietnam was unified into a single communist state.

Vietnam in the Cold War
As a communist country, Vietnam was a Soviet ally and received economic and military aid from the Soviet Union. However, Vietnam acted fairly neutral during the Cold War. They joined the Non-Aligned Movement in 1964.

Land reforms
Land reform in Vietnam was accomplished from 1954 to 1956 by confiscating and redistributing land owned by landlords to poor and landless peasants. This program resulted in executions of "landlords and reactionaries,", which resulted in thousands of deaths; which many were falsely accused and executed. The Vietnamese government apologized for the excesses and attempted to rectify errors.