Vietnam (The Dragon Splits)

Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is a country located in Southeast Asia on the Indochina peninsula. It is bordered with China to the north and Cambodia and Laos to the east. Vietnam is one of the five remaining communist/socialist countries left internationally and has since opened up to international trade.

History
Before being a French colony, what is now present-day Vietnam was ruled by several dynasties that waged border wars with Siam, Cambodia, and the ancient dynasties of ancient China. The entire Indochina became known as French Indochina during the late 19th century, which also included Laos and Cambodia.

World War II and Independence
With the surrender of France to Nazi Germany in June 1940, the Empire of Japan proceeded to occupy the entire Indochina peninsula. In early 1945, the Office of Strategic Service (OSS, the precursor to the CIA) sent operatives to link up with anti-Japanese resistance fighters that included Ho Chi Minh, the future of the Viet Minh. With the defeat of Japan in September 1945, the French immediately retook control of Indochina. This saw fighting between the Viet Minh and the French forces, which took its turning point in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

At the signing of the 1954 Geneva conference, the country was to be split similarly to the Korean peninsula: the North would be under a socialist government while the South would be under a democratic government.

Cold War
Since the country was split into two, both North and South Vietnam continued fighting for control over the peninsula, thus continuing to the second phase of the war, known as the Vietnam War (1955-1975). South Vietnam (officially the Republic of Vietnam) was backed by the United States in the late 50s to the early 60s before sending combat troops to the ground in 1965. Similarly, North Vietnam was backed by communist countries such as the Soviet Union, China (PRC), North Korea, East Germany, and Cuba. The United States was militarily backed by their local allies in the region: Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. Despite the heavy support given to the Republic of Vietnam throughout the war, the U.S. was forced to pullout in 1973 due to massive losses incurred - both in manpower, resources, and funds - as well as the unpopularity of the war among Americans at home. On April 30, 1975, North Vietnam successfully reunited the nation by capturing the capital of Saigon. Countless South Vietnamese refugees would find refuge in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, the United States, Australia, and Europe.

In December 1978, after a series of border clashes with the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot in neighboring Cambodia, Vietnam promptly invaded its neighbor. The Vietnamese were able to topple the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh and put a puppet ruler. The rest of the Khmer Rouge retreated West, often times crossing to the Thai border. his resulted in Vietnam staging border raids into Thailand and clashing with the Royal Thai Army. Thailand was used as a training ground by the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF), an anti-communist political party that opposed the Vietnamese occupation. They were supported by the United States, the United Kingdom, Thailand, and China. In March 1979, China attempted to invade Vietnam for its invasion of Cambodia. However, the Chinese did not reach the capital of Hanoi and after a month, pulled out. Both sides claimed victory.

Vietnam would find ironically itself in a Vietnam War-like state in Cambodia, before withdrawing on September 26, 1989. In 1988, Vietnam and China fought a brief skirmish over the South China Sea, resulting in China seizing the Johnson South Reef.

Recent Times
With the fall of communism in 1989, the government officials enacted a series of economic reforms. In 1995, the country reestablished diplomatic relations with its former foe, the United States of America. It was also during the 1990s that Vietnam became a member of the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In 2000, then-President Bill Clinton visited Vietnam, the first U.S. President to do so after the Vietnam War. In 2005, the USS Curtis Wilbur became the first U.S. Navy warship to visit the country.

China-Vietnam relations soured in May 2014 after a China Coast Guard ship rammed a commercial Vietnamese vessel near the Paracel Islands. Vietnam claims the Paracel Islands as part of their country, but China seized it in 1974.

Vietnam has approached Russia, Israel, India, Japan, and the United States on military hardware to counter the growth of Chinese influence in the region.

Foreign Relations
Vietnam has diplomatic relations with multiple nations. It is a member of the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Vietnam has close ties with Russia, which was formerly the Soviet Union - its former ally in the region. Russia provides submarines to the Vietnam People's Navy. India and Israel have close military ties with Vietnam, since the Vietnamese go into joint ventures with these nations.

In Southeast Asia, Vietnam has close ties with the Philippines since both nations have been bullied by China, despite disputing some claims in the South China Sea themselves.

Because of China's growth, Vietnam has been closer with the United States even more. This included visits by President Barack Obama and former Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.