In 1949, a leader named Ho Chi Minh declared the independence of his nation, Vietnam. This act followed over one hundred years of colonial rule by the French. During those years, many Vietnamese struggled to survive. Yet independence did not bring safely and peace to the new nation. Instead the Vietnamese continued to struggle through conflicts and war that divided the nation in many ways.
Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia. For centuries Vietnam was invaded by neighbors such as the Khmer and the Ming of China.
In the middle eighteen hundreds, French ships began sailing into the port city of Da Nang. France established colonies in Vietnam and the neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia. Around the same time, Britain took over parts of Burma, the westernmost kingdom in the region. Nearby Thailand reminded one of the few independent areas in Southeast Asia. For about one hundred years, European powers would shape life for many people in the region. However, desire for the independence of the past grew very strongg in Vietnam. This led to conflicts with other countries and within Vietnam.
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