A Gracious Enemy

Beginning in 1770, the Tay Son Uprisings caused re-adjustment of Vietnamese society. Then, missionaries returning to France with stories of wealth obtainable from SE Asia caused much interest from even the French King. He was bankrupting his country through the excesses of his wife and by giving much aid the American Patriots who were fighting the British. Then cam full French colonisation which was followed by the First Indochina War which ended in French defeat at Dien been Phu. In 1961, John F Kennedy, sent in the first American advisors and these were quickly followed by other allied countries sending advisors and combat units. After suffering unsustainable losses, the allies withdrew from Indochina in 1975 (Second Indochina War). In 1978, Vietnam invaded Kampuchea (Cambodia) and removed the Pol Pot government.