Under French colonial rule, Vietnam was not an independent state, but part of "Indochina" – France's distant paradise and a profitable colony. In 1945, amid the chaos of World War II, communist leader Ho Chi Minh proclaimed revolution and demanded Vietnam's independence. France responded with armed force.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 marked the end of French colonial rule in Vietnam. But the country paid a high price: Peace negotiations resulted in the temporary partition of Vietnam. The north went to the communists, and the south became an ally of the United States. The partition led to mass migration...

In 1963, South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem was overthrown and assassinated in a military coup. US President Lyndon B. Johnson sent American combat troops to Vietnam. The conflict escalated into a violent catastrophe, images of which were broadcast daily on television around the world and shaped the collective memory of the war.

In 1973, American troops withdrew from South Vietnam. Saigon fell in 1975, marking victory for North Vietnam and communism. While some people fled South Vietnam, for others the dream of a united, peaceful, and socialist Vietnam became a reality. But the deeply divided country was left in ruins after the war.