Ancient Vietnam
2,000 years from today...
Way back when, North Vietnam started growing rice in the Red River Valley. To help irrigate their crops, they made a system of dikes and canals. From working together a new kingdom emerged called Van Lang.
2nd century B.C.
But in the 2nd century B.C. the Chinese conquered this area. The Chinese ruled Vietnam for more than 1,000 years and their civilization had a great impact on Vietnam’s society and culture.
A.D. 100
However, there was some Indian influence. From the jumpstart of civilization, the southern tip of Vietnam became part of a state by the name of Funan.
A.D. 200
Central Vietnam was another Indian influenced state called Champa, which came about roughly a century after Funan conquered Vietnam.
A.D. 40
But in North Vietnam the people disliked their Chinese rule and around 40 A.D. the Trung sisters led a rebellion and crowned themselves queen after a victory.
3 years later the Chinese fought back and the sisters knew they would be defeated and could not bear this; their solution was to drown themselves in a river.
Early 900s...
Several centuries later a leader named Ngô Quyền defeated the Chinese at the battle of Bạch Đằng River and Vietnam became an independent state.
1300s
In the 1300s the Mongols invaded Vietnam. They captured the capital twice and withdrew twice; on their third time they managed to capture the Vietnamese leader Trần Hưng Đạo.
1418 - 1428
Back in 1418 Lê Lợi began the Lam Sơn Uprising. In 1428 the Chinese were driven out and Lê Lợi became the Emperor Lê Thái. He started the Lê Dynasty.
1500s - 1600s
Around the early 1500s, China tried once more to regain control of North Vietnam.
In the early 1600s the power of the Lê dynasty started to weaken.
1700s - 1800s
By the time the 1700s and 1800s came around, two rival families came to power; the Trịnh family in the north and the Nguyễn family in the south.
In 1770 a rebellion began in the town of Tây Sơn. Three brothers by the name of Nguyễn led it. They slowly took land from the Nguyễn lords in the south and the Trịnh lords in the north. By 1786 they had control of all of Vietnam.
Nguyễn Huệ, one of the three brothers, made himself Emperor Quang Trung.
Another Nguyen lord named Nguyễn Ánh escaped the rebellion. He raised an army and pushed back the rebels. Nguyễn Ánh took Hanoi in 1802 and made himself Emperor Gia Long.
Under his rule Vietnam became a strong, united kingdom.
Flashback to the 1516s...
While the rebellion was happening, the Portuguese had reached the Vietnam sea in 1516. With them came the Roman Catholic church; however to this day most of Vietnam is not Catholic.
1990s...
In the late 1900s Vietnam became a French colony, which happened in stages: first the French captured Saigon, and then in 1883 they captured North and Central Vietnam. The French built roads and bridges everywhere, but this was supplied by heavy taxes on peasants.
In 1930, Vietnam was beginning to turn communist.
In 1940, the Germans defeated France. Japan took advantage of this sign of France’s weakness and forced the French government to allow Japanese armies to occupy territory in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese Communists, or Việt Minh, fought the Japanese. By 1945 the Việt Minh controlled parts of North Vietnam. Japan took control of the government, and once they had surrendered to the power of the Việt Minh, Hồ Chí Minh moved into this spot.
After the Việt Minh had taken control of most of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam independent in 1945. However some time later, the French army arrived in the south and the Chinese in the north. Hồ Chí Minh decided the French was the lesser of the two evils and signed a treaty to France. In return France acknowledged Vietnam as an “independent state.”
However it soon became clear the French had no intention of giving up power in Vietnam and fighting broke out between the French army.
For eight years they fought. Finally, they surrendered in 1954.
In the north, Hồ Chí Minh introduced a Communist regime. In 1959, a guerrilla war known as the Vietnam War began to try and reunite Vietnam under Communist rule. The Northern Guerrillas were called the Vietcong. Eventually the USA became involved in this war...and it started the Vietnam War.
The US sent advisers to South Vietnam and financially supported the Southern government.
Then in 1964, two US ships were attacked by the North Vietnamese.
The Americans bombed the North.
Four years later, the Việt Cộng launched the Tet offensive in towns and cities across South Vietnam. The people of Vietnam suffered heavy losses, but gradually the Americans retreated from Vietnam after that.
In 1973 both Americans and the Vietcong signed a ceasefire.
The South Vietnamese continued to fight the Việt Cộng; however in 1975 the Southern army collapsed and Vietnam was finally reunited.
In 1986 Vietnamese government reformed the market and economy grew rapidly.
Today Vietnam is still under communism but the economy and environment have improved and so has life for the Vietnamese.
Way back when, North Vietnam started growing rice in the Red River Valley. To help irrigate their crops, they made a system of dikes and canals. From working together a new kingdom emerged called Van Lang.
2nd century B.C.
But in the 2nd century B.C. the Chinese conquered this area. The Chinese ruled Vietnam for more than 1,000 years and their civilization had a great impact on Vietnam’s society and culture.
A.D. 100
However, there was some Indian influence. From the jumpstart of civilization, the southern tip of Vietnam became part of a state by the name of Funan.
A.D. 200
Central Vietnam was another Indian influenced state called Champa, which came about roughly a century after Funan conquered Vietnam.
A.D. 40
But in North Vietnam the people disliked their Chinese rule and around 40 A.D. the Trung sisters led a rebellion and crowned themselves queen after a victory.
3 years later the Chinese fought back and the sisters knew they would be defeated and could not bear this; their solution was to drown themselves in a river.
Early 900s...
Several centuries later a leader named Ngô Quyền defeated the Chinese at the battle of Bạch Đằng River and Vietnam became an independent state.
1300s
In the 1300s the Mongols invaded Vietnam. They captured the capital twice and withdrew twice; on their third time they managed to capture the Vietnamese leader Trần Hưng Đạo.
1418 - 1428
Back in 1418 Lê Lợi began the Lam Sơn Uprising. In 1428 the Chinese were driven out and Lê Lợi became the Emperor Lê Thái. He started the Lê Dynasty.
1500s - 1600s
Around the early 1500s, China tried once more to regain control of North Vietnam.
In the early 1600s the power of the Lê dynasty started to weaken.
1700s - 1800s
By the time the 1700s and 1800s came around, two rival families came to power; the Trịnh family in the north and the Nguyễn family in the south.
In 1770 a rebellion began in the town of Tây Sơn. Three brothers by the name of Nguyễn led it. They slowly took land from the Nguyễn lords in the south and the Trịnh lords in the north. By 1786 they had control of all of Vietnam.
Nguyễn Huệ, one of the three brothers, made himself Emperor Quang Trung.
Another Nguyen lord named Nguyễn Ánh escaped the rebellion. He raised an army and pushed back the rebels. Nguyễn Ánh took Hanoi in 1802 and made himself Emperor Gia Long.
Under his rule Vietnam became a strong, united kingdom.
Flashback to the 1516s...
While the rebellion was happening, the Portuguese had reached the Vietnam sea in 1516. With them came the Roman Catholic church; however to this day most of Vietnam is not Catholic.
1990s...
In the late 1900s Vietnam became a French colony, which happened in stages: first the French captured Saigon, and then in 1883 they captured North and Central Vietnam. The French built roads and bridges everywhere, but this was supplied by heavy taxes on peasants.
In 1930, Vietnam was beginning to turn communist.
In 1940, the Germans defeated France. Japan took advantage of this sign of France’s weakness and forced the French government to allow Japanese armies to occupy territory in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese Communists, or Việt Minh, fought the Japanese. By 1945 the Việt Minh controlled parts of North Vietnam. Japan took control of the government, and once they had surrendered to the power of the Việt Minh, Hồ Chí Minh moved into this spot.
After the Việt Minh had taken control of most of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam independent in 1945. However some time later, the French army arrived in the south and the Chinese in the north. Hồ Chí Minh decided the French was the lesser of the two evils and signed a treaty to France. In return France acknowledged Vietnam as an “independent state.”
However it soon became clear the French had no intention of giving up power in Vietnam and fighting broke out between the French army.
For eight years they fought. Finally, they surrendered in 1954.
In the north, Hồ Chí Minh introduced a Communist regime. In 1959, a guerrilla war known as the Vietnam War began to try and reunite Vietnam under Communist rule. The Northern Guerrillas were called the Vietcong. Eventually the USA became involved in this war...and it started the Vietnam War.
The US sent advisers to South Vietnam and financially supported the Southern government.
Then in 1964, two US ships were attacked by the North Vietnamese.
The Americans bombed the North.
Four years later, the Việt Cộng launched the Tet offensive in towns and cities across South Vietnam. The people of Vietnam suffered heavy losses, but gradually the Americans retreated from Vietnam after that.
In 1973 both Americans and the Vietcong signed a ceasefire.
The South Vietnamese continued to fight the Việt Cộng; however in 1975 the Southern army collapsed and Vietnam was finally reunited.
In 1986 Vietnamese government reformed the market and economy grew rapidly.
Today Vietnam is still under communism but the economy and environment have improved and so has life for the Vietnamese.