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The earliest known civilization in Vietnam dates back to the Paleolithic age. About 300,000 years ago, migrants from southern China and eastern Indochina settled in the Black River Valley at Dong Son, southwest of present-day Hanoi. By 3,000 B.C. the Lac Viet, or people of the Valley as they were known, had developed sophisticated skills in bronze casting. The community expanded and gradually the people moved south and settled in the Red River delta and other parts of present-day Vietnam. At various times in history, the Vietnamese have waged battles against invaders from China and the ancient kingdoms of Champa and Khmer. Beginning1859, the French colonized Vietnam for nearly a century. This was followed by a long struggle for independence that culminated in the French Indochina War (1946-1954). More recently, the Vietnamese were engaged in a bloody civil war, the Vietnam War (1964-1975).
THE KINGDOM OF VAN LANG Ancient Vietnamese texts tell of an "extraordianry man" who used magical powers to unite the People of the Valley. He is said to have established the kingdom of Van Lang in present-day Vietnam and taught the people to till the soil. Until recently, it was assumed that his successors, the Hung kings, were a mythical dynasty. However, archeological records show that a king named Lac Long did in fact live in a region in north Vietnam known as Van Lang. In the third century B.C., Van Lang was defeated by the neighboring sate of Thuc. The restless climate among the warring states caused the king of Thuc to build a great citadel known as Co Loa. But despite these defensive measures, Co Loa was subject to frequent attacks in the following centuries, resulting in the eventual takeover of northern Vietnam by China in 111 B.C.
CHINESE INFLUENCE The long period of Chinese rule had a lasting influence on Vietnamese culture. The Vietnamese adopted Chinese techniques of dike construction (to control floods and irrigation), rice cultivation, and animal husbandry. Knowledge of the Chinese language led to Chinese influence on Vietnamese ideas of science, medicine, education, religion, and Confucianism. One observer has suggested that Vietnam has taken up Confucianism with even greater earnestness than China. Interestingly, despite extended Chinese dominance, a uniquely Vietnamese identity is still in evidence today.
VIETNAMS GOLDEN AGE Eleven dynasties ruled Vietnam between the 10th and mid-20th centuries. Although Vietnam remained independent, the history of their period is marked by battles with its neighbors-the Chams, Khmers, and Chinese. In A.D. 1400, a struggle for power between a weak Vietnamese king and General Ho Quy Ly allowed Chinese forces to invade and establish a Chinese government at Hanoi. Vietnam's people and resources were once again exploited to benefit China.
THE FRENCH IN VIETNAM French colonization of Vietnam occurred in two phases. Between 1859 and 1862, the French occupied Saigon and the surrounding area in the Mekong delta. In 1883, they annexed Hanoi and the Tong king region. The early years of French occupation were harsh. French officials sent to the colony were ignorant of Vietnamese traditions and sought to change the country socially, politically, and economically. Vietnamese court officials (mandarins) were forced to report to the colonial administration, to pay taxes on salt, opium, alcohol, and land were collected, and to participate a system of forced labor known as cover. In the early 20th century many nationalist groups were formed. The first of these was Quang Phuc Hoi (Association for the Restoration of Vietnam), founded in 1918 by Phan boi Chau. After organizing several protests, Phan and other members were imprisoned. In the 1920s, the nationalist movement made an appeal to the French to provide Vietnam with a constitution. The appeal was ignored. When the Japanese invaded during World War II, the Vietminh led resistance movements against them. In 1945, with Allied victory imminent, the Japanese declared Vietnam independent from France and handed power to Emperor Bao Dai. Their decision was unpopular with the Vietminh, who promptly formed a government with Ho Chi Minh who officially proclaimed Vietnam's independence on September 2, 1945. Despite protests from Vietnamese nationalists, the French returned to a governing role after World War II. Although the French met with armed resistance from the Vietminh, they received support from the Chinese Kuomintang nationalists, who recognized French sovereignty in Vietnam. In 1954, Ho's brilliant strategist, Vo Nguyen Giap, led the Vietminh to victory in the decisive Battle of Dien Bien Phu. It was decided at the subsequent Geneva Conference to divided Vietnam into two states at the 17th parallel. The north was controlled by President Ho Chi Minh, while the south was to be controlled by President Ngo Dinh Diem. On April 30, 1975, the Vietminh won. Vietnam became a peace country and was ruled by Dang Cong San Viet Nam.