University of Virginia Library

International Conflict

The other war has been an
international conflict in which
the great powers have vied for
influence in determining the
political future not only of
Indo-China, but of all
Southeast Asia. This latter war
has involved France (until
1954), the United States, the
Soviet Union and the People's
Republic of China.

Civil war is nothing new in
Vietnamese history. For
centuries, the Vietnamese have
fought among themselves and,
except for about thirty years in
the early 19th century,
Vietnam as we know it today
has never been united under
one rule.