a Vietnamese historian has divided the history of Vietnam into five era's.
First establishment of the nation: 2,879 b.c. to 111 b.c.
Chinese domination: 111 b.c. to a.d. 938
The great national dynasties: 939-1883
French Administration: 1883-1954
Post-World War II Period: After 1945
The Early Settlement of the Vietnamese Nation
Historians state that the Vietnamese nation was established in the first millennium b.c., mainly by the Viets who emigrated from Central China. This is a period rich in legend, the telling of which gets better and more exciting with each succeeding generation. The area became known as the Kingdom of Nam Viet in 207 b.c.
Chinese Domination
Vietnam fell under the domination of its neighbor China in 111 b.c. when Lo Bac Due, a Chinese general, destroyed Nam Viet. This period of domination continued until a.d. 938 with the exception of two short-lived revolutions.
The first rebellion was led by the famous Trung sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, idolized to this day in Vietnam. Leading their armies in a successful revolt, they restored the country's independence for three years. They were later defeated by large Chinese forces. The sisters then committed suicide by drowning themselves in a river. More information about them may be found in Chapter 10.
The second successful rebellion was led by Ly Nam De. He reigned over the liberated country from a.d. 544-602.
During the Chinese period of domination in Vietnam, much of the Chinese culture was absorbed by the Vietnamese nation.
Two famous Chinese governors of this era were Tich Quang and Nham-Diem.
The Chinese held their position in Vietnam later, despite the early dynasties of the Ly's, Trieu's, and others.
The Great National Dynasties
This particular era of independence for Vietnam lasted almost 1,000 years. The actual turning point from Chinese domition was established when Ngo-Quyen defeated the Chinese armies on the Bach-Dang Kiver in 938. He became emperor of free Vietnam the next year and reigned until 967. Ngo-Quyen was succeeded by eight different royal dynasties:
| Dinh Dynasty | 967-968 |
| Le Dynasty | 980-1009 |
| Ly Dynasty | 1010-1224 |
| Tran Dynasty | 1225-1400 |
| Ho Dynasty | 1400-1407 |
| Posterior Le Dynasty | 1428-1788 |
| Tay Son Dynasty | 1788-1802 |
| Nguyen Dynasty | 1802-1945 |
The Emperor Bao Dai was the last reigning descendant of the Nguyen Dynasty.
There are many things of historical importance which occurred during these dynasties.
Since the 11th century, under the Ly Dynasty, great progress was made. The country was unified; the economic, administrative and military organizations were greatly improved; cultural development commenced; and Buddhism was extended into Vietnam.
The famous Temple of Literature was built in Hanoi in 1070. The National University was created in 1076.
During these dynasties, Vietnamese armies turned back numerous invaders including the Chinese and the Mongols.
Due to internal strife, the Chinese were able to return and dominate Vietnam once more from 1407 to 1427.
One of Vietnam's national heroes, Le-Loi defeated the Chinese after a ten-year struggle. He ascended the throne under the reigning title of Le-Thai-To and gave the country the name of Dai-Viet and set up the capital at Hanoi, then called Dong-Do or Dong-Kinh.
There were also two partitions of Vietnam during these dynasties, similar to the one which exists today.
The first was from 1532 to 1592 when the Le Dynasty, which controlled the southern part of the country below Thanh-Hoa near the 20th parallel, fought the Mac Dynasty which occupied the north. The partition was ended by a victory for Le.
The second partition lasted from 1674 until 1802 when Gia-Long of the Nguyen family became emperor of a unified Vietnam once more.
The Era of the French Administration 1883-1954
Vietnam came in contact with the West, especially France, during the 19th century expansion of the West to Asia. Under the Nguyen Dynasties, hostilities broke out between France and Vietnam during the second half of the 19th century. The Vietnamese were overwhelmed by the French and were forced to yield their southern provinces in 1862 and 1867 as French colonies. This area was known as Cochin-China. The areas known as Annam and Tonkin were placed under the status of a French Protectorate in 1884.
Resistance, both active and passive, continued for a long time, however, and the French had to suppress many revolts. Some of the most important were those led by Emperor Ham-Nghi (1885-88); nationalist leaders Phan Ding Phung (1893-95) and Hoang Hoa Tham (1889-1913); and the Nationalist Party in 1930.
The matter of France and Vietnam has long been a subject of debate. There are those who claim the French contributed a great deal to Vietnam, both with money and talent. Then there are also those who believe that Vietnam was exploited by France only as a provider of raw materials, yet was not given any opportunity for industrial development. The late President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt believed this and was often quoted as saying that France had milked Vietnam dry, long enough.
The French ran the administration of Vietnam, and a Vietnamese historian charged that there was not a single Vietnamese as head of a province, a city, a battalion, or even as police commissioner when World War II broke out. He believed that this particularly made Vietnam an easy prey to communists and their subversion at the end of that war.
In Vietnam today, one can easily see the result of the French venture there. The second language is French and even the streets of the larger cities are built similar to those in France. This often leads to the comment that Saigon is the "Paris of the Orient." Architecture, medicine, administration and other things have continued to run as they did when the French were in power. Many Vietnamese citizens have been trained in France, and the Pasteur Institute stands today as a monument to the study of Asian diseases in Vietnam.
Chapter 5 contains more comprehensive information on the French influence in Vietnam, especially in the fields of civil service and education.
The Post-War II Period
The French continued to administer the country under Japanese military occupation which began in September 1940. For several years thereafter the French in Vietnam behaved with hospitality and cooperation toward the Japanese, thus protecting their investment in the country. At this same time, however, Americans were fighting to help save Free France in Europe and fighting the Japanese in the
