What are some territorial changes Vietnam faced between 1914 and the present? What caused these changes?

Question

What are some territorial changes Vietnam faced between 1914 and the present? What caused these changes?

Answer 1

This is a rather interesting question that requires a rather interesting answer.

From 1914 till the outbreak of World War II, Vietnam was under French colonial rule. Annam (Central Vietnam) and Tonkin (Northern Vietnam) were protectorates, while Cochinchina (Southern Vietnam) was a directly ruled colony.

The Vichy French government assumed control over Indochina during beginning of World War II and granted Japan military access to Northern Vietnam. Japan assumed complete control over Indochina towards the end of World War II. The Japanese coup of March 1945 resulted in the creation of the Empire of Vietnam, which was arguably the first time all of Vietnam was united under one leadership since French colonization. This was a short-lived era lasting only five months.

The Empire of Vietnam was replaced with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (a.k.a. North Vietnam) and the Republic of Cochinchina (a.k.a. South Vietnam). Ho Chi Minh recited a declaration of independence, which referenced the United States and the U.S. Declaration of Independence several times, to declare Tonkin and Annam independence from French rule. French attempt to retake their Indochina colonies sparked the French-Indochina War.

The French lost to the Viet Minh under the leadership of Nguyen Giap and Ho Chi Minh. The Geneva Accords in 1954 was to temporarily separate North Vietnam and South Vietnam until a nationwide election that would determine which form of government would rule over all of Vietnam.

North Vietnam would remain the Democratic Republic of Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh. South Vietnam became the State of Vietnam under Emperor Bao Dai. Ngo Dinh Diem deposed Bao Dai and created the Republic of Vietnam out of the former State of Vietnam.  Diem and the U.S. refuse to hold the nationwide elections under the stipulation that the Republic of Vietnam and the U.S. never agreed to the accords and therefore does not recognize the agreement for the elections. This eventually leads increase U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia and war breaking out again in Vietnam.

The Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975 is essentially the end of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). The Socialist Republic of Vietnam was declared on July 2, 1976, reunites all Vietnam as one country (again) and continues to this day.