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Ho's declaration of Vietnamese "independence" in 1945 from [[France]], the former colonial power, was famously modeled on that of the [[United States]],{{fact}} but that country correctly interpreted the flattery as subterfuge and backed France and its ally [[Bao Dai]] to the hilt.  By 1953, 80% of the money and material used by Bao Dai's troops came from the United States.  Nonetheless, in early 1954 French and allied troops were defeated at the [[Battle of Dien Bien Phu]].  The French sued for peace at talks in [[Geneva]], the upshot of which was the creation of four independent countries in their former colony of [[Indochina]]:  [[Cambodia]], [[Laos]], [[North Vietnam]] and [[South Vietnam]].

Ho's declaration of Vietnamese "independence" in 1945 from [[France]], the former colonial power, was famously modeled on that of the [[United States]],{{fact}} but that country correctly interpreted the flattery as subterfuge and backed France and its ally [[Bao Dai]] to the hilt.  By 1953, 80% of the money and material used by Bao Dai's troops came from the United States.  Nonetheless, in early 1954 French and allied troops were defeated at the [[Battle of Dien Bien Phu]].  The French sued for peace at talks in [[Geneva]], the upshot of which was the creation of four independent countries in their former colony of [[Indochina]]:  [[Cambodia]], [[Laos]], [[North Vietnam]] and [[South Vietnam]].

The war was characterized for the ensuing twenty years by the efforts of North Vietnam to take over the South.  Rather than play to the strength of the Americans by launching a [[conventional war]] like [[Korean]] leader [[Kim Il-Sung]] had, Ho chose [[subversion (political)|subversion]] of the South as his strategy, using as his tools the [[National Liberation Front]] and its non-uniformed [[guerrilla]] wing, the [[Viet Cong]].  The Comintern resistance movement against the French had previously been known as the [[Viet Minh]].  The South Vietnamese, under various [[military governments]] following the overthrow of their last civilian leader [[Ngo Dinh Diem]] in early November 1963, similarly tried to subvert Ho's government in North Vietnam, but with much less success.  U. S. forces supported these operations, leading to the [[Tonkin Gulf Incident]] on August 2, 1964, when at least one U. S. destroyer was fired on by North Vietnamese forces as it operated close to their waters.  The United States responded first with air attacks that became known as [[Operation Rolling Thunder]] and later with ground troops.

The war was characterized for the ensuing twenty years by the efforts of North Vietnam to take over the South.  Rather than play to the strength of the Americans by launching a [[conventional war]] like [[Korean]] leader [[Kim Il-Sung]] had, Ho chose [[subversion (political)|subversion]] of the South as his strategy, using as his tools the [[National Liberation Front]] and its non-uniformed [[guerrilla]] wing, the [[Viet Cong]].  The Comintern resistance movement against the French had previously been known as the [[Viet Minh]].  The South Vietnamese, under various [[military governments]] following the overthrow of their last civilian leader [[Ngo Dinh Diem]] in early November 1963, similarly tried to subvert Ho's government in North Vietnam, but with much less success.  U. S. forces supported these operations, leading to the [[ Gulf of Tonkin incident]] on August 2, 1964, when at least one U. S. destroyer was fired on by North Vietnamese forces as it operated close to their waters.  The United States responded first with air attacks that became known as [[Operation Rolling Thunder]] and later with ground troops.

==Failure of US campaign to help the South==

==Failure of US campaign to help the South==