Vietnam War

=== Japanese occupation of Indochina ===
{{Main|Japanese occupation of French Indochina|French Indochina in World War II|1940–1946 in French Indochina}}
In September 1940, the [[Japanese Empire]] [[Japanese invasion of French Indochina|invaded]] French Indochina, following France's [[Battle of France|capitulation]] to [[Nazi Germany]] two months prior. French influence was suppressed by the Japanese, and in 1941 Cung, now known as [[Ho Chi Minh]], returned to Vietnam to establish the [[Viet Minh]], an anti-Japanese resistance movement that advocated for Vietnamese independence.<ref name=":3" /> Throughout the war, the Viet Minh received aid from the [[Allied Powers (World War II)|Allied Powers]], namely the United States, Soviet Union, and [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]]. Beginning in 1944, the U.S. [[Office of Strategic Services]] (O.S.S.) began to provide the Viet Minh with weapons, ammunition, and training to fight the occupying Japanese and [[Vichy France|Vichy French]] forces.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-15 |title=The OSS in Vietnam, 1945: A War of Missed Opportunities by Dixee Bartholomew-Feis |url=https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/oss-vietnam-1945-dixee-bartholomew-feis |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=The National WWII Museum {{!}} New Orleans |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":7" /> President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] was an ardent supporter of Vietnamese resistance, and proposed that Vietnam's independence be granted following the end of the war.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hess |first=Gary R. |date=1972 |title=Franklin Roosevelt and Indochina |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1890195 |journal=The Journal of American History |volume=59 |issue=2 |pages=353–368 |doi=10.2307/1890195 |jstor=1890195 |issn=0021-8723}}</ref>

Following Japan's [[Surrender of Japan|surrender]] on August 15, 1945, the Viet Minh launched a [[August Revolution|revolution]] in Indochina, overthrowing the Japanese-backed [[Empire of Vietnam]] and seizing weapons from the surrendering Japanese forces. On September 2, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the [[Declaration of independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam]], declaring Vietnam an independent nation.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Page:Pentagon-Papers-Part I.djvu/30 - Wikisource, the free online library |url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Pentagon-Papers-Part_I.djvu/30 |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=en.wikisource.org |language=en}}</ref> However, on September 23, French forces overthrew the DRV and reinstated French rule in Vietnam.<ref name=":5" /> American support for the Viet Minh promptly ended, and O.S.S. forces left Vietnam as the French sought to reassert their control of the country.