The division of Vietnam set in motion a series of events that turned the country into a battlefield."" Support the statement.
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Answer:
The division of Vietnam turned the country into a battlefield: The government of Diem and NLF:
1. The Geneva peace negotiations led to the division of Vietnam into North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh and communists and South Vietnam under the Bao Dai regime.
2. Bao Dai regime was overthrown by Ngo Dinh Diem who built an authoritarian government.
3. He outlawed Buddhism through Ordinance 10 and killed anyone who opposed him, accusing them of being a communist.
4. In opposition, National Liberation Front, with the help of Ho Chi Minh government in North, fought for unifying the country,
5. The US decided to intervene in the war because it feared the rise of communists. War with the US:
1. The US used advanced technology and had good medical supplies. They used the most powerful bombers- B52s and dangerous chemical weapons like Napalm, Agent Orange etc.
2. Despite the US being the most advanced country, it could not break the nationalism of Vietnamese who took complete advantage of their limited resources. Women's bravery was also celebrated and they played a huge role.
3. Ho Chi Minh trail was thoroughly used for transport goods and people. Made of footpaths and roads, it was bombed many times by the US but was rebuilt very quickly.
4. Casualties on both sides were very high. Numerous soldiers died and were wounded.
5. The US was also facing internal resistance because it was unable to defeat Vietnam. In 1974, peace settlement was signed in Paris that ended war with the US Fighting between NLF and Saigon regime continued but Vietnam got finally unified in 1975 when the presidential palace was taken over by NLF.