Vietnam Timeline
Chronology of Key Events
1932 — Bao Dai, the last emperor, begins his reign of Vietnam under the French. 1940 — Japanese troops invade and occupy Indochina, but allow the French to continue running the government. 1941 — Ho Chi Minh starts the Viet Minh and begins organizing to fight for Vietnam’s independence. 1945 — The Viet Minh starts a popular insurrection. Bao Dai abdicates. Ho Chi Minh declares independence in Hanoi, ending 80 years of colonialism under French rule, and establishes the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. French authorities reoccupy the south. 1946 — The French army shells the Haiphong harbor, killing more than…