A Country Study: Vietnam

• Vietnam
• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• Table A. Chronology of Important Events
• Country Profile - Visit new updated Profile (PDF)
  • Country
  • Geography
  • Society
  • Economy
  • Transportation and Communications
  • Government and Politics
  • National Security
• Introduction

• Chapter 1 - Historical Setting (Barbara Leitch LePoer)
  • Early History
  • The Chinese Millenium
    • Chinese Cultural Impact
    • Political Resistance to the Chinese
  • Nine Centuries of Independence
    • The Great Ly Dynasty and the Flowering of Buddhism
    • The Tran Dynasty and the Defeat of the Mongols
    • Renewed Chinese Influence
    • The Le Dynasty and Southward Expansion
    • Partition and the Advent of the Europeans
    • The Tay Son Rebellion
    • The Nguyen Dynasty and Expanding French Influence
  • Under French Rule
    • Colonial Administration
    • Phan Boi Chau and the Rise of Nationalism
    • Ho Chi Minh and the Communist Movement
    • The Nghe-Tinh Revolt
  • World War II and Japanese Occupation
    • Establishment of the Viet Minh
    • The General Uprising and Independence
  • First Indochina War
    • Dien Bien Phu
    • The Aftermath of Geneva
  • Second Indochina War
    • The Fall of Ngo Dinh Diem
    • Escalation of the War
    • The Tet Offensive
    • Peace Negotiations
    • The Final Campaign

• Chapter 2 - The Society and Its Environment (Rinn-Sup Shinn)
  • Geography
  • Population
  • Ethnic Groups and Languages
    • Vietnamese
    • Minorities
    • Hoa
  • The Social System
    • Traditional Patterns
    • Society in the 1954-75 Period
      • North Vietnam
      • South Vietnam
    • Vietnam after 1975
  • The Family
    • Background
    • The Family since 1954
  • Religion
    • Buddhism
    • Catholicism
    • Other Faiths
  • Education
  • Public Health
  • Living Conditions

• Chapter 3 - The Economy (Tuyet L. Cosslett and William R. Shaw)
  • Economic Setting
    • Demography
    • Labor
    • Natural Resources
  • Historical Background
  • Economic Roles of the Party and the Government
    • The Second Five-Year Plan (1976-80)
    • The Third Five Year Plan (1981-85)
    • The Fourth Five-Year Plan (1986-90)
  • Agriculture
  • Industry
  • Internal Commerce
  • Foreign Trade and Aid
    • Foreign Currency Management
    • Decentralization of Trade
    • Direction and Composition of Trade
    • Foreign Investment Policy
    • Major Trading Partners
      • Japan
      • Hong Kong
      • Singapore
      • Soviet Union
    • External Debt
    • Foreign Economic Assistance
    • Overseas Remittances
  • Finance
    • Budget
    • Money Supply
    • Inflation
    • Prices and Wages
    • Banking
  • Transportation
  • Telecommunications

• Chapter 4 - Government and Politics (Ronald J. Cima)
  • Development of the Vietnamese Communist Party
  • Party Organization
    • The Party Congress and the Central Committee
    • Other Party Organizations
    • Front Organizations
  • Political Dynamics
  • Political Culture
  • The System of Government
    • Constitutional Evolution
    • Government Structure
      • The National Assembly
      • The Council of State
      • The Council of Ministers
      • People's Courts and People's Organs of Control
      • Local Government
  • Foreign Relations
    • Laos and Cambodia
    • China
    • The Soviet Union
    • Eastern Europe
    • The United States
  • Asean
    • Thailand
    • Other Noncommunist Nations
    • International Organizations
  • The Media

• Chapter 5 - National Security (Douglas Pike)
  • Overview of National Security
    • The Tradition of Militancy
    • Strategic Thinking
    • Security Concerns
  • The Armed Forces
    • History
      • Postwar Development
      • Conflict with Cambodia
      • Conflict with China
    • The Legal-Constitutional Basis of the Military
    • The Military's Place in Society
    • Party Control in the Military
      • Divisive Issues
      • The Model Soldier
      • Mechanisms of Control
    • Organization
    • Leadership
    • Administration
    • Foreign Military Relations
  • Internal Security
    • Problems
    • Development of the Internal Security System
    • The Police
    • Public Security
    • Law Enforcement
    • Social Control
      • Population Relocation
      • Re-education Camps
      • Surveillance

• Appendices
  • Appendix A. Tables
  • Appendix B. Party Leaders in the 1980s
• Bibliography
• Glossary