Vietnam

Vietnam is a Indochinese state located on the coast along the South China Sea. It borders China to the north and Cambodia and Laos to the west.

Since its liberation from the French in 1970/1971 it's been a major and active player in the Asian Socialist Bloc. It's current president - Cheng Chou Mihn - has served as president since being elected shortly after the formation of the communist state.

History (nondivergent)
Habitation of Vietnam dates as far back as the late Neolithic-early bronze age period with humans entering the area between 2000 and 1400 BCE. Some settelments in the northern provinces dating back several thousand years to the Phung Nguyen culture.

The development of wet-rice cultivation and the introduction of bronze casting and tools in 1200 BCE brought to rise the Dong Son culture in the Ma and Red River river basins.

From 207 BCE to the 19th century dynasties would rise and fall in Vietnam from the  Hồng Bàng Dynasty to the Ly Dynasty. Vietnam would also come to be occupied and conqured by China and the Khmer Empire. By the 1800's, the French would colonize the nation.

Colonization
The first European power to colonize Vietnam was the French Empire in the mid-19th century with Vietnam becoming a french protectorate in the 1870's. Over the next few decades they would gradually come to erode Vietnam's independence militarily and through the influence of the Catholic Church which had been present in the region since the previous century.

The French would give rise to a bustling plantation-based economy based on the cultivation of Tobacco, Indigo, Tea, and Coffee. However, the French consistantly ignored calls for Vietnemese independence and self-governence which gave rise to leaders such as Phan Boi Chau, Phan Chu Trinh, Phan Dinh Phung, and Emperor Nam Nghi.

Multiple uprisings would occur over the course of French rule and up into the 20th century.

History (divergent)
With the rise of communism in China to the north a new hope was installed in Vietnam for a new avenue of independence. Although fragmented much like the early Chinese party they battled with the French powers for ten years. The multiple communist communes present in Vietnam had a great deal of influence in rural Vietnam and in many of the low-class or poorly policed regions in Vietnamese cities.

Come 1970 the Chinese, nearly recovered from the revolution looked south to Vietnam. Recognizing the political movements in the state and the call of independence Inteligence Bureau agents were mobilized to the region to collaborate with the communist communities and bring together a state of unity between them.

Communist strength in the region increased rapidly as the IB reperformed the operations that were succesfull in Mongolia several years before. Combined with low French interest in Indochina the strength and fortitude of the communists multiplied and soon had complete control of northern Vietnam, lead by Cheng Chou Mihn.

French response to the Revolution in Vietnam was poor at best and reflective of their state in Europe, most likely. The local French militia in the country was largely left fighting against a growingly better armed revolutionary army until Saigon fell late in 1970.

Independence
Vietnam has been independent since 1971. Following their success and the success of simaler liberation in Laos and the aggrement of Cambodia to support China, Cheng Chou Mihn aggreed to meet with Hou and the rest of the Indochinese powers in Beijing to write the Treaty of Beijing and consequently create the Asian Socialist Bloc.

Economics of Independent Vietnam
Although taking a small hit from loosing its original trade that was granted by being a French colony the Vietnamese economy has since recovered with healthy investment in nationalized Vietnamese industry by the other members of the Asian Socialist Bloc. The communal interest in Vietnamese products has helped Vietnam retain and develop its agriculture and industry beyond that of a self-sustaining nature.

Growth is generally positive if not stable. The state benefits further from the imports from other ASB nations.

It additionally practices a policy of zero or limited trade with nations outside of the ASB.

Military
The general military status quo is that of internal security and support for ASB nations. During the short Korean Liberation Campaign, Vietnam deployed support personel such as medics and engineers to help cover for the KPLA sweeping south.

Politics
Vietnam has been supportive political of the ASB and of its neighbors. Although it tends to take on a kind of "open" approach with its practice, being one of the nations to be warm to the US and Mexico joining the ASB. At the same time though, it is notably adherent to the core of the ASB, interepreting such things as the annexation of the NWC by the USSA as an aggressive policy of dismissing ASB tenants. Vietnam (under Chang Chou Mihn) can likely be interpreted thus as being anti-expansionistic.

Important Personell (named so far)

 * Cheng Chou Mihn - President
 * Nguyen Sinh Cung (Known to us as Ho Chi Minh) - Secretary of Vietnamese Parliament (deceased)