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In the 20th century, Vietnam was among the nations that endured the greatest suffering and loss. Nearly a century under French colonial rule left the country exploited and its resources plundered to the extreme. During World War II, Japanese fascists invaded, causing the devastating famine of 1945 that claimed the lives of more than two million Vietnamese people.
What followed was 30 years of protracted resistance against American aggression, during which about 15 million tons of bombs were dropped on Vietnam—ten times more than the total used in World War II. After its defeat, the United States imposed a decades-long embargo, strangling Vietnam’s fledgling economy.
Not stopping there, from 1978 to 1989, some 200,000 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers entered Cambodia, defeating the Khmer Rouge and saving humanity from one of the most brutal genocides in history. In 1979, more than 600,000 Chinese troops suddenly launched a massive invasion along Vietnam’s northern border in an attempt to rescue the Khmer Rouge, plunging the country once again into the flames of war.
It was not until the 1990s that Vietnam truly achieved peace. In 1994, the United States finally lifted its embargo. In effect, the country has had only about three decades to rebuild and develop after being devastated by war—lagging behind many other nations by as much as a century.
Yet, with unyielding willpower, the Vietnamese people have overcome countless hardships and steadily risen. Though not yet on par with the world’s great powers, the economic and social achievements of today are enough for the people of Vietnam to take pride in the path their nation has traveled.
2025-09-01 21:51:00