This paper discusses how the history of Vietnam is peppered with struggles and conflicts, as two very different types of
government have sought to maintain power over this narrow strip of land. It looks at how Chinese dominion over the area, now known as Vietnam, reaches as far back as the 1st
century, as well as the French colonialism of the 17th century, and the fight against Communism that resulted in the Vietnam War. It also analyzes the issues concerning the reunification of Vietnam.