Socialist Republic of Vietnam

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a nation in southeast Asia. It borders the Republic of China, Laos, and Cambodia.

History
Following the defeat of France, Indochina got occupied by the expansionist Empire of Japan. Ho Chi Minh spent time in France, the United States, Russia, and China. Here he picked up on the ideas of socialism. He later traveled back to Indochina and led the Viet Minh against the Empire of Japan and would find itself on the winning side of the Pacific War with the United States and its allies in 1945.

With the Empire of Japan gone and France forfeiting any claim on Indochina, Ho Chi Minh took this as an opportunity to establish the Socialist Republic of Vietnam with his own political theory known as Ho Chi Minh Thought. Relations soured with the British, who sent occupational forces to Indochina following the Pacific War. Fighting broke out, and the British, having fallen to American and German influence, signed an agreement with the armed groups in Vietnam withdrawing from Indochina in 1946.

Politics
Vietnam takes the frame of a Marxist-Leninist one-party state with the Communist Party of Vietnam as the ruling party. Elections were held following Vietnam's establishment and the Viet Minh won the election. However, Vietnam remains vulnerable to foreign political interests such as the Vietnamese Nationalist Party backed by the Kuomintang.

Vietnam became a haven for communists following its establishment. The communist defeat in the Chinese Civil War and the persecution of communists in Cambodia caused communist exiles to flood into Vietnam. Because of this, the Republic of China sees Vietnam as a threat to its regional hegemony. As a result, relations are increasingly hostile between the two countries.

Economy
Even though the nation has just completed its first Five Year Plan, it lags behind much of the world as it continues to develop its industry and infrastructure. The majority of Vietnam's population still works in the rice fields and travel on poor-quality dirt roads connecting cities.

Military
The military of Vietnam largely remains in militias such as the Viet Cong. Its doctrines are focused on waging guerilla warfare. The Ho Chi Minh Trail is Vietnam's greatest defense. Trails go through Laos and Cambodia, and allows for reinforcing positions in the north from the south in the event of engagements with enemy forces.