The Vietnam Conflict was the longest "police action" which was not declared by the American Congress as a war. It was also the first foreign war in which U.S. combat forces failed to achieve their goals. It was started by communist North Vietnam wanting to take over South Vietnam. Southern rebels were trained by North Vietnamese, the South Vietnamese and United States tried to stop them, but failed. Many people died but not much was resolved in the conflict. In the end the American troops left Vietnam because the American people didn't support the war as much as in the beginning. The American government gave up while the communist North Vietnam took over Laos, Cambodia, and South Vietnam.
Vietnam, as well as most of Indochina at the time, was ruled by France until 1954 which ended with the Battle of Dienbiophu where a huge French army was defeated. The acceptance of the Geneva Conference to recognize Vietnam as two separate independent countries, North Vietnam and South Vietnam, was signed by representatives of French union and Vietminh forces. Elections were scheduled for 1956 in South Vietnam for reunification of Vietnam. It was later canceled by President Ngo Dinh Diem. In 1957 the Viet Cong began to rebel against the South Vietnamese government which was headed by President Ngo Dinh Diem. .
In January 1959, the Vietnam Conflict began when North Vietnam's Central Executive Committee issues Resolution 15, changing its strategy toward South Vietnam from "political struggle" to "armed struggle." By December 31st, 1962, 11,300 U.S. military personnel were in Vietnam; South Vietnam Armed Forces strength was at 243,000 troops.
The first attack was on August 2nd, 1964, when North Vietnam attacked the USS Maddox, a U.S. destroyer, in the Gulf of Tonkin. Nearly two days later, another U.S. Destroyer, Turner Joy, reported an attack by North Vietnamese patrol boats. In October, the Viet Cong attacked Bien Hoa Air Base, six U.