North Vietnam existed from 1945 to 1976.
 The North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam and the South Vietnam-based Vit Cng guerrilla fought against the military of South Vietnam (by then the Republic of Vietnam) and were backed by their communist allies, mainly China and the Soviet Union
 By 1973 the United States and its allies had been forced to withdraw from the war, and the unsupported South Vietnam was swiftly overrun by the superior Northern forces

