The Vietnam War began in 1954 after France lost control of Vietnam to Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh forces. The country was divided along the 17th parallel, with a communist government in North Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh and a capitalist government in South Vietnam led by Ngo Dinh Diem. The U.S. initially provided aid to South Vietnam but became increasingly involved in the conflict throughout the 1960s. Heavy U.S. bombing and ground troop deployment failed to defeat North Vietnam and its allies in the South. The Tet Offensive in 1968 marked a turning point that turned U.S. public opinion against the war. The last U.S. troops withdrew in 1973 as North Vietnam defeated South Vietnam in