"The Geneva Accords, which were signed on July 21, 1954 in Geneva, Switzerland were intended to address the disintegration of what had previously been French Indochina. This included the formation of several states, among them the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (usually known as North Vietnam), the State of Vietnam (later the Republic of Vietnam, or South Vietnam), as well as the kingdoms of Cambodia and Laos.
Present for the signing of the Geneva Accords were representatives from the newly formed nations as well as diplomats from France, the Soviet Union, China, the United States, and the UK. The presence of major players from both sides of the Cold War power divide presaged the conflicts that would almost immediately arise following the signing of the Accords.
As political and social upheaval marked the fractured nations that were formed following the Accords, Cold War powers maneuvered behind the scenes, fighting proxy wars to cement their cultural and political dominance. While the war in Vietnam soon became infamous, however, the Laotian Civil War—which took place in tandem with it—is often referred to as a "secret war," because the involvement of foreign powers was kept largely off the books, despite extensive bombing and major initiatives launched by the CIA and others…"
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Armand
locates some hard-to-find military toys at the dollar store.