Actually, the French Indochina War began in 1946, with the Vietminh in the North fighting for independence from the French colonialists.  Ho Chi Minh first approached President Truman for help, then Eisenhower when he was elected in 1952; both rejected him due to our relationship with France as an ally, but we didn't help the French, either.  The Soviets filled the void, but it came with a price: The Soviets used the Vietminh Independence movement as an opportunity to expand Soviet Communism, hijacking the movement.  The French fell at Dien bin Phu in 1954, and withdrew from Vietnam.  The DMZ was created in Geneva to separate the North, which was controlled by the Communists, from the South, WHICH WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH COMMUNISM.  They wanted a independent Vietnam, but not if it came with Communism.