Events in Vietnam and Laos in 1962 and the first week of 1963.  Despite the increase in American military support for the South Vietnamese Government, the Viet Cong revolt grows in scale.  This is shown in the first week of 1963, when the Viet Cong inflict a serious reserve on the South Vietnamese Army Army near the village of Ap Bac.

Event in Vietnam and Laos in 1961.  A biography of President Kennedy.  President Kennedy greatly increases the number of American military personnel from less than  thousand to over sixteen thousand by November 1963 in order to help the South Vietnamese Government to resist the Viet Cong revolt in the country.

Events in Vietnam and Laos in 1959 and 1960.  In 1959 the National Liberation Front is formed by the Communist they became commonly known as the Viet Cong with aid from North Vietnam the Communist revolt in the South becomes much more serious.  Details of events in Laos up to the end of 1960 is told.  The corruption of South Vietnamese President Diem's brother and sister in law shocks the nation.

In this first of twenty episodes dealing with Vietnam between 1955 to 1965.  I look at the history of South Vietnam up to 1958 and its leader President Diem, for a short the country seemed stable but the underlying problems within Diem regime was clearly there.  Lack of land reforms, corruption and a Government that favoured the minority Catholic community.