The Geneva Conference in 1954 was intended to settle outstanding issues following the end of hostilities between France and the Viet Minh at the end of the First Indochina War. Neither the United States nor the State of Vietnam signed anything at the 1954 Geneva Conference. The accords, which were signed by other participants including the Viet Minh, mandated a temporary ceasefire line, which separated southern and northern Vietnam to be governed by the State of Vietnam and the Viet Minh respectively. The accords called for a general election by July 1956 to create a unified Vietnamese state. The accords allowed free movement of the population between the north and south for three hundred days. They also forbade the political interference of other countries in the area, the creation of new governments without the stipulated elections, and foreign military presence. By 1961, South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem faced significant discontent among some quarters of the southern population, including some Buddhists who were opposed to the rule of Diem's Catholic supporters. Viet Minh political cadres, who were legally campaigning for the promised elections between 1955 and 1957, were suppressed by the government. In March 1956, the North Vietnamese leadership approved tentative measures to revive the southern insurgency in December 1956. A communist-led uprising began against Diem's government in April 1957. The North Vietnamese Communist Party approved a "people's war" on the South at a session in January 1959, and on 28 July, North Vietnamese forces invaded Laos to maintain and upgrade the Ho Chi Minh trail, in support of insurgents in the south. The rebellion, headed by the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NLF, or Viet Cong) under the direction of North Vietnam, had intensified by 1961. About 40,000 communist soldiers infiltrated the south from 1961 to 1963.
ThE geNeva confErence in 1954 was intended to SEttle ouTStAndiNg IsSuEs folLowing thE End of hoStIlitieS bEtwEen FrANCe anD The VIEt Minh at tHe End Of THE FirSt iNdOChina wAR. NEithEr thE unitEd StatES Nor ThE state oF VieTnaM Signed aNythINg At tHe 1954 GeneVA COnferenCE. The AcCorDs, whiCH werE SigNEd by Other pARtIcipaNtS iNcludIng the vIeT minh, mAndAtED a tempoRary cEAseFIRe linE, wHicH sepARateD souThErn And noRthERn ViEtnaM to BE GovErneD bY thE sTate of viEtNam ANd ThE viEt minh rESpEctIVeLY tHe accOrds calLed for a gEneral ELeCtIon by jULy 1956 to cReaTE a unifieD VieTnamese STatE. tHe aCcoRds Allowed fRee movEment of the pOpuLatIoN betweEN thE nOrTh and soutH For ThREe HunDrEd DayS. they also FoRbaDE tHE Political InteRfERencE of oTheR cOuNtrIes iN tHE area, ThE CReaTion of New gOvErnmenTS witHOut tHE stIpUlaTed ELecTIOns, anD foreiGN MilitaRY PRESEncE. by 1961, souTh vIetnAMesE prEsIDENt ngO dinH dieM FacEd SIGniFicant DisContenT amoNG Some quaRTErs of The sOutHern PopUlaTion, iNclUding Some buddHists whO were oppOSEd To The RULe Of diem's cAthOlIC suppoRtErs. VIET MiNh pOliticaL CadRes, who WeRe LeGaLlY campAigninG FoR ThE promiSed ElEctions betWEen 1955 AnD 1957, Were SUpPreSsED by The goverNment. in maRch 1956, the noRth vIetnamesE leadership AppRoved tEnTaTivE measUReS tO revIVe thE souTHErn insurGenCy In DECeMBer 1956. a CommuNist-Led uprisIng begaN AgAinsT dIem'S GoveRNmenT iN April 1957. THe nortH ViETnaMeSe comMunisT Party approVeD A "People's war" on THe South at A sEssIOn iN january 1959, aNd On 28 JUly, noRth vIEtNameSe forcES InvadED laOs to mAINtAIn anD upgrade thE ho cHi minh trail, in SupPorT oF InsUrGEnts in the SouTh. The rEBelLIon, Headed bY the naTiONAl fRont FOr The LIbEraTion Of south vieTnam (nlF, or viet CoNG) undEr ThE directiOn of noRth vIetnAm, HAd intensIfieD BY 1961. abOuT 40,000 ComMuNiSt sOldIeRs iNfiltRaTEd the souTh FroM 1961 to 1963.