Hue is the old capital of Vietnam. It served as the capital for the Nguyen dynasty up until 1945. Ho Chi Mingh who had been actively involved in developing a communist philosophy and followers since 1932 managed to overthrow the French. The French had close working relationships with the Nguyen dynasty for over 100 years. That relationship collapsed in 1945. The French desparately tried to regain its place in Vietnam until 1954 when they finally quit. That is when the U.S. became involved in the politics of this region.