Viet Minh, a league formed to fight for the independence of Vietnam, fought against the French colonial government and, later, against Japanese occupation using a red flag with a central yellow star. At the end of World War II, Viet Minh leader Ho Chi Minh proclaimed Vietnam independent and signed a decree on September 5, 1945 adopting the flag as the flag of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. But anti-communist South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) used a flag of yellow with three red horizontal stripes.
North Vietnam and South Vietnam were united on July 2, 1976 and current red flag with a yellow star is being used throughout Vietnam.