July of 1956.
They did take place
Ngo Dien Diem
I am not sure exactly what this question refers to. The US did not stop any elections during the Vietnam war. Certainly not in the United States. If the question refers to elections in Vietnam, actually in 1956 (before the US involvement), Ngo Dinh Diem stopped the elections called for in the 1954 Geneva Accords. It was only under US pressure, that he finally agreed to hold the elections which were held in 1959
There was probably no spark. It was Ho Chi Minh's plan to unite the two countries from the beginning. Infiltration from the north into the south began almost immediately in the 1950's. I think you could rightfully call the Geneva Accords the "spark". It was the Geneva Accords in 1954 that divided Vietnam into two separate countries with promises to hold general elections to unify it. However, when those elections were not held, the Viet Minh, rulers of the north, decided to unite the country by force.
Yes but they wanted to unify into a communist country and the United States didn't want South Vietnam to become communist
Following the free elections in Vietnam, the two governments—North Vietnam and South Vietnam—reacted very differently. North Vietnam, led by the communist government, sought to consolidate power and promote its agenda, often dismissing the legitimacy of the elections held in the South. In contrast, the South, supported by the United States, viewed the elections as a means to bolster its legitimacy and resist communist influence, leading to increased tensions and conflict between the two regions. Ultimately, these divergent reactions contributed to the escalation of the Vietnam War.
elections are held and rigged
The Elections will be held in November.
The main problem between North and South Vietnam was the agreement between both parties that South Vietnam should have elections shortly after the forming of the country. No elections were ever held in South Vietnam, if they had been, the country would have been unified much earlier without the many thousands of deaths caused by the war.
The U.S. refused to support elections in Vietnam due to concerns that a democratic process would likely lead to a victory for the communist-led Viet Minh, particularly under Ho Chi Minh. The Geneva Accords of 1954 called for elections to unify the country, but the U.S. viewed this as a threat to its Cold War strategy of containing communism. Instead, the U.S. supported the anti-communist government in South Vietnam, led by President Ngo Dinh Diem, and focused on stabilizing that regime rather than facilitating elections. This decision ultimately contributed to the escalation of the Vietnam War.
The goal of the Geneva Conference, held in 1954 following the defeat of French forces in Indochina, was to negotiate a resolution to the conflict in Vietnam and to establish a framework for peace in the region. The conference aimed to temporarily divide Vietnam at the 17th parallel, leading to the establishment of North Vietnam under communist control and South Vietnam under a non-communist government. Additionally, it sought to set the stage for future elections to unify the country. The outcomes, however, contributed to increased tensions and conflict, ultimately leading to the Vietnam War.
Elections are held anywhere that there is a democratic selection of political officeholders.