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First Indochina War | HearLore
First Indochina War
In September 1940, Japan launched its invasion of French Indochina while Germany had already conquered metropolitan France. The Japanese retained the existing French colonial administration and ruled from behind the scenes. This arrangement created a double-puppet government with Axis powers controlling the French who controlled Vietnamese local officials. Emperor Bảo Đại collaborated with both the French and the Japanese to ensure his continued safety and comfort.
From October 1940 to May 1941, Vichy French forces defended their territories during the Franco-Thai War. Thai military successes were limited to the Cambodia-Thailand border area. In January 1941, Vichy France's modern naval forces soundly defeated inferior Thai naval forces in the Battle of Ko Chang. The war ended in May with minor territorial revisions that restored formerly Thai areas to Thailand.
In 1941, Hồ Chí Minh formed the Viet Minh as an umbrella organization seeking to appeal beyond communist beliefs by emphasizing national liberation instead of class struggle. He founded this group alongside the Indochinese Communist Party to oppose the Japanese. By March 1945, Japan launched a coup d'état to oust the Vichy French and formally installed Emperor Bảo Đại as head of a nominally independent Vietnam.
The Japanese arrested and imprisoned most French officials and military personnel remaining in the country. In Hanoi between April 15 and 20, 1945, the Tonkin Revolutionary Military Conference issued a resolution calling for general uprising and guerrilla warfare against the Japanese. North Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Truong Chinh denounced the Japanese Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere as a regime to plunder Asia.
Japanese actions caused two billion US dollars worth of damage valued at 1945 prices including destruction of industrial plants, heavy vehicles, motorcycles, cars, junks, railways, port installations, and one third of all bridges. During the famine of 1944, 1945, one to two million Vietnamese starved to death in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. The North Vietnamese government accused both France and Japan of causing the famine.
The First Indochina War began in 1946 and ended in 1954. Hostilities broke out in Hanoi on the 19th of December 1946, while the conflict concluded with the Geneva Accords signed in July 1954.
Who formed the Viet Minh organization and when was it created?
Hồ Chí Minh formed the Viet Minh as an umbrella organization in 1941 to oppose Japanese occupation. He founded this group alongside the Indochinese Communist Party to emphasize national liberation instead of class struggle.
What happened during the Haiphong incident on November 23 1946?
On the 23rd of November 1946, the French fleet bombarded Vietnamese sections of Haiphong killing 6,000 civilians in one afternoon. The Việt Minh quickly agreed to a ceasefire and left the cities following this event known as the Haiphong incident.
How many troops fought at the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ and what were the casualties?
Việt Minh concentrated more than 40,000 troops to encircle 15,000 French troops at Điện Biên Phủ from December 1953 to March 1944. At least 2,200 members of 20,000-strong French forces died while another 1,729 reported missing after battle and Viet Minh suffered approximately 25,000 casualties over course of battle.
Which countries sent military support to France during the First Indochina War?
French Union gathered combatants from almost all French territories including colonies protectorates and associated states like Algeria Morocco Madagascar Senegal Tunisia etc. Moroccan troops part of light infantry RTMs for Moroccan Sharpshooters Regiment and Tunisian troops mostly RTT sent to Indochina as Bizerte major French base.
On the 25th of August 1945, Emperor Bảo Đại abdicated and handed power over to the Viet Minh. On September 2, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam aboard a ship in Tokyo Bay. That same day, CEFEO Expeditionary Corps leader General Leclerc signed an armistice with Japan on behalf of France while Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam's independence from France.
French forces overthrew the DRV government in Saigon on the 23rd of September 1945 and declared French authority restored south of the 16th parallel. Guerrilla warfare began around Saigon immediately after this event. British forces landed in Saigon while Japanese forces surrendered to them. The Chinese acknowledged the DRV and communist-led Viet Minh in Hanoi but the British refused to do that in Saigon in deference to the French.
In 1945, Vietnamese people were locked in struggle over the destiny of their post-colonial state after the ousting of the French and surrender of Japan. Viet Minh forces seized control from the collapsing Empire of Vietnam while the Vietnam Nationalist Party and Việt Cách advanced in Tonkin with support of the Chinese Allied mission.
The South fractured between the Stalinist front Viet Minh and rival groups including Trotskyists, Hòa Hảo, Cao Đài, and Bình Xuyên. The Indochinese Communist Party was primarily responsible for starting widespread Vietnamese-on-Vietnamese violence. Its Viet Minh front aimed to consolidate power through terrorization and purging of rival Vietnamese groups.
Militias from the Cao Đài sect initially joined the Viet Minh but made a truce with France when their leader was captured on the 6th of June 1946. The Viet Minh later attacked the Cao Đài after open conflict erupted with France which led them to join the French side. The Viet Minh assassinated the Hòa Hảo leader Huỳnh Phú Sổ in April 1947.
Military Escalation And Strategic Shifts
On the 23rd of November 1946, the French fleet bombarded Vietnamese sections of Haiphong killing 6,000 civilians in one afternoon. The Việt Minh quickly agreed to a ceasefire and left the cities. This event became known as the Haiphong incident. In December 19, hostilities broke out in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh along with his government was forced to evacuate the capital in favor of remote forested areas.
In March 1947, Ho Chi Minh and General Võ Nguyên Giáp retreated with their command into the Việt Bắc mountainous forests of northern Vietnam. By May, France had taken control of main population centers in the country. The French chose not to pursue the Việt Minh before seasonal rains began in May and military operations were postponed until conclusion.
Come October, the French launched Operation Léa with objective of swiftly ending resistance movement by taking out Vietnamese main battle units and leadership at their base in Bắc Kạn. Léa was followed by Operation Ceinture in November with similar aims. As result of these French offensives, the Việt Minh lost valuable resources and suffered heavy losses between 7,200 and 9,500 killed.
A new French commander in chief and high commissioner, General Jean Marie de Lattre de Tassigny, was appointed in December 1950. With him began construction of defensive line of fortifications from Hanoi to Gulf of Tonkin around Red River Delta to protect Tonkin against possible Chinese invasion and prevent Việt Minh infiltration. This became known as the De Lattre Line.
On the 13th of January 1951, Giáp moved the 308th and 312th Divisions with more than 20,000 men to attack Vĩnh Yên which was manned by 6,000 French troops. Considered first set-piece battle of war, Vietnamese saw initial success but French aerial supremacy proved decisive as reinforcements flew in from rest of Indochina.
The Decisive Battle Of Dien Bien Phu
From December 1953 to March 1944, Việt Minh concentrated more than 40,000 troops to encircle 15,000 French troops at Điện Biên Phủ. Fight for control became longest and hardest battle for French Far East Expeditionary Corps. Veterans described battle as fifty-seven days of hell.
Battle began on March 13 when Việt Minh started attacks to isolate French strong points at Điện Biên Phủ. Việt Minh artillery damaged both main and secondary airfields that French were using to fly in supplies. With French supply lines interrupted, position became untenable particularly when monsoon season made dropping supplies and reinforcements by parachute difficult.
By late April, French forces held only three strong points. With defeat imminent, French sought to hold until opening of Geneva peace meeting on April 26. Last French offensive took place May 4 but proved ineffective. Việt Minh then began hammering outpost with newly supplied Soviet Katyusha rockets.
On May 6, Việt Minh began final attack. French forces eventually overrun by huge frontal assault. At least 2,200 members of 20,000-strong French forces died while another 1,729 reported missing after battle. Eleven thousand seven hundred twenty-one captured. Viet Minh suffered approximately 25,000 casualties over course of battle.
Negotiations between France and Viet Minh began in Geneva in May 1944 during which time French Union and Viet Minh fighting battle at Dien Bien Phu. In France, Pierre Mendès France elected as Prime Minister on the 17th of June 1954 on promise to achieve ceasefire in four months.
In July 1954, Geneva Conference recognized 17th parallel north as provisional military demarcation line temporarily dividing
International Diplomacy And The Geneva Accords
country into two zones. Operation Passage to Freedom began in August consisting evacuation of Vietnamese civilians from communist North Vietnam to pro-Western South Vietnam.
Geneva Accords promised elections in 1956 to determine national government for united Vietnam. Neither United States government nor State of Vietnam signed 1954 Geneva Accords. Non-communist Vietnamese delegation objected strenuously to any division of Vietnam but lost out when French accepted proposal of Viet Minh delegate Phạm Văn Đồng.
United States countered with what became known as American Plan with support of South Vietnam and United Kingdom. American Plan provided for unification elections under supervision of United Nations but rejected by Soviet delegation. From his home in France, Bảo Đại appointed Ngo Dinh Diem as Prime Minister of State of Vietnam.
With American support, in 1955 Diem used referendum to remove former Emperor and declare himself president of State of Vietnam. When elections failed to occur, Viet Minh forces that had remained in South Vietnam activated and began fighting government.
The 1946 Constitution creating Fourth Republic made France parliamentary republic. Because of political context it could find stability only by alliance between three dominant parties: Christian Democratic Popular Republican Movement, French Communist Party and socialist French Section of Workers International. Known as tripartisme this alliance briefly lasted until May 1947 crisis.
Strong anti-war movement came into existence in France driven mostly by powerful French Communist
Domestic Politics And Public Opposition In France
Party and its young militant associations major trade unions such as General Confederation of Labour and notable leftist intellectuals. First occurrence probably at National Assembly on the 21st of March 1947 when communist deputies refused back military credits for Indochina.
Following year pacifist event organized called 1st Worldwide Congress of Peace Partisans which took place March 25-28, 1948 in Paris with French communist Nobel laureate atomic physicist Frédéric Joliot-Curie as president. Young communist militants accused of sabotage actions like famous Henri Martin affair and case of Raymonde Dien jailed one year for blocking ammunition train.
By 1954 despite official propaganda presenting war as crusade against communism conflict still growing unpopular with French public. Political stagnation in Fourth Republic meant France unable extract itself from conflict. Unlikely alliances had to be made between left- and right-wing parties to form government invested by National Assembly resulting in parliamentary instability with fourteen prime ministers in succession between 1947 and 1954.
French Union gathered combatants from almost all French territories including colonies protectorates and associated states like Algeria Morocco Madagascar Senegal Tunisia etc. About 325,000 of 500,000 French troops were Indochinese almost all used in conventional units. Senegalese and other African troops sent to fight in Indochina.
Some African alumni trained in Infantry Instruction Center no.2 located in southern Vietnam. Senegalese of Colonial Artillery fought at
Global Alliances And Foreign Intervention
siege of Dien Bien Phu. As French colony later full province French Algeria sent local troops including several RTA light infantry battalions.
Morocco was French protectorate and sent troops supporting French effort in Indochina. Moroccan troops part of light infantry RTMs for Moroccan Sharpshooters Regiment. Tunisian troops mostly RTT sent to Indochina as Bizerte major French base.
Laotian troops fought communists along with French forces while Khmer Royal Army formed in 1946 agreement signed with French played role during conflict. Tai Battalion 2 infamous for desertion during siege of Dien Bien Phu where deserters called Nam Yum rats by Bigeard hid close to river searching for supply drops at night.
Perhaps as many as 5,000 former Imperial Japanese Army soldiers fought alongside Việt Minh throughout war. These Japanese had stayed behind after World War II concluded in 1945. Supporting Viet Minh became more attractive idea than returning to defeated occupied homeland. Giap arranged for them all receive Vietnamese citizenship and false identification papers.