Fall's book "Street without Joy" is a "sketch" or essay on the military-political history of the war largely fought between the French Army, who sought to reclaim Vietnam, and the Viet Minh, a force organized by Vietnamese communists, who resisted. Earlier during World War II, the Japanese Army had in September 1940 attacked and conquered French Indochina. Following Japan's defeat in the Asia-Pacific War and withdrawal of its forces, this new war began. It ended in 1954 with the Geneva accords, whereby France withdrew from north Vietnam, the Viet Minh from south Vietnam. For the time being, an independent Vietnam was divided into two states, North and South.