First Indochina War

The First Indochina War began almost immediately after the Liberation of Indochina by French forces in 1946 and lasted until 1949. The conflict was between France against the Communist Việt Minh, Monarchist Lao Issara, and left-wing Khmer Issarak, though most of the fighting occured around Tonkin in North Vietnam.
The French sought to keep Emperor Bảo Đại propped up and agreed to merge their Protectorates of Annam and Tonkin into the single Protectorate of Vietnam, hoping to utilise the Emperor to maintain legitimacy and keep order. However as the Việt Minh had been gaining power and influence the situation in the colony descended in guerilla warfare.
By 1949 the war had moved from low-level insurgency to full-blown open warfare which the French sought to cease quickly. Thus in the audacious Operation Léa the French launched an airborne assault against the Việt Minh, catching them off-guard in the process. Much of the 40,000-strong Communist force was either captured or killed in the process, with two of their leaders, Võ Nguyên Giáp and Hoang Van Thai being killed, and most importantly the main leader Ho Chi Minh was captured.
This saw the already disparate rebel forces dispersing, allowing the French authorities to once again stamp their authority on the colony. 
Category:Conflicts
Category:Conflicts involving the PRC
Category:Conflicts involving France
Category:Conflicts involving the ROC