First Indochina War

December 19, 1946 – August 1, 1954 · Vietnam

Result Viet Minh victory

Fought 19 December 1946 to 11 August 1954 in French Indochina between the French Union and the Viet Minh under Ho Chi Minh. After French forces restored authority in Saigon in September 1945, full-scale war broke out in December 1946; with Chinese and Soviet aid, the Viet Minh defeated France decisively at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The Geneva Conference gave the Viet Minh control of North Vietnam, divided the country at the 17th parallel, and ended French rule in Indochina, setting the stage for the Vietnam War.

On the map Overview Contemporaries

Viet Minh

France

Other

North Vietnam

Pathet Lao

Viet Minh

France

Laos

State of Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh belligerent leader

Souphanouvong belligerent leader

Phạm Văn Đồng belligerent leader

Trường Chinh belligerent leader

Võ Nguyên Giáp belligerent leader

Hoàng Văn Thái military commander

Henri Navarre belligerent leader

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny belligerent leader

Raoul Salan military commander

Georges Thierry d'Argenlieu military commander Jean-Étienne Valluy military commander

Strength and losses

Deaths: 74,220
Wounded: 64,127

France Killed c. 94,500

Killed: c. 269,500
Civilian deaths: 125,000–400,000

Units

5th Military Region 7th Military Region (People's Army of Vietnam) 308th Infantry Division (Vietnam) 320th Division (Vietnam) PAVN 304th Division

French Air and Space Force French Army 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment 1st Spahi Regiment French Foreign Legion Royal Lao Army French Far East Expeditionary Corps Republic of Vietnam Airborne Division 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment Régiment de Chasse 2/30 Normandie-Niemen French Navy

Battles and events 18

Battle of Hanoi (1946) December 19, 1946 – February 18, 1947
Battle of Cao Bằng (1949) October 1947 – September 4, 1949 · Việt Minh victory
Operation Léa October 7 – November 8, 1947 · French operational failure
Élysée Accords March 8, 1949
Battle of Route Coloniale 4 September 16 – October 18, 1950 · Việt Minh victory
Battle of Vĩnh Yên January 13–17, 1951 · French Union victory
Battle of Mạo Khê March 23–28, 1951 · French Union victory
Battle of the Day River June 18, 1951 · French Union victory
Battle of Nghĩa Lộ (1951) October 3–10, 1951 · French Union victory
Battle of Hòa Bình November 10, 1951 – February 25, 1952 · Việt Minh victory
Operation Lorraine October 29 – November 8, 1952 · French victory
Battle of Nà Sản November 23 – December 2, 1952 · French Union successful defense
Operation Adolphe April 1953
Operation Camargue July 28 – August 10, 1953 · French Union victory
Operation Castor November 20–22, 1953 · Successful establishment of the Dien Bien Phu outpost by the French Union
Operation Atlante January 20, 1954 – March 1954 · Aborted
Battle of Dien Bien Phu March 13 – May 7, 1954 · Viet Minh victory
Battle of Mang Yang Pass June 24 – July 17, 1954 · Việt Minh victory

Before and after

Followed from: War in southern Vietnam (1945–1946) September 13, 1945 – March 30, 1946
Ended by: 1954 Geneva Conference April 26 – July 20, 1954