Osprey Men-at-Arms 322 : The French Indochina War 1946-1954

The states of Indochina - north Vietnam [Bac Bo, or Tonkin], central Vietnam [Trung Bo, or Annam], south Vietnam [Nam Bo, or Cochinchina], Cambodia and Laos - had been French colonies or protectorates since the 19th century. This all changed in March 1945 when the Japanese interned all French troops and officials, butchering those who resisted; the survivors fighting their way out into Nationalist China, and the Japanese government turning over all civil government to local authorities. Although the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, it would be October 1945 before French troops returned to Saigon, and March 1946 before the first reached Hanoi. This priceless power vacuum allowed the Comintern veteran Ho Chi Minh to establish a strong revolutionary organisation at first in Tonkin, and later throughout Vietnam - the Viet Minh. Though the French reassumed power in the south after brief fighting, their return to Tonkin was delayed by a slow Chinese withdrawal until Ho's government was a fait accompli. At American prompting the French were reluctantly forced to negotiate but, still stinging from the humiliations of World War II, they were in no mood for compromise. Incidents between French and VM troops were inevitable, finally escalating into heavy fighting in Hanoi on 19 December. The negotiations collapsed and the French opted for a military solution. Martin Windrow examines the history of the conflict and the forces of both sides, with plenty of illustrations throughout, including eight full page colour plates by Mike Chappell, accompanied by six pages of commentaries on uniforms.

Contents

• French Indochina 1945-46
• The Battlefield
• The Strategic Balance
• French Union Forces
• Main French Combat Units
• The Viet Minh
• Tactical Effectiveness
• Chronology of Major Operations
• The Plates