First Vietnam War Research Paper

The first Vietnam War also known as a part of the first Indochina war was a long fought battle between the French and Viet Minh that started only a year after World War two in December 1946 until August 1954. For the Vietnamese, this was a battle for independence because as representatively and authentically stated by Vo Nguyen Giap, the Viet Minh military leader during the war “nothing is more precious than freedom”. Hence, by exploring the causes, outcomes and consequences of the war, it will be argued that the Viet Minh were able to defeat the French due to the French underestimating the Viet Minh’s guerrilla warfare techniques combined with the support that the Vietnamese people provided the Viet Minh with.

In short, the First Vietnam

Throughout the war the Viet Minh were severely hindered by weapon shortages soldiers who were largely untrained. Vo Nguyen Giap, the military leader of the Viet Minh recognised this. To counter these shortages, he implemented guerrilla warfare. Guerrilla warfare is the use of ambushes, hit and run raids, sabotage and occasionally terrorism performed by a smaller group of army against a larger opposition. Unlike the Viet Minh the French had a large army of trained soldiers numbering up to 200,000 people. Similarly, to the Viet Minh however, the French faced severe financial issues leading to soldiers being without uniforms or standard issue weapons until the support of the United States in 1953. Over two years after the war had started the French had become frustrated by a lack of progress in the war. Due to their annoyance, they started to look “for a political solution rather than a military victory” (Alpha History, N.D). To achieve this the French convinced figurehead emperor Bao Dai into creating a new government. This was attempted in the southern areas of Vietnam as although the Vietnamese population in the

Almost a millennia later during the European push for colonisation in the 19th century France invaded Vietnam and took control of the country until the start of World War two where the Japanese took over control. Shortly after the war, Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the Viet Minh wrote a Declaration of Independence on behalf of the Vietnamese people. In this Declaration he describes his admiration for both the American and French revolutions which fought for Independence. He goes on to say that the French contradict themselves by saying that ‘all men are born free and with equal rights and most always remain free and have equal rights’ whilst not giving these rights to the Vietnamese people and instead creating more ‘prisons than schools’ and depriving the Vietnamese people ‘of every democratic liberty’ (Ho Chi Minh, 1945). He continues on to state that if the French do not give back Vietnam to the Vietnamese then the “Vietnamese people are determined to mobilize all their physical and mental strength, to sacrifice their lives and property in order to safeguard their independence and liberty” (Ho Chi Minh, 1945). This quote shows that the general population of Vietnam supported the move for independence and were willing to fight the French if need be. Unfortunately, the French ignored this notion and