France’s War in Indochina, Volume 1: The Tiger Versus the Elephant, 1946-1949

If America’s attempt to push back communism in Vietnam is undoubtedly the most well-known of Asian wars, it was preceded by a conflict fought by French and Vietnamese forces that resulted in the death of over 75,000 members of France’s armed forces from December 1946 to July 1954. The First Indochina War being a particularly savage conflict, it was fought by the French for similar reasons as the United States some years later. Armed forces led by Ho Chi Minh sought to impose communist doctrines in Vietnam, a move seen as unacceptable by France, and one that warranted a large-scale military encounter. Indeed, Vietnam was considered by the French as an integral part of Indochina, and France itself. The spread of communism in Indochina was not to be permitted, and neither were Ho Chi Minh’s attempts to gain independence for Vietnam through this means. The first in a three-part series, this volume looks at what is generally seen as the first phase of the First Indochina War, a period that lasted from 1946 to 1949. Drawing on a variety of historical documents, this volume enables the reader to gain an historical perspective of the French presence in Vietnam, US support for France, the ideology and methodology of the insurgents in Vietnam, as well as providing a detailed account of the battles, tactics, strategies, machines, and men that were used by both sides to further their objectives during the conflict.