First Indochina War | |||||||||
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Part of the Indochina Wars and the Cold War | |||||||||
Clockwise from top: After the fall of Dien Bien Phu supporting Laotian troops fall back across the Mekong River into Laos; French Marine commandos wade ashore off the Annam coast in July 1950; M24 Chaffee American light tank used by French in Vietnam; Geneva Conference in 21 July 1954; A Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat from Escadrille 1F prepares to land on the French carrier Arromanches (R95) operating in the Gulf of Tonkin. |
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Viet Minh
Japanese volunteers Supported by: Soviet Union China (1949–1954) East Germany |
France (1945–1954)
Cambodia Supported by: United States(1950–1954) |
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Ho Chi Minh Võ Nguyên Giáp Souphanouvong Son Ngoc Minh |
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Strength | |||||||||
Viet Minh: Regulars: 125,000 Regional: 75,000 Popular Forces/Irregulars: 250,000 Former Imperial Japanese Army volunteers: ~5,000 Total: ~450,000 |
France: Expeditionary Corps: 190,000 Local Auxiliary: 55,000 State of Vietnam: 150,000 Former Imperial Japanese Army volunteers: ~1,000 Total: ~450,000 |
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Casualties and losses | |||||||||
Viet Minh: 175,000–300,000 dead or missing |
French Union: 75,581 dead 64,127 wounded, 40,000 captured State of Vietnam: 58,877 dead or missing Total: ~134,500 dead or missing |
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125,000–400,000 civilians killed |
Viet Minh victory
Viet Minh
Lao Issara (1945–1949)
Japanese volunteers
France (1945–1954)