The
First Indochina War was when
France tried to regain its colonies from the communist
Viet Minh who rebelled against them. The French made their last stand at
Dien Bien Phu where they where defeated with devastating losses. After the war a conference at
Geneva decided to divide
Vietnam at the 17th parallel with the north being given to the Viet Minh under
Ho Chi Minh and the south becoming the Republic of Vietnam under President
Ngo Dinh Diem