Essay | Decolonization in Indochina

The balance of power in Vietnam took a sudden turn in March, 1945, when the Japanese Occupation Army disarmed the French forces and assumed full administrative control of the country. The French no longer posed a problem for Vietnam and the Vietminh immediately took advantage of this and began broadening out to central and southern Vietnam. Because there was now no gendarmerie to hunt them down, the propaganda teams created over 500 guerilla cells, from Hanoi to Saigon.

In June, an ICP-led United Front established a provisional government and the Vietminh gained support in their guerilla war against the Japanese by America's Office of Strategic Services (OSS) agents. Ho had met with representatives of the OSS and agreed upon an `arrangement' that the OSS would train the Vietminh and provide them with all the necessary weaponry for guerilla warfare.

On 13th August, Ho proclaimed General Order Number One: Armed Insurrection...
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