Summary:
From 1945 to 1956, the French failed to reestablish colonial control over French Indochina due to a variety of reasons. The French were unequipped and unprepared, and they lacked the support of their own people. The Viet Minh had rebuilt, educated, trained, and armed the people of Vietnam in preparation for the return of French military forces. Most detrimental of all, the French authorities mistakenly attempted to solve a political conflict with a military solution.
"Compatriots, be persevering, the day of liberation will come!"
(Ho Chi Minh 19 July, 1947)
The French were unable to re-establish colonial control over Indochina during the years of 1945-1956 for a variety of reasons. The French were unequipped, unprepared and without the support of their own people to engage in another crippling war. Also, during their absence the Viet Minh had rebuilt, educated, trained and armed the people of Vietnam in preparation for the return of French military forces. Finally the most detrimental mistake of the French authorities was to attempt to solve a political conflict with a military solution.
The French people were not in favour of another long drawn out war as the people on the home front were "war-weary." They only planned the Indochina conflict to last somewhere between two to five years and.....
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