First Indochina War

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