DATEOFEVENT

BRIEFDESCRIPTION

1941

After 30 years of exile, Ho Chi MInh returns to

VietnamandestablishedtheVietMinh(Vietnam
Independence League), a group mixed with
communist and nationalist influences. OSS
(Office of Strategic Services), a US military
intelligence agency allies with the Viet Minh to
drive out the Japanese who occupied Vietnam
duringWorldWar2.

March9,1945

The Japanese drive most of the French

colonialists out of Vietnam and uses Bao Dai,
the last Nguyen emperor as a puppet leader.
Famine takes over Hanoi during the summer,
killing two million. Peasants revolt against their
japanese oppressors, and HoChiMinhspreads
his influence around Vietnam through the Viet
Minh.

July,1945

The Potsdam conference was held between

Atlee, Truman and Stalin. Within the
conference, Vietnam was considered as a
small topic on the agenda. The Allies then
divide Vietnam at the 16th parallel in order to
disarmtheJapanese.

August,1945

The August Revolution begins as theJapanese

surrender. Ho Chi Minhs Viet Minh forces take
over Saigon, Hanoi and Hue. On the 25th, Bao
Daiabandonshisthrone,markingtheendofthe
Nguyendynasty.

September2,1945

The Communist Party of Vietnam, the core of

the Viet Minh, announce their Declaration of
Independence in Ba Dinh Square of Hanoi, to
400,000 people who gathered to hear Ho Chi
Minh.

September13,1945

AstheBritisharriveinSaigoninSouthVietnam,
15,000 anticommunist (nationalist) Chinese
troops were lootingVietnamesevillagesontheir
way down from China before proceeding their
desiredtargetforlooting:Hanoi.

October,1945

35,000 French troops arrive in Saigon and

expelled the Viet Minh from the city of South
VietnaminanattempttotakebackVietnamand
gaincontrolagain.

March,1946

As the Chinese troops depart from North

Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh permits French troops
into Vietnam for the exchange ofrecognitionfor
the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This,
however, was part of a stalling tactic for both
sides. The French and the Viet Minh grew in
bothmilitarynumberandsupplies.

MaySeptember1946

Ho Chi Minh stays in France for four months to

negotiatewiththeFrenchtoallowVietnamtobe
an independent and united country. TheFrench
didntgivefullguaranteeofHosrequest.

November,1946

The French clashed with the Viet Minh several

times before bombing the harbour of Haiphong
and occupied Hanoi, causing the Viet Minhand
HoChiMinhtofleeintotheVietnamesejungle.

December19,1946

30,000 Viet Minh troops launched their first

largescaleattackagainsttheFrench,leadingto
the eight years ofstruggleoftheFirstIndochina
War.

October7December22,1947

French begin Operation Lea, attacking Viet

Minh guerrillas near the ChineseVietnam
border,killingabout9,000. However,40,000still
managetoslipbytheFrenchlines.

March8,1949

This time, the French use bao Dai as their

puppetleader.

July,1949

The French establishes the South Vietnamese

NationalArmy.