Which country controlled Vietnam at the start of the First Indochina War in 1946?

• A. France
• B. United States
• C. Japan
• D. China

Answer: (A)

The situation centers on who held formal control over Vietnam as the fighting with the Viet Minh began. Vietnam had been part of French Indochina for decades, a French colonial territory. During World War II, Japan occupied Vietnam, but they surrendered in 1945, creating a power vacuum. In 1946, France moved to reassert its authority, restoring administrative and political control in major cities and regions. The Viet Minh proclaimed independence and fought to establish a truly independent Vietnamese state, but the start of the conflict was driven by France’s attempt to reestablish colonial rule. So, the country in control at the outset of the First Indochina War was France. The United States would become involved later, but it did not control Vietnam at that time, and Japan had just exited the scene, with China not administering the country.