French Indochina

 French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),^[a][b] officially known as the Indochinese Union^[c][d] and after 1941 as the Indochinese Federation,^[e] was a federation of French colonies and later associated states in Southeast Asia. It comprised Cambodia, Laos (from 1899), Guangzhouwan (1898–1945), Cochinchina, and Vietnamese regions of Tonkin and Annam. It was established in 1887 and was dissolved in 1954. In 1949, Vietnam was unified and regained Cochinchina. Its capitals were Hanoi (1902–45) and Saigon (1887–1902, 1945–54).

Ethnic groups  (1936)[2]

72% Vietnamese 13% Khmer 6% Thai (Thai, Lao, Tay, Thái, Nung, etc) 1.4% Chinese and other Asiatics (Bahnar, Cham, Hmong, Yao, Khmu, etc...) 0.2% Europeans (French, Germans, Jews) 7.3% others (Negrito (Rade, Jarai, Mnong, Stieng, Hre, etc...), Arabs, West Africans, etc...) Membership  Tonkin (1887–1948)[3]  Annam (1887–1948)[3]  Cochinchina (1887–1949)  Vietnam (from 1948)[3]  Cambodia  Laos  Guangzhouwan (1898–1945) The Second French Empire annexed Cochinchina in 1862 and established a protectorate in Cambodia in 1863. After the French Third Republic took over northern Vietnam through the Tonkin campaign, the various protectorates were consolidated into one union in 1887. Two more entities were incorporated into the union: the Laotian protectorate and the Chinese territory of Guangzhouwan. The French exploited the resources in the region during their rule, but also contributed to improvements of the health and education system in the region. Nevertheless, deep divides remained between the native population and the colonists, leading to sporadic rebellions by the former. After the Fall of France during World War II, the colony was administered by the Vichy government and was under Japanese occupation until March 1945, when the Japanese overthrew the colonial regime. After the Japanese surrender, the Viet Minh, a de facto communist organization led by Hồ Chí Minh, declared Vietnamese independence, but France subsequently sought to restore their control with the help of the British. Although the Viet Minh initially accepted to be a free country within the French Union; an all-out resistance war, known as the First Indochina War, still broke out in late 1946. In 1945, France returned Guangzhouwan to China. To counter the Viet Minh and as part of decolonization, France formed the State of Vietnam as an associated state within the French Union in 1949. Before that, in 1948, France recognized nominal independence of Vietnam with the Hạ Long Bay Agreement.[3] It was an independent and unified country within the French Union. Laos and Cambodia also became French associated states the same year. French efforts to retake Indochina were unsuccessful, culminating in defeat at the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ. On 22 October and 9 November 1953, the Laos and Cambodia completely became independent. On 4 June 1954, France also signed the Accords in the Hôtel Matignon to grant complete independence to the State of Vietnam.[4] French Indochina legally became invalid. With the Geneva Accords of 21 July 1954, French Indochina was completely no more when France recognized the independence of the Viet Minh's state. The communist Viet Minh took over North Vietnam, while the anti-communist State of Vietnam became South Vietnam. The Vietnam War later broke out; and the division of Vietnam continued until 2 July 1976, one year after communist victory.