VW2: Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Agreements
VW2: Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Agreements  
Podcast: Key Battles of American History
Published On: Wed Jun 11 2025
Description: After the Second World War, France decided to reassert control over French Indochina. This policy met strong resistance from both Communist and right-wing political and military organizations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Resistance grew, leading to the First Indochina War (1946-1954). This conflict ended with the Geneva Agreements, in which the French agreed to depart, the country would be temporarily divided between a Communist North and a non-Commuist south, and elections would be held in 1956…or would they? Join Sean and James as they discuss this “war before the war” that is little known to westerners but is a crucial prelude to the more well-known Vietnam War.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.