After defeat at Dien Bien Phu, French govt and public lost interest in retaining Vietnam as colony → cost of conflict outweighed benefits
My 1954 → international conference → attended by:
- France, Viet Minh, USSR, China and US, and Britain → held in Geneva (Switzerland)
Viet Minh demanded:
- recognition of Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the removal of French Troops
After weeks of talks:
-
Vietnam → divided into 2 → along 17th Parallel
- NV: comm: Led by Ho Chi Minh
- SV: Non com: Led by PM Ngo Dinh Diem
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Part of the agreement → was that elections would be held by 1956 → to establish a single government for a unified Vietnam.
Key Outcome Agreements brought peace but not stability.
- neither side was happy with the partition → but the only realistic alternative was further fighting
- with peace agreement and withdrawal of the French by 1956 → Viet Minh disbanded