- French Indochina consisted of modern-day Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and was established in the 19th century as a French colonial possession. - After World War 2, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnamese independence and fought against the French to establish the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This led to the First Indochina War between the Viet Minh and France. - The Viet Minh defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, leading to the partitioning of Vietnam and the Geneva Accords. However, tensions continued between North and South Vietnam.