The commander of the French Army in Indochina, General De Lattre improves relations with the Americans.  The French Army captures the town of Hoa Binh but the Viet Minh fight to cut the supply routes to the town and the French Army is forced to retreat.  The death of General De Lattre and General Chanson commander of the French Army in South Vietnam, his biography.

General Giap decides to defeat the French Army in a open battle within the Red River Delta.  The appointment of the French Army commander in Indochina General De Lattre, a biography of him.  He orders a fortified line around Hanoi and the Red River Delta to be built.  The French Army defeat the Viet Minh in three battle in January, March and May 1951.

There is a lack of proper coordination between the French Army in Indochina and the American Military Mission in Saigon.  An account a  guerrilla camp in outside of Saigon.  The French Army is better by the Viet Minh along Highway Four near to the border with China.  The French Army retreat to Hanoi and the Red River Delta.  A biography of the commander of the French Army in Indochina General Carpentier.

As a result of the Communists winning the Chinese Civil War, the border is opened up for the supply of heavy weapons to the Viet Minh.  The Viet Minh also set training schools in southern China for to give their troops advanced training.  

The United States Government decided to supply the French Army in Indochina with the weapons and equipment they need.  A biography the American Secretary of State Dean Acheson. 

The French Army can not seem to win the war and it is costing the French Nation heavily in both blood and money.  At last the French Government agrees to grant a nominal form of independence to a Government in Vietnam under the leadership of the former emperor.  There is heavy fighting along highway four close to the border with China.  The different types of Viet Minh soldiers, the regulars, the regionals and the village militia.  A biography of a Viet Minh battalion commander.

As the war shows no sign of ending, there outrages continued by both sides in France the war became known as the dirty war.  There is heavy fighting along Highway Four near to the border with China.  A biography of General Giap the commander of the Viet Minh army.

The Viet Minh conduct a guerrilla war against the French but avoid all out battle.  The different types of troops within the French Army, Colonial, Foreign Legion, North African and Indochinese.

The reason why the French Government refused to reach a peace deal with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.  A biography of the new French Governor Emily Bollerat.

The two major French Army offensive in North Vietnams in the last few months of the war.

The French military stage their coup to regain control of North Vietnam in November 1946.  In Haiphong the French Army with naval support seize the port.  In December the French Army seize control of Hanoi defending the Viet Minh in a battle for the City.  The Viet Minh withdrew to countryside and evade the French Army.

The position of the International Communist Movement towards Vietnam.  A Biography of the leader of the French Communist Party and leading critic of the French role in the war, Maurice Thorez. 

The French Army commander General Leclerc reaches an uneasy peace deal with Ho Chi Minh, which will allow the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to run the internal affairs of North Vietnam while the French Army are to be allowed to return to their bases in the North.  General Leclerc is replaced by General Valluy who with the French Colonial Governor plan for a military take over of North Vietnam.  A biography of General Vulley.  The geography of Vietnam and why it was so ideal for guerrilla warfare.

In August 1945, the Japanese Empire surrenders.  In Vietnam, nationalist groups seize the cities.  In Hanoi Ho Chi Minh declares independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.  In the North the Chinese Nationalist Army accept the surrender of the Japanese Army but allow Ho Chi Minh to run domestic affairs.

In the South the British and the French Armies return the country to French Colonial control.  Attempts by the Viet Minh to stop this ends in heavy defeats.  A short biography of Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam. 

The French occupation of Indochina from 1862 to 1945.  Indochina becomes a colony to be used for the benefit of the French business.  The French Colonial Authorities try to crush Vietnamese Nationalism.  A Biography of Ho Chi Minh the leader of the Vietnamese Communists.  The Japanese Army invade Indochina in 1940 but the French Colonial Authorities continue to work with the Japanese until March 1945.

The reason for this special edition is two fold, firstly many people have emailed me about my opinion about the present tension in Korea over the North Korean Atomic Bomb and missile programmes.  A secondly to announce further future episodes which would place the Korean War in its historical context of the time, which explain why such was the fear of a Communist take over of Asia, that explain why American committed itself to a three year long war in Korea.

The next series of such episodes is on the First Indochina War fought between a Communist Army and a western power, France which lasted from 1945 to 1954.