Battle of Hanoi
Encyclopedia
On December 19, 1946 Vietnam
ese nationalists fighting for the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh
detonated explosives in Hanoi
, and the ensuing battle, known as the Battle of Hanoi marked the opening salvo of the First Indochina War
. The explosives, set off at 20:03 in the evening, had been smuggled past French Army
guards into the city's power plant. The result explosion plunged Hanoi into darkness, and throughout the city the newly formed Viet-Minh began attacking French military positions and French homes. Surviving French troops, alerted by friendly spies, gradually gained a numerical superiority. French artillery shelled the city, and house to house searches for conducted searching for the Viet-Minh leadership.
Ho Chi Minh was at the time ill with fever, and Vo Nguyen Giap
ordered "all soldiers... to stand together, go into battle, destroy the invaders, and save the nation." Eventual French superiority in fire-power forced the Viet-Minh to withdraw to mountains 80 miles to the north of the city.. According to the Viet Minh, this was a strategic retreat of them to reserve their force. After expunging the Viet-Minh from the city, which has taken several days, the French demanded the military surrender of their opponents, however the latter refused. The United States
, alarmed at the incident, despatched Moffat
on a special mission to Saigon and Hanoi to consider a negotiated referendum, however the realisation that the Viet-Minh would not accept compromise led to the US abandoning the idea.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese nationalists fighting for the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh
Hồ Chí Minh , born Nguyễn Sinh Cung and also known as Nguyễn Ái Quốc, was a Vietnamese Marxist-Leninist revolutionary leader who was prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam...
detonated explosives in Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, and the ensuing battle, known as the Battle of Hanoi marked the opening salvo of the First Indochina War
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
. The explosives, set off at 20:03 in the evening, had been smuggled past French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
guards into the city's power plant. The result explosion plunged Hanoi into darkness, and throughout the city the newly formed Viet-Minh began attacking French military positions and French homes. Surviving French troops, alerted by friendly spies, gradually gained a numerical superiority. French artillery shelled the city, and house to house searches for conducted searching for the Viet-Minh leadership.
Ho Chi Minh was at the time ill with fever, and Vo Nguyen Giap
Vo Nguyen Giap
Võ Nguyên Giáp is a retired Vietnamese officer in the Vietnam People’s Army and a politician. He was a principal commander in two wars: the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War...
ordered "all soldiers... to stand together, go into battle, destroy the invaders, and save the nation." Eventual French superiority in fire-power forced the Viet-Minh to withdraw to mountains 80 miles to the north of the city.. According to the Viet Minh, this was a strategic retreat of them to reserve their force. After expunging the Viet-Minh from the city, which has taken several days, the French demanded the military surrender of their opponents, however the latter refused. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, alarmed at the incident, despatched Moffat
Moffat
Moffat is a former burgh and spa town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, lying on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. The most notable building in the town is the Moffat House Hotel, designed by John Adam...
on a special mission to Saigon and Hanoi to consider a negotiated referendum, however the realisation that the Viet-Minh would not accept compromise led to the US abandoning the idea.