Battle of Route Coloniale 4, 1950: France’s first devastating defeat in the Indochina War

Abstract

As soon as the Japanese surrender was formally signed (September 2, 1945), thus ending World War II, President Hồ Chí Minh (b. 1890–d. 1969), leader of the “Ligue for the Independence of Vietnam” (Việt-Minh) declared Vietnam’s independence. Due to the earlier Japanese occupation, at that time France did not control Vietnam, which was part of Indochina. During the French Indochina War (1946–1954), the Việt Minh fought against the colonial power of France, who never succeeded in restoring full mastery of the territory. In 1949 the French belatedly recognized the full independence of Vietnam, but supported a government opposed to the Việt Minh. The “Border Campaign” (“Chiến dịch biên giới 1950” in Vietnamese) at the Sino-Vietnamese frontier was a military turning point in the fall of 1950. This event is also named (in France) the defeat of Cao Bằng, or the “Colonial Road No. 4” (RC4). This road—more a track than a road—was the French logistical axis in North Vietnam (Tonkin) along the border. Its most vulnerable part stretched north from Lạng Sơn to Cao Bằng, between China and Viêt Bac, the latter controlled by the Việt Minh. In the absence of any political agreement with Hồ Chí Minh, the French strategy was faced with an alternative: evacuate this part of the RC4, or keep it to impair Chinese aid. As the French government had refused to increase military forces in Indochina, it was decided to evacuate, especially a major outpost in Cao Bằng. This operation was ordered in September 1950 by General Marcel Carpentier (b. 1895–d. 1977), commander-in-chief in Indochina, and Civil High-Commissioner Léon Pignon (b. 1908–d. 1976). Confronted with the brand-new forces of the Việt Minh engaged in the “Border Campaign,” and for many reasons, the result was a total disaster in October 1950. Therefore, firstly, the balance of morale forces was reversed after the destruction of about eight French battalions. General Võ Nguyên Giáp (b. 1911–d. 2013) claimed eight thousand men killed or captured; among the latter were the two lieutenant colonels in command in the field, Pierre Charton and Marcel Le Page. Secondly, the French had to evacuate most of the border, expressly Lạng Sơn, thus giving to the Việt Minh free access to useful logistical routes. This event was somewhat ignored in the United States (US), being overshadowed by the Korean War, which had just started in June 1950. Less than four years later, the First Vietnam War provisionally ended with the Geneva Accords (20 July 1954) resulting from the French defeat at Ðiện Biên Phủ—see the separate Oxford Bibliographies article “Battle of Dien Bien Phu.”