I. KONOREVA, Candidate of Historical Sciences (Kursk State University) The protracted and bloody conflict that began in Indochina more than 60 years ago has continued intermittently for several decades. It significantly changed the geopolitical situation in Southeast Asia, and had a serious impact on the policies of the USSR, the United States, France, China, and a number of other countries. There are still ongoing discussions among political scientists about the nature of the events that took place, the degree of guilt of external forces and politicians in Indochina itself in unleashing this conflict. This article attempts to reconstruct the events that took place in 1945-1954. In the historical and political sense, the states of Indochina include Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. These countries have an ancient history and common cultural and historical traditions. In the second half of the 19th century, they became part of the French Colonial Empire. During World War II, Indochina was occupied by Japan, which included it in its "Greater East Asia co-prosperity sphere". PREHISTORY OF THE FIRST INDOCHINA WAR All these years, the population of this region did not stop fighting against the Japanese, and then against the French invaders who returned to Indochina again. The armed opposition was led by the Indochina Communist Party (CPIK), led by Ho Chi Minh, which united the most diverse political forces within the framework of the Viet Minh Front. By the summer of 1945, vast areas of North Vietnam had been formed, where the power of the Vietnamese Communists was established. In August 1945, on the eve of the surrender of Japan, they decided to start a general uprising. In just a few days, the rebels, who enjoyed the support of the population, captured most of the country. The Communists persuaded the puppet Emperor Bao Dai to abdicate and accept the new government. The August Revolution was victorious. On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the establishment of the D ... Read more