History - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 989

War with the French
In the face of determined Vietnamese nationalism, the French proved unable to reassert
their control. Despite massive US aid and the existence of significant indigenous anticom-
munist elements, it was an unwinnable war. As Ho said to the French at the time, 'You can
kill 10 of my men for every one I kill of yours, but even at those odds you will lose and I
will win.'
The whole complexion of the First Indochina War changed with the 1949 victory of
communism in China. As Chinese weapons flowed to the Viet Minh, the French were
forced onto the defensive. After eight years of fighting, the Viet Minh controlled much of
Vietnam and neighbouring Laos. On 7 May 1954, after a 57-day siege, more than 10,000
starving French troops surrendered to the Viet Minh at Dien Bien Phu. This was a cata-
strophic defeat that brought an end to the French colonial adventure in Indochina. The fol-
lowing day, the Geneva Conference opened to negotiate an end to the conflict, but the
French had no cards left to bring to the table.
For a full Cambodian history, from humble beginnings in the prehistoric period through the
glories of Angkor and right up to the present day, seek out a copy of The History of Cambodia by
David Chandler.