Atlas of Battles

war, 23 engagements

Battles of First Indochina War

The atlas places 23 engagements of First Indochina War (1946 to 1954): 14 battles and 9 campaigns across 3 present-day countries, most in Vietnam (21), Cambodia (1), Laos (1). The most widely documented: Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

See them on the globe

Operation PapillonBattle of Phu Tong HoaBattle of Cao BangBattle of Dong KheBattle of the Day RiverBattle of Nghia LoBattle of Hoa BinhBattle of Nghĩa LộOperation LorraineOperation HirondelleOperation AdolpheBattle of Muong KhouaOperation CamargueOperation MouetteOperation CastorOperation AtlanteBattle of HanoiOperation LéaBattle of Route Coloniale 4Battle of Vinh YenBattle of Na SanBattle of Dien Bien PhuBattle of HanoiOperation LéaBattle of Route Coloniale 4Battle of Vinh YenBattle of Na SanBattle of Dien Bien PhuHaiphongThái NguyênNam ĐịnhViệt TrìSơn TâyHong GaiCẩm PhảNinh BìnhHoa BinhLao Chi200 km21.544N, 104.731E
23 placed engagements, coloured by era. Present-day coastlines; ringed marks are the most widely documented.

Engagements by year

1946: 1 engagements1947: 2 engagements1948: 1 engagements1949: 1 engagements1950: 2 engagements1951: 4 engagements1952: 3 engagements1953: 6 engagements6 in 19531954: 3 engagements19461954
23 dated engagements, one bar per year, coloured by era.

The war in time order

Battle of Hanoi, 1946Operation Papillon, 1947Operation Léa, 1947Battle of Phu Tong Hoa, 1948Battle of Cao Bang, 1949Battle of Dong Khe, 1950Battle of Route Coloniale 4, 1950Battle of Vinh Yen, 1951Battle of the Day River, 1951Battle of Nghia Lo, 1951Battle of Hoa Binh, 1951Battle of Nghĩa Lộ, 1952Operation Lorraine, 1952Battle of Na San, 1952Operation Hirondelle, 1953Operation Adolphe, 1953Battle of Muong Khoua, 1953Operation Camargue, 1953Operation Mouette, 1953Operation Castor, 1953Battle of Mang Yang Pass, 1954Operation Atlante, 1954Battle of Dien Bien Phu, 195419461954
One tick per dated engagement; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Commanders 5 with pages

Engagements by date

DateEngagementPlaceResult
19 December 1946Battle of HanoiHanoi, VietnamBeginning of the First Indochina War; Viet Minh forces withdrawal to...
1947Operation PapillonHòa Bình, Vietnam
1947Operation LéaVietnamFrench operational failure
25 July 1948Battle of Phu Tong HoaPhủ Thông, Vietnam
1949Battle of Cao BangFrench Indochina, VietnamViệt Minh victory
1950Battle of Dong KheĐông Khê, VietnamViệt Minh victory
1950Battle of Route Coloniale 4Đông Khê, VietnamViệt Minh victory
1951Battle of Vinh YenVĩnh Yên, VietnamFrench Union victory
1951Battle of the Day RiverFrench Indochina, CambodiaFrench Union victory
3 October 1951Battle of Nghia LoTonkin, VietnamFrench Union victory
10 November 1951Battle of Hoa BinhHòa Bình, VietnamViệt Minh victory; Viet Minh captured Hoà Bình; Abolishment of the...
1952Battle of Nghĩa LộNghĩa Lộ, VietnamViệt Minh victory
1952Operation LorraineNghĩa Lộ, VietnamFrench victory
23 November 1952Battle of Na SanSơn La, VietnamFrench Union victory; French Union successful defense; French Union...
1953Operation HirondelleFrench Indochina, VietnamFrench Union victory; Successful French raid; Viet Minh caches...
1953Operation AdolpheFrench Indochina, Vietnam
13 April 1953Battle of Muong KhouaPhongsaly Province, LaosViệt Minh victory
1953Operation CamargueFrench Indochina, Vietnam
1953Operation MouetteFrench Indochina, VietnamFrench Union victory; Area temporarily occupied before French...
1953Operation CastorĐiện Biên Phủ, VietnamSuccessful establishment of the Dien Bien Phu outpost by the French...
1954Battle of Mang Yang PassMang Yang, VietnamViệt Minh victory
1954Operation AtlanteFrench Indochina, VietnamAborted
13 March 1954Battle of Dien Bien PhuĐiện Biên Phủ, VietnamViet Minh victory

Engagements are the Wikidata records placed within First Indochina War (or a campaign of it) that carry coordinates; actions without coordinates are not shown.