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When France fell to Nazi Germany in 1940 the government in Indochina had to accept Japanese troops in Vietnam who exploited the country in the way of a very good strategic position. The only group that did anything significant to resist the Japanese were the Viet Minh, a kind of freedom fighters. They were strongly supported by the United States who saw a good chance to weaken the enemies by helping the Viet Minh with their civil war. The leader of the Viet Minh at this time was Ho Chi Minh. In March 1945 one of their offensives failed and the French government was overthrown and reinstalled by the Japanese emperors. Due to the fact that they exported too much rice and other crop to Japan a big famine broke out and an two million Vietnamese people had to starve.
By the spring of the same year the Viet Minh controlled large parts of the country and in the summer Ho formed the National Committee and called for a general uprising also known as the August Revolution. So the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was established under the rule of the communist troops directed by Ho Chi Minh and General Giap in September. The rebellion was also supported by the Potsdam conference which pledged for a disarming and withdrawal of the Japanese troops from Indochina. After the WW2 the French came back to Vietnam and wanted to restore the old order, but the Viet Minh raised strikes and riots. This was the beginning of the Indochina War.
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