The French defeat at Dien Bien Phu was not the key factor in the decolonization of Indochina. While the battle of Dien Bien Phu can be seen as the straw that broke the camels back as it strongly influenced decisions of the Geneva Accords that gave Vietnam its freedom from the French, the battle could not possibly have taken place and in turn had such a great effect on decolonization in Indochina had it not been for other crucial factors leading up to it. Factors such as Vietnamese nationalism, Ho Chi Minh and the creation of a resistance the Vietminh, World War Two and the Japanese invasion of Indochina and Communist support for the Vietminh during the Cold War created the opportunity for the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu and are...