Video: 'Vietnam: A Television History (Ep-2) The First Vietnam War (1945-54)' (Ho Chi Minh in Paris, Fontainebleau conference at 3:36)

(Tuesday, September 10, 1946; during War in Vietnam (1945–46)) — French and Vietnamese peace negotiations aimed at settling the future of Indochina ended today without agreement, leaving unresolved the political status of Vietnam and heightening fears of renewed conflict.

The Fontainebleau Conference, which opened July 6, 1946, adjourned after more than two months of discussions failed to bridge fundamental differences between the French government and representatives of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh.

The principal issues dividing the two sides included the status of Cochinchina, the French-controlled southern region that Vietnamese delegates insisted should be united with the rest of Vietnam. French negotiators maintained that Cochinchina should remain separate pending further decisions.

The delegations also failed to agree on the extent of Vietnam’s sovereignty within the newly established French Union. Vietnamese representatives pressed for full independence, while France proposed only limited autonomy. Control of foreign affairs likewise remained unresolved, with Paris unwilling to grant Vietnam independent diplomatic authority.

Although the conference formally ended without a treaty, Ho Chi Minh remained in France tonight in an effort to avert an immediate breakdown in relations. He was reported to be holding private talks with French Overseas Minister Marius Moutet in hopes of reaching a temporary modus vivendi that would preserve the cease-fire while negotiations continue.

The collapse of the conference leaves the future of French-Vietnamese relations uncertain and raises concern that the political dispute could again lead to armed conflict in Indochina.