Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, Cold War

Battle of Hanoi

Battle of Hanoi was a battle fought on 19 December 1946 at Hanoi, in what is now Vietnam; it lasted 2 months. It was part of First Indochina War, which ran from 1946 to 1954. The recorded result: Beginning of the First Indochina War; Viet Minh forces withdrawal to Việt Bắc. Recorded strength: 6,000 men against 10,000 militia, 2,500-3,000 regulars.

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Streets of Hanoi, Vietnam
Streets of Hanoi, Vietnam. Hector Garcia from Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought19 December 1946lasted 2 months
WhereHanoi, Vietnam21.033N, 105.850E
OutcomeBeginning of the First Indochina War; Viet Minh forces withdrawal to Việt Bắc
BelligerentsFrench Union; France; French IndochinaagainstNorth Vietnam; Việt Minh
Casualties and losses160 soldiers and 100 civilians killed; 230 civilians missingandSeveral hundred killed
Part ofFirst Indochina War1946 to 1954

Where it sits in First Indochina War

Battle of Hanoi, 1946Battle 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, 1952Battle of Na San, 1952Battle of Muong Khoua, 1953Battle of Mang Yang Pass, 1954Battle of Dien Bien Phu, 195419461954Battle of Hanoi, 1946
14 placed engagements of First Indochina War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date19 December 1946
to 18 February 1947
PlaceHanoi, Vietnam
21.033N, 105.850E
KindBattle, Cold War
Territorial changeFrench capture of Hanoi
Strength6,000 men10,000 militia, 2,500-3,000 regulars
Casualties and losses160 soldiers and 100 civilians killed; 230 civilians missingSeveral hundred killed
Commanders
Battle of HanoiBattle of HanoiSiege of SongpingSiege of Đông QuanBattle of Cầu GiấyOperation Ivory CoastBattle of Bình Lệ NguyênSiege of SongpingBattle of Cầu GiấyOperation Ivory CoastBattle of Bình Lệ NguyênHaiphongThái NguyênNam ĐịnhCẩm PhảNinh BìnhBắc GiangPingxiangLạng Sơn100 km21.033N, 105.850E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 4 times between AD 863 and 1946.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1946

Battle of Hanoi is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 140 in present-day Vietnam.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q962370, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Hanoi (1946), revision 1380714308, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.