1 The matters of France, its overseas territories, and associated states and territories, which was the new concept for Indochina (simply because they underestimated the ongoing insurgency to French imperialism), were mostly now part of metropolitan France. Conveniently, the President of the Union was elected by the French Parliament only and there was no representatives or associates from the states or protectorates. The French control was assured through the President of France being the President of the Union, and a significant French representation in the Supreme Council and the Assembly of the Union. Perhaps the end of the War in 1945 and a new feeling of distaste for empires meant the French Empire felt it needed to tighten up the overseas territories and prevent the spread of nationalism and self-governance.2 A significant part of the French Empire which was lost due to nationalism was Indochina, established in 1887. With a history of emerging nationalism in Vietnam where French rule was not desired, the French had to remove three Emperors from 1885 to 1917 and this did not solve their problem. There was later, in 1927, a nationalist-lead group called the Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang, the Indochina Communist Party whose aim was to overthrow the French, and the rise of two religious groups who attracted nationalists support. It is no surprise then, that the Empire was slowly falling into decline, but it was topped off in 1940 when pressure from Japan meant the hold of sovereignty over Indochina was simply incapable. With the British preventing any reinforcement from the metropole, the supply of fuel stopped by Japanese pressure, and Admiral Decoux making successive concessions to the Japanese in order to grasp onto some form of remaining sovereignty, albeit weak, the hold onto Indochina was almost impossible. By 1945, French authority was broken, and appointment of a nationalist government was approved, encouraged by the Japanese.
