Darkness at Dawn: The Tragic Legacy of The Mỹ Trạch Massacre

On November 29, 1947, one of the darkest chapters in Vietnam's history occurred when French soldiers brutally murdered more than 300 civilians in the rural Mỹ Trạch village

Background

In the mid-20th century, Vietnam was a land caught in the throes of conflict. The First Indochina War, which spanned from December 1946 to July 1954, was a struggle between French colonial forces and the Việt Minh, led by Hồ Chí Minh and Võ Nguyên Giáp. This war was about Vietnam's fight for independence from French colonial rule, while France aimed to reassert their control after World War II.

Caught amid the conflict was Mỹ Trạch, a small village in Quảng Bình Province, located in central Vietnam. Part of the Lệ Thủy District, its villagers led simple, traditional lives, primarily engaged in agriculture and farming, and were closely knit, relying on one other for support and sustenance.