On March 8, 1949, after the
Élysée Accords, the State of Vietnam was recognized by France as an independent country ruled by Vietnamese Emperor Bảo Đại. The
Vietnamese National Army or
Vietnam National Army (, "National Army of Vietnam", , "Vietnamese National Army") was the
State of Vietnam's military force created shortly after that. It was commanded by
Vietnamese General Hinh and was loyal to
Bảo Đại. The VNA fought in joint operations with the
French Union's
French Far East Expeditionary Corps (CEFEO) against the communist Viet Minh forces led by Ho Chi Minh. Different units within the VNA fought in a wide range of campaigns including but not limited to the
Battle of Nà Sản (1952), Operation Hautes Alpes (1953), Operation Atlas (1953) and the
Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954).