French Indochina consisted of a large share of the Indochina peninsula in southeast Asia. It was a French colony for nearly 70 years, but French involvement in Vietnam pre-dated the establishment of the colony, which included Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Of the three, the greatest impact of French colonization was experienced in Vietnam, particularly in the southern region of Cochinchina. Across the region, the French colonial administration had significant economic, political, and social consequences. In the case of Vietnam, it also had linguistic consequences as it prompted the adoption of a Latin-based writing system for the Vietnamese language.

Although nationalist movements sprung up in the years prior to World War II, the Japanese occupation and Coup of 1945 greatly expedited their growth. It also emboldened Ho Chi Minh to declare an independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam at the end of the war, only to be destroyed by the French and cause the outbreak for the First Indochina War. The conflict ground to a bloody stalemate, but the decisive battle of Dien Bien Phu pushed the French to seek peace. The resulting Geneva Accords marked the end of French Indochina in 1954. However, many loose ends remained and wars would continue to ravage the region for decades to come, particularly in Cambodia. Today, the region is characterized by rapid economic growth and development.