<P> In March 1945, the Japanese imprisoned the Vichy French and took direct control of Vietnam until they were defeated by the Allies in August . At that point, there was an attempt to form a Provisional Government, but the French took back control of the country in 1946 . </P> <P> In looking at the broad picture of Southeast Asia at the end of World War II, several conflicting movements appear: </P> <Ul> <Li> generic Western anticommunism that saw the French as protector of the area from Communist expansion . </Li> <Li> nationalist and anti-colonialist movements that wanted independence from the French . </Li> <Li> Communists who indeed would like to expand . </Li> </Ul> <Li> generic Western anticommunism that saw the French as protector of the area from Communist expansion . </Li>

Who was the french general that desired to reconquer france