▁that ▁a ▁higher ▁level ▁meeting ▁in ▁Paris ▁would ▁be ▁required . ▁He ▁then ▁un il ater ally ▁declared ▁a ▁French - control led ▁Aut onom ous ▁Republic ▁of ▁C och inch ina ▁without ▁asking ▁either ▁Paris ▁or ▁the ▁Vietnam ese . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁L ec ler c ▁was ▁replaced ▁as ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁forces ▁by ▁Jean - Ét ienne ▁Vall uy . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁many ▁French ▁and ▁American ▁polit icians ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁Ho ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁Soviet ▁plan ▁to ▁domin ate ▁the ▁world , ▁but ▁L ec ler c ▁war ned ▁that ▁" anti - comm un ism ▁will ▁be ▁a ▁useless ▁tool ▁unless ▁the ▁problem ▁of ▁national ism ▁is ▁resolved ." ▁His ▁advice ▁was ▁simple : ▁" N eg oti ate ▁at ▁all ▁costs !" ▁ ▁Death ▁ ▁L ec ler c ▁was ▁appointed ▁Ins pect or ▁of ▁Land ▁Forces ▁in ▁North ▁Africa . ▁On ▁ 2 8 ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁his ▁North ▁American ▁B - 2 5 ▁Mitchell , ▁T ail ly ▁II , ▁carrying ▁L ec ler c ▁and ▁his ▁staff , ▁crash ed ▁near ▁Colomb - B é char ▁in ▁French ▁Al ger ia , ▁killing ▁everyone ▁on ▁board . ▁His ▁body ▁was ▁returned ▁to ▁France , ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁taken ▁to ▁Paris ▁along ▁the ▁route ▁that ▁ 2 e ▁DB ▁had ▁followed ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁A ▁fun eral ▁service ▁was ▁held ▁at ▁Notre ▁D ame ▁de ▁Paris ,