Ming–Việt War

The Ming–Việt War (1406–1428) was a conflict between the Ming dynasty of China and Đại Việt (present-day northern Vietnam). The Ming dynasty's objective was to annex Đại Việt, and while they initially had some success, the Viets ultimately defended their independence.

The war was sparked by a change in the ruling dynasty in Đại Việt. The Ming dynasty did not recognize the legitimacy of the new Hồ dynasty, established in 1400, and demanded the return of the previous Trần dynasty. After their demands were rejected, they responded by invading Đại Việt in 1406. The occupied territory was then formed into the province of Jiaozhi, becoming the fourteenth province of the Ming dynasty. Rebellions led by the princes of the Trần dynasty broke out against Chinese rule, but they were ultimately defeated. However, another rebellion led by Lê Lợi in 1418 proved to be too much for the Chinese to suppress. Due to military failures and the heavy cost of war, the Ming army eventually withdrew from Đại Việt in 1428. This failure in Đại Việt greatly undermined the authority of the Ming dynasty in Southeast Asia.