Britain and the Origins of the Vietnam War: UK Policy in Indo-China, 1943-50 (Global Conflict and Security since 1945)

british Foreign Policy Towards Vietnam Illustrates The Evolution Of Britain's Position Within World Geopolitics 1943-1950. It Reflects The Change Of The Anglo-us Relationship From Equaltiy To Dependence, And Demonstrates Britain's Changing Association With Its Colonies And With The Other European Imperial Spheres Within Southeast Asia. This Book Shows That Britain Pursued A More Involved Policy Towards Vietnam Than Has Previously Been Stated, And Clarifies Britain's Role In The Origins Of The Vietnam War And The Nature Of Subsequent Us Involvement. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 List of Maps......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 11 List of Abbreviations......Page 12 Introduction......Page 16 1 Churchill and Roosevelt, January 1943–July 1945......Page 19 Trusteeship and French participation in the war in the Far East......Page 22 Inter-theatre rivalry......Page 36 Resolution......Page 46 A lost opportunity......Page 48 2 Liberation, July 1945–March 1946......Page 52 Vietnam......Page 53 Cambodia......Page 68 The Cambodian-Siamese border dispute......Page 73 Rice and relief......Page 78 Military aid......Page 83 The co-ordination of British policy......Page 87 3 Lord Killearn, March 1946–May 1948......Page 89 Vietnam......Page 90 The Cambodian-Siamese border dispute......Page 100 Rice, relief and regionalism......Page 103 Military aid......Page 110 The rebranding of British policy......Page 114 4 The Winds of Change, May 1948–January 1950......Page 116 Indo-China......Page 117 Rice, relief, regionalism and military aid......Page 132 The escalation of a crisis......Page 145 5 Consequences, January–June 1950......Page 147 The blend of Britain’s Indo-Chinese and regional policies......Page 148 British policy denouement......Page 172 Britain......Page 174 France......Page 178 The US......Page 179 Summary......Page 181 Select Personalia......Page 182 Notes......Page 186 Bibliography......Page 227 B......Page 239 C......Page 240 G......Page 241 M......Page 242 S......Page 243 Y......Page 244 Offering a bold new interpretation of British foreign policy, Britain and the Origins of the Vietnam War deftly examines Britain's involvement with Vietnam from Churchill's World War II deliberations - about Roosevelt's desire to remove Indo-China from the French Empire - to the zenith and subsequent unravelling of British foreign policy in 1950. Using archival and private papers from Britain and France, Smith argues that Britain did not unilaterally restore Indo-China to France following World War II but pursued an active interest in Vietnamese and Cambodian affairs for strategic and humanitarian reasons. Smith offers a new defence of the controversial actions of the British liberation force commander, Major-General Douglas Gracey, and contrasts British and French attitudes towards Asian nationalism and the common problem of communism. This Anglocentric study produces a new insight into British foreign and imperial policy during the formative years of the Vietnam War British foreign policy towards Vietnam illustrates the evolution of Britain's position within world geopolitics, 1943-1950. It reflects the change of the Anglo-US relationship from equality to dependence, and demonstrates Britain's changing association with its colonies and with the other European imperial spheres within Southeast Asia.