Vietnam and the Cold War 1945-1954: French Imperial Decline and Defeat at Dien Bien Phu

A forensic study of Vietnam's war, imperial history and international relations in the years following the Second World War. A forensic study of war, imperial history and international relations, following the Second World War and leading into the Cold War and defeat of Western imperialism in Asia. And above all, the story of the pivotal battle and French defeat at Dien Bien Phu. It shows France's revanchist attempt to regain imperial 'glory' in her former Asian empire following humiliation in the Second World War - defeat and Vichy. The effort was spurred by de Galle's chauvinism and desire to recover France’s honour and reputation, after so many humiliations by friend and foe. The Communist led Vietminh, were guided to victory by ruthless revolutionary Ho Chi Min - far from the attractive 'Uncle Ho' who is revered as a communist saint in contrast to louche playboy emperor Bao Dai – and the very able General Giap. Communist strength in rural Vietnam society - the Vietminh represented a nation in arms – was backed by supplies from Communist China and the Soviet Union. It was an existential struggle on the French side - the end of cafe society, and the gravy train for planters, officials, the military, and politicians. Military matters including General Giap’s strategy and tactics are analysed in detail,l but it was a 'soldiers' war', told at ground-level, and readers will feel the heat and fear of battle, be shocked at war crimes, and intrigued by the tales of Graham Greene et al. The global importance was not lost on the powers following exhaustion from world war and in the shadow of the Cold War. All great leaders were involved, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Churchill, Stalin, Khruschev, Chou En-Lai and Mao Zedong, Under the shadow of the A bomb, a negotiated peace and first detent of the Cold War would end in the sumptuous salons of Geneva. Cover Book Title Copyright Contents CHAPTER 1 Parachutes Blooming, and the Origins of French Indochina Introduction The sky blooms parachutes The geography of Indochina Climate and environment Statesmen and Indochina Asymmetric warfare CHAPTER II The Origins and Beginnings of French Imperialism in Indochina Origins of France’s Asian empire 1615-1860 Imperialist competition 1860-1906 Colonial life Cafe life Anyone for tennis? At the beach resort at Kep-sur-Mer Executive life in Haiphong Colonial women Planters’ life Colonialism, xenophobia, racism and resistance Economy and society: exploitation and development from 1880-1945 Economic geography of Indochina An economic and political vision of French Vietnamese co-development in Indochina Tonkin Cochin economy Transport Education, culture and identity Plantations Tourism Taxes Chancers, gangs and crooks Predominantly an agricultural society in 1945 CHAPTER III Statesmen Ho Chi Minh Soviet policy for Asia: Revolution, nationalism and anti-colonialism The Vietminh General Charles de Gaulle and the road from Brazzaville Ho and Indochina General Giáp CHAPTER IV French Terror French terror and the justice system CHAPTER V War and Revolution 1940-45 French surrender, and revolutionary opportunity Vichy, the Japanese and Admiral Decoux 1940-45 Japan surrenders, and the Vietminh takeover in Tonkin Independence Day French politics and imperial policy Revolution in the countryside and small towns Admiral Decoux goes home British troops occupy Saigon and Phnom Penh The ‘defrocked’ priest Admiral d’Argenlieu, and Leclerc arrive, 9 October 1945 Reconquest phase in the south, October 1945 Hanoi: Kuomintang occupation CHAPTER VI War and Peace Ho in Paris, Giap in Hanoi Letters to America The liquidation of enemies Haiphong October-December 1946 The French storm Hanoi and pretences are over, 20 January 1947 Fight for the countryside and military ‘sweeps’ The struggle for Cochin-Saigon and the Mekong delta North, south and the indigenous tribes’ role in the war Operation Lea in the Bac Kan Nguyen Binh in Saigon French offensive operations and Dinassaut Cao Dai, Hoa Hoa, Binh Xuyen, Catholic militia, and Khmer Krom CHAPTER VII The Time of Grenades The time of grenades, and the struggle for Cochin The defeat of the Vietminh general offensive, March-April 1950 The dirty war Mines and IEDs Blockhouse attacks Lao and Cambodia Opium and Indochina CHAPTER VIII France and the Home Front French party politics 1946-1949 Economic wreckage Gaullism and Rassemblement de Peuple Francais (RPF) Instability in the Fourth Republic but stability of Indochina policy Bao Dai and the French Union The Pignon era 1948-50: drift and disenchantment CHAPTER IX International Communist Politics Ho Chi Minh in Moscow February 1950 Stalin gets the ‘bomb’, Mao wins China, Kim Il Sung invades South Korea Peace movements and the French Fifth Column 1948-50 Vietminh intelligence Red Army on the border 1949-50 Chinese Military Advisory Group (CMAG) From the beach: Legionnaire Krause at Phyu Ven, 1949 The road to Cao Bang The Vietminh regular army - first blooding: March-May 1950 The 308th Division in the north-west A personal war on the Cambodian border CHAPTER X Route Coloniale 4, October 1950 Cao Bang evacuation, 3 October Route 1950 4 and Cousin Luc Attack on Dong Khe, 1 and 2 October 1950 Charton’s trail of tears Massacre at Coxha Gorge Charton’s last stand Flapping fish North, West and Central African troops Plates CHAPTER XI Enter General Lattre de Tassigny The actor ‘Roi Jean’ De Gaulle exits politics Giap’s plans to swamp the French in their Red River bastion The de Lattre lines Skewered by a lance Battle of Vinh Yen, 13-17 January 1951 Battle of Mao Khe, 23-29 March 1951 Battle of the Day River, 29 May-18 June 1951 Political consequences of failure and trouble in the party De Lattre in America Jack and Bobby in Indochina October 1951 CHAPTER XII Giáp’s New Strategic Directions - Death of Stalin - Land Reform Battle of Nghia Lo, 3-10 October 1951 Blockhouse attacks The Hoa Binh campaign: October 1951-February 1952 Why Hoa Binh? Salan First moves: setting up firebases and Klaus Klause cruises up river to Hoa Binh Attacks on river supply route Attacks along the RC6 Attacks on the garrison at Hoa Binh Retreat from Hoa Binh and Legionnaire Krause, February 1952 Postscript to Hoa Binh Vietnamisation and US pressure Fall of the T’ai country, Tu Le and Bigeard’s escape Priests Operation Lorraine, October 1952 Korean armistice and Pierre Mendes-France The beginning of the Lao problem Land reform, class war, terror and civil mobilisation 1952-3 Uncle Chinh The radical phase of land refo CHAPTER XIII Genevieve’s War Genevieve’s path to Indochina Saigon - Dolce Vita Genevieve in Hanoi and the medivac tour Ná Sán Vietminh reaction to defeat at Na San, and American criticism of Salan CHAPTER XIV Lao - France’s Achilles Heel and the Navarre Plan Giap attacks Lao, April 1953 Churchill on Indochina General Navarre arrives US reaction to the Navarre plan and the political situation in Indochina War Tactical and strategic issues for both sides and the decision to occupy Dien Bien Phu Operations Hirondelle and Atlante Graham Greene in Dien Bien Phu CHAPTER XV Theatre of Battle, Strategies, and the Road to Bermuda The theatre of battle French tactical plan Developments in US policy and communist tactics, the Cold War Vietminh strategy Towards détente? Taking the goat in Bermuda CHAPTER XVI A Nation on the March ‘We must win at all costs’ Marching with Pham Closing the doors Operation Castor, opening gambits The Lai Chau debacle US political opinion Berlin, February 1954 The great convergence Giap’s crisis, delay and reversal of strategy, January 1954 The 308th’s Laos excursion, January-February 1954 The troops Legionnaires and the Camerone The roads, logistics and air power French defences The artillery duel The French commanders Hill 781 Divided objectives/divided counsels French intelligence analysis and GMI (GMCA) Pham waits to attack Diplomacy on the road to Geneva CHAPTER XVII The Battle of Dien Bien Phu, 13 March 1954 First general offensive, Beatrice (Him Lam), and closing the airstrip - 13 to 14 March Aftershock The fall of Gabrielle (Dôc Lâp) Anne-Marie Pause and replenishment Trench warfare 16-17 March The AA battle Bigeard has landed The path to Isabelle Sniping around Isabelle mid-March 1954 Bigeard’s attack on the western front, 28 March Pham’s war and the monsoon Genevieve flies in General Ely goes to Washington, 22 March 1954 The low Elianes and Dominique The others: PIMs, camp followers, coolies and river rats CHAPTER XVIII The Second General Offensive The Battle for the Five Hills, 30 March 1954 The general assault and Éliane 1, 30 March Dominique 2 and Éliane 2, 30 March Lieutenant Brunbouk stands by his guns Casualties at dawn French high command Negative rightist thoughts In Washington Izvestia calling French rations First Battle for Huguette 6, 4-6 April 1954 Dominoes, 7 April press conference in Washington Crisis diplomacy in Washington, London and Paris Churchill’s policy Hold by the belt Genevieve’s view Bigeard’s offensive to re-take Éliane 1, 10 April Rescue: flight of the condor Eden’s diplomatic dance Huguette 6 final offensive, 17-19 April Churchill says ‘No!’ The loss of the fortress must be faced Fight for Huguette 1, 18-22 April Scraping the barrel, 20 April Washington, 23 April New positions and Bidault’s desperation Washington, 29 April CHAPTER XIX The Third General Offensive, 30 April Attacks on Huguette 5, 30 April-1 May Éliane 1, 30-31 May Dominique 3, 2 May Isabelle, 2 May Huguette 4 and Lily, 4 May Huguette 3 Logistics crisis Jumps into hell The general’s visit to the field hospital Éliane 2, 5.30 p.m. 5 May Éliane 4 6 May and Éliane 10 From Russia with love, 7 May Endgame Central zone Claudine 5, 6 May 11 p.m. Éliane 4, 6/7 May 7 May Éliane 4 Finale: the fall of Éliane 11 and 12 Afternoon, 7 May No white flags, 7 May 5 p.m. Isabelle and breakout CHAPTER XX Prisoners Geneva Conference and after Appendix I: Casualties Appendix II: Military Assessment of the French Indochina War Abbreviations and Basic explanations, Including Ideological Terms Notes Bibliography Back Cover A forensic study of war, imperial history and international relations, following the Second World War and leading into the Cold War and defeat of Western imperialism in Asia. And above all, the story of the pivotal battle and French defeat at Dien Bien Phu. It shows France's revanchist attempt to regain imperial 'glory' in her former Asian empire following humiliation in the Second World War - defeat and Vichy. The effort was spurred by de Galle's chauvinism and desire to recover Frances honour and reputation, after so many humiliations by friend and foe. The Communist led Vietminh, were guided to victory by ruthless revolutionary Ho Chi Min - far from the attractive 'Uncle Ho' who is revered as a communist saint in contrast to louche playboy emperor Bao Dai and the very able General Giap. Communist strength in rural Vietnam society - the Vietminh represented a nation in arms was backed by supplies from Communist China and the Soviet Union. It was an existential struggle on the French side - the end of cafe society, and the gravy train for planters, officials, the military, and politicians. Military matters including General Giaps strategy and tactics are analyzed in detail, but it was a 'soldiers' war', told at ground-level, and readers will feel the heat and fear of battle, be shocked at war crimes, and intrigued by the tales of Graham Greene et al. The global importance was not lost on the powers following exhaustion from world war and in the shadow of the Cold War. All great leaders were involved, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Churchill, Stalin, Khruschev, Chou En-Lai and Mao Zedong, Under the shadow of the A bomb, a negotiated peace and first detent of the Cold War would end in the sumptuous salons of Geneva.