Our Support Of The French In Indochina example essay topic

The French, after World War II wanted to control Indochina by returning the area to a pre-war colonial status, believing they were better suited to bring economic growth to that part of the world. The United States, a country which demanded self rule from England in 1776, plays the hypocrite by supporting France in order to secure Europe from Soviet expansion. How far does one go to stop another's ideological beliefs? Do countries that practice freedoms of choice have a moral obligation to intervene in another's affairs, or do they let those who reside there, determine their own future?

At the end of World War II, Stalin and the Russian Empire took advantage of the weaken state of the European Theater by installing several puppet regimes in weaken countries, including Germany, Hungary, and Poland. This unchecked spread of communism was of great concern to the rest of Europe and the United States. Two countries with much to lose, Turkey and Greece were in urgent need of aid to assist in their reconstruction after the war. Their survival and resistance to communism were not only critical to Europe, but would hamper Russia's unrestricted access to the Mediterranean Sea and controlling numerous seaports, including those in the Middle East. The Truman Doctrine not only assured assistance to Turkey and Greece, but created a policy of containment, allowing the communist block countries to exist, but not allow their policies to spread further into Europe. This stalemate between the European countries aligned with the United States and the Soviet Union created an "Iron Curtain" across Europe, and with Russia's successful test of an atom bomb an uneasiness across the globe was generated and the start of the "Cold War".

In order for the security of Europe to take hold, all countries within the European theater had to participate, this included the French. Prior to the start of the Second World War, France had several colonies set up in the Indochina area including Vietnam. As part of their agreement to participate in Europe's security they wanted to reestablish these ties in Southeast Asia. In as much as the United States didn't approve of colonization of Indochina, there were several factors that ultimately allowed them to say yes. 1. The security of Europe had to come first, at this time the issues in Southeast Asia were deemed non-issues.

Thus we were willing to accept the French terms. A policy of a strong France for a strong Europe existed within the administration. 2. Based on the United States lack of understanding of that part of the world and our complete lack of respect for there culture and way of life we believed the French would provide a stabilizing affect in area were communism could take hold. 3. Last, the assumption that somehow Ho Chi Minh was a puppet of Moscow's and a pupil of Stalin.

Ho Chi Minh, from the caves of northern Vietnam had won the hearts and souls of the Vietnamese, but he was not a puppet for neither China nor Russia. However with his brand of communism and the fall of the National Chinese to the communist, and Russia's growing strength, there were grave concerns that communism would spread throughout Southeast Asia. At the same time McCarthyism was taking a strangle hold within the United States. With Ho Chi Minh being portrayed as a communist in the Moscow mold, the anti-communist here help support the administration objectives in Southeast Asia. In addition, the idea that if Indochina falls into communist control there would be economic pitfalls, through loss of trade in natural recourses, and a military strategic balance of power would go to the communist, particularly to the Soviet Union. Because of this, our support of the French in Indochina grew deeper and deeper; their failures not only would affect them but us as well.

In reality, Ho Chi Minh wanted nothing to do with China and / or Russia. His goal was to unite his people and have self rule without any French influence. Due to the arrogance of the United States, we believed the Vietnamese were incapable of self-government, and the French were better suited for it. With the rise of Russia, and its domination of the eastern European countries and the collapse of China, forced the American government to take a stand on the spread of communism, in effect the "domino theory", were one country after the other would fall to a communist regime within Southeast Asia. The United States believed Ho Chi Minh had to be stopped, thus they supplied the French with millions of dollars in military hardware, but no troops. In addition, the United States made a couple of proposals to the French.

One, establish a Vietnamese National Army to assist in fighting the Vietminh. Two, offer the French use of a small Military Assistance and Advisory Group (MAAG) in helping train and providing guidance to the VNA. However, both recommendations failed terribly. Total VNA strength never got above 38,000 solders, and the French totally ignored any MAAG recommendations and failed to keep them within the loop.

At the Geneva Conference in 1954 a partition was established along the sixteenth parallel. This parallel allowed both Vietminh and French forces to retreat to each side without hostilities occurring. Also, Vietminh troops with withdraw from both Laos and Cambodia regions. China, fearing United States involvement would not set up military alliances or permit foreign bases on there soil.

This containment policy worked for a short period of time, but the spread of communism was halted. Regardless of the ineptness of the French, the United States would support them to the end. The governments fear of communism and the threat it posed to national security; America's failure to completely comprehend Ho Chi Minh and his goals; our arrogant attitude of having the model society, were all reasons why we elevated Vietnam to a global area of concern.