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| Ho Chi Minh |
During
French Colonial rule in the 1930's, the Vietnamese were becoming anti
colonial, opposing French rule, especially considering that factories
were all French run. The most prominent example being Ho Chi Minh
communism in favour of colonialism proposition. In 1930 he created
the Indochina Communist Party and was met with opposition by the
French government, who had him condemned to death. After the fall of
France to Germany in 1940, he was able to take advantage of this
situation and shortly thereafter, he and his lieutenants entered
Vietnam in 1941. Then he established the League for the Independence
of Vietnam (Viet Minh), which replaced the former Indochina Communist
Party. In 1945, he declared Vietnam independent, meeting greater
resistance from the French government. Charles de Gaulle was the
leader of France at the time and opposed Minh's take over of Vietnam
and therefore sent in French troops, which reclaimed control of South
Vietnam. Negotiations occurred between the two parties, but led
nowhere. The stalemate was broken, when the French opened fire on
Vietnamese, killing 6, 000 and starting the First (or French)
Indochina War (1946 - 1954). Through guerrilla tactics, Minh's army
was able to defeat the French, ending the war in a landslide for the
Viet Minh at the battle of Dien Bien Phu. France had built up an
developed Vietnam as colony to supply the entire empire with rubber.
With the loss of this colony in 1954, it was no longer self
sufficient. As well, the loss of the colony, meant that the French
Empire lost a market for the empire's goods, as Vietnam could no
longer have French goods forced upon them.
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| Dien Bien Phu |
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| Dien Bien Phu Map |
Citations
Encyclopædia
Britannica Online,
s. v. "Indochina wars," accessed December 05, 2012,
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/286443/Indochina-wars.
Encyclopædia
Britannica Online,
s. v. "Ho Chi Minh," accessed December 05, 2012,
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/268300/Ho-Chi-Minh.
Encyclopædia
Britannica Online,
s. v. "Battle of Dien Bien Phu," accessed December 05,
2012,
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/162678/Battle-of-Dien-Bien-Phu.
"Dien Bien Phu," accessed December 8, 2012,http://www.mekongexpress.com/laos/general/dbp_battlemap.htm
"A Day That Shook ...," accessed December 8, 2012, http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/history/a-day-that-shook-the-world-french-surrender-at-dien-bien-phu-2234619.html
Warfare is a fascinating subject. Despite the dubious morality of using violence to achieve personal or political aims. It remains that conflict has been used to do just that throughout recorded history.
ReplyDeleteYour article is very well done, a good read.
Warfare is a fascinating subject. Despite the dubious morality of using violence to achieve personal or political aims. It remains that conflict has been used to do just that throughout recorded history.
ReplyDeleteYour article is very well done, a good read.