Ho Chi Minh, 1945-1954: Revolution & Independence

The Making of a Military Genius War has always been fought and won by foot soldiers in their boots or sandals. The Vietnam war saga during the Indochina period was no different. But the extent of victory or defeat will also depend on the comparative strength of the forces in the battlefield. The better trained and larger army would no doubt have more chance of defeating a smaller army deprived of basic necessities. Although many other elements come into play, and let's not play the armchair strategist here, leadership is tantamount. Like in sport, if you compare 2 teams you look at the players but also the coach, everything else being equal.  Leadership is the single most important factor in any conflict, especially when the conditions were unfavorable. The final outcome in the First Indochina War and its US sequel can be explained by the quality of leading actors. In that sense the end result was preordained. People of different cultural background adopted different priority i...

War and Peace imbroglio While Japan surrendered to Allies troops composed of Chinese in the north and British in the south of the 16th parallel, France was preparing for a hasty return to Indochina. She will have to transport her troops stationed in Ceylon, Madagascar and France itself totaling about 20,000 in fast order to reinforce her depleted contingent in the colony. In the meantime, China has 150,000 soldiers of Lu Han a warlord ready to cross the border into Tonkin, under the arrangement of the victorious Allies. On September 9th, the main force entered Hanoi. My mother recalled their arrival, hungry and haggard, ready to tear down anything and put into their bag or their mouth. People called them Tàu phù (bloated Chinese), a very demeaning label indeed. Viewed the historical sensitivity of the Vietnamese towards their fellow neighbors from the north, one could assume that Indochina was not a top priority for the Allies.  Ho Chi Minh was more concerned about the final mo...

After de Lattre return to France and his untimely death in December 1952, the military situation remained deadlocked, a fragile and unsettling status quo. De Lattre aggressive strategy relying on mobile army groups with  flexible defensive tactics during his short tenure in Indochina allowed a period of renewed optimism. For the French, the worst seemed to be well behind especially with a firmer commitment from the Americans to increase aid for Indochina. And the late de Lattre de Tassigny, a well respected military hero, played a vital role in reinforcing the US position coupled with a hardening US stand on communism. Contrary to common knowledge, US military involment in Indochina started well before the fall of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. With the defeat of nationalist China of Chiang Kai Shek to Mao's forces and their daring military attack of Korea in 1951, American policy took a 180 degree turn around. The US suddenly realized that it has to fight the Communist threat both in E...

Introduction Under pressure from the Truman administration, Bao Dai name came up again in 1947 when the French was searching for a new political formula to save the day. With the Viet Minh gaining ground, both as a political force as well as a military power to be reckoned with, France played the card of Bao Dai to become head of state for Indochina. It was a telling sign that French authorities were desperate to revamp a colonial system in disarray.  Since his abdication after the August Revolution in 1945, other than the symbolic title given to him by Ho Chi Minh as supreme advisor to the communist government, the deposed emperor just left from the scene, living in exile in Hong Kong. But Bollaert, the French high commissioner approached him to return as the new leader of a 'free Vietnam within the French Union'. After unfruitful discussions for full independence of Indochina, Bao Dai has had enough and took refuge in Cannes, spending his days playing cards and visiting c...