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Education Reading Vietnam War

Latest Read: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu by Jules Roy. Jules was a French writer and outspoken critic of French colonialism across Indochina. Jules published this book just seven years following the French defeat. To his credit, he wrote a detailed book and a trip back to the valley writing with the knowledge available to him at that time.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu by Jules Roy

Much of the information was raw and new scholarship would remain elusive for decades. North Vietnam’s essential documents along with those of the French, British, and American governments were still classified. To this end, the facts have not really changed, only the recent access to NVA documents helps shape context today.

However, Roy portrays an honest, detailed assessment of the battle based upon a return visit to the valley. Roy is perhaps one of the early recognized authors of the siege. While subsequent authors have added valuable additions to the west’s understanding, his efforts certainly allowed for early insights by Americans just as Vietnam began to come into greater focus across our country.

Yet, America was still awash in post-World War II success and global expansion under then President Eisenhower. But the warning signs across Laos and Cambodia were ringing.

Roy introduces the appointment of General Navarre as commander of French forces in Vietnam. Navarre’s plan, with the approval of the US was to provoke Giap by duplicating the success at at Na San and ultimately push the Viet Minh into a final pitched battle at Dien Bien Phu.

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Education Reading Vietnam War

Latest Read: Tightrope

Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope by the husband/wife team of Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Nicholas is a two time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, in addition he has been a finalist seven times while Sheryl is also a Pulitzer winner.

Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
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Nicholas in fact, grew up on a sheep and cherry farm near Yamhill, Oregon and his hometown is the cornerstone of this book. Subsequently he graduated from Harvard and holds a law degree from Oxford, while Sheryl graduated from Cornell and holds an MPA from Princeton and an MBA from Harvard.

In addition, Sheryl and Nicholas have co-authored China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power and Thunder from the East: Portrait of a Rising Asia. Furthermore, Sheryl wrote her third best-seller Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide in 2009.

Nicholas did not qualify to run for Governor in Oregon in 2022 due to his residence in NYC. His family still owns their farm in Oregon. I certainly hope he runs for office in the future. This book obviously reveals they hold a solid understanding of the challenges and opportunities confronting our country.

Tightrope should be difficult book to fully digest. The impact around our local community and our country are certainly profound. Likewise, Tightrope documents a real world view of where we are heading, and it is not all too positive.

Life is not a box of chocolates

Chapter One begins with a simple message as Nicholas reflects upon the kids he rode the school bus while growing up. In fact, one quickly becomes aware of how families across our country have struggled, faltered, and died just like the kids on bus number six.

Furthermore, this book addresses a deep level of concerns for America today: homelessness, isolation, obesity, depression, unemployment, drugs, alcoholism, incarceration, diabetics and suicide. Tightrope on the other hand, demonstrates how government programs can be very helpful to address long standing inequities at the federal to local levels.

Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Categories
Education Reading Vietnam War

Latest Read: The Origins of the Vietnam War

The Origins of the Vietnam War by Fredrik Logevall. He is a Professor of History at Harvard University. His book, Embers of War won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize.

The Origins of the Vietnam War by Fredrik Logevall

Previously, Fredrik taught at UC Santa Barbara and co-founded the University of California, Santa Barbara Center for Cold War Studies. In 2004 he began teaching at Cornell University. In addition, from 2006-07 was a Mellon Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge. He is an associate of the London School of Economics IDEAS Cold War Studies Programme.

This publication is rather brief, yet delivers impactful, easy reading. This short work should be considered mandatory for high school curriculum.

Part One looks at the First Vietnam war, between the French and Vietminh. He provides the French historical view of attempting to simply gain credibility and new markets. Their military, certainly humiliated by Prussia in the late 1970s and both World Wars sought victory. In addition, French financial and business interests needed to create new markets.

Fredrick follows up in Part Two, providing the foundation for America’s entry into Indochina from the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu to July 1965 under President Johnson. This serves everyone well by simply introducing the research to support America’s position of continued war across Indochina. By today, all the major players in this timeframe have died. In addition, documents classified during this timeframe are now available.

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Education Reading Vietnam War

Latest Read: Dien Bien Phu and the Crisis of Franco-American Relations

Dien Bien Phu and the Crisis of Franco-American Relations, 1954-1955 by Lawrense Kaplan, Denise Arraud, and Mark Rubin. This research is certainly a very intriguing collection of American and French academics re-approaching the relationship during the key event that would be driving American foreign policy for a generation.

Dien Bien Phu and the Crisis of Franco-American Relations

Published in 1980, these insights offers the west deep new, modern insights into post World War II Asia. Therefore I have embedded an extended series of quotes which highlight the historical, complex, and strained relationship between France and the United States during the siege that would cast aside France from the world’s stage as a power.

Readers can certainly view Japan’s attack of Pearl Harbor, Truman’s betrayal of FDR, and Eisenhower’s failures in a new light. The papers also addresses the domino theory, the deep conflicts between Ely and Radford that ultimately focused on the failed attempt at Operation Vulture. Yet nothing could save France from defeat even with atomic weapons.

Finally, the French 1955 attempted coup d’état reveals the absolute desperation of French attempts to claw back into Vietnam. These topics jumped out as key strains between Franco-American relations that linger into the 1960s. My Dien Bien Phu retrospective is certainly expanding via this research.

Table of Contents:

Prologue: Perceptions by the United States of its interests in Indochina
1. Franco-American conflict in Indochina, 1950-1954
2. The French military and U.S. participation in the Indochina War
3. Britain and the crisis over Dien Bien Phu, April 1954
4. Eisenhower, Dulles, and Dien Bien Phu: “The day we didn’t go to war”
5. Military necessity, political impossibility: French overview on operation Vautour
6. Redefining the American position in Southeast Asia
7. From Geneva to Manila: British policy toward Indochina and SEATO
8. Passage of empire: the United States, France, and South Vietnam, 1954-55
9. Repercussions of the Geneva Conference: South Vietnam under a new protector
10. Spring 1955: Crisis in Saigon
11. The United States, NATO, and French Indochina
12. France between the Indochina War and the European defense community

Even the Prologue: Perceptions by the United States of its interests in Indochina by Richard Immerman will startle readers. Immerman suggests Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor an intentional ploy to divert global interest away from their aims across Indochina. Certainly this appears true today.

Yet for Americans this is a rather stark suggestion. Yet upon reflection there is merit to the Japan’s single strike. Why risk resources in Indochina when a full defensive strategy against America would culminate in the the atomic bombing of their mainland.

Japan had already invaded and conquered China. France surrendered to Japanese troops across Indochina, yet managed to negotiate terms after Japan’s invasion of French Indochina in 1940. At the height of the second French colonial empire, Paris ruled almost 9% of the global population.

Set against Communist China and the Soviet Union, President Eisenhower ultimately shaped a policy leading America to war for a generation. Resource rich Indochina would be providing Japan much needed raw materials to drive their war effort. When American banned oil sales to the Japanese mainland, Indochina became their target.

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Education Reading Vietnam War

Latest Read: Valley of the Shadow

Valley of the Shadow: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu by Kevin Boylan and Luc Olivier. What makes this book so valuable is their access to Vietnamese research never before published. This illustrates n new view of the siege. My Dien Bien Phu retrospective will now place Boylan and Olivier’s work as the most detailed order of battle.

Valley of the Shadow

Bernard Fall’s Hell in a Very Small Place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu remains the most essential work. Valley of the Shadow compliments and introduces those new Vietnamese insights. This provides the West with deeper sights as we approach a 70 year remembrance of the siege.

Boylan and Olivier also shed insight to Navarre’s initial plan. Amazingly, he wanted to cancel the entire operation at the last possible minute. Yet firm dates for the Geneva Conference already in place. France hoped for a repeat of their victory at Na San and a strong negotiation advantage.

Interestingly, Valley of the Shadow reflects upon the pompous views of French officers. Their suggestions following Na San, that the Viet Minh would simply fall victim a second time proved so foolish.

Boylan and Olivier offer a few new details to attack plan “Fast Strike, Fast Victory” proposed by Giap. Planned for January, Giap modified to “Steady Fight, Steady Advance.” As victory was within reach, Strike Fast would be delivering a final blow to the French command HQ.

Dedicating a full chapter to the opening 72 hours of the siege provides richer insights. Most importantly, new datasets help confirm early Viet Minh’s attack victories.