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Education Reading Vietnam War

US supported French territories after WWII

The Pentagon Papers Part V-B1 reveals a series of secret documents written during World War II regarding French demands the US supported French territories after the war.

President Roosevelt did not want France to reclaim IndoChina but had to capitulate to de Gaulle’s demands in Europe against Soviet Russia. Today its amusing de Gaulle threatened France would fall under communist influence after the war.

Pentagon PapersAfter both Roosevelt and Truman administrations, President Eisenhower found himself lending support to another French request regarding their colonial empire in IndoChina when France asked the United States to drop 3 atomic bombs at Dien Bien Phu on the tenth day of the month long siege.

Its surprising to see Eisenhower actually kept this request on the table, indicating his serious support for dropping multiple atomic bombs on a single battlefield.  Only until the British ambassador objected to the outcome of such an action did Eisenhower refuse. Was the US destined to be drawn to Vietnam only to support the France’s desire to restart it’s aging empire?

United States Position With Respect to French Territory After the War

During the past three years there have been a number of public pronouncements, as well as unpublished statements, by the President, the Secretary of State, and other high ranking officials of this Government regarding the future of French territory after the war, The most important of these pronouncements and statements are set forth below,

1. In a statement issued on August 2, 1941, concerning the agreement entered into between the French and Japanese Governments regarding French Indochina, the Secretary of State said:

“This Government, mindful of its traditional friendship for France, has deeply sympathized with the desire of the French people to maintain their territories and to preserve them intact. In Its relations with the French Government at Vichy and with the local French authorities in French territories, the United States will be governed by the manifest effectiveness with which those authorities endeavor to protect these territories from domination and control by those powers which are seeking to extend their rule by force and conquest, or by the threat thereof.”
(Department of State Press Release No. 374)

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Education Reading Vietnam War

Surprising Roosevelt letter to Hirohito on December 6th

The Pentagon Papers (Volume V-B1 The Roosevelt Administration 1940-1945) reveals a surprising Roosevelt letter to Emperor Hirohito on December 6th just one day before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Indeed our interests in Vietnam began even before World War II.
The Pentagon PapersThis memorandum really makes you consider a deeper look at diplomatic communications leading up to the surprise attack.

The U.S. supported French colonial rule in Indochina and moved against Japanese invasion and subsequent surrender of French forces after Japan’s Imperial army marched on Saigon.

Based upon early recollections of history it can be surprising to discover President Roosevelt’s letter to Emperor Hirohito on December 6th. FDR loosely suggested U.S. soldiers could be deployed to Vietnam and confront Japanese forces. By December 6th the Japanese army and navy had successfully confronted French colonial troops on Vietnam’s coastline and were in control of Saigon.

Saber-rattling? Perhaps. Clearly U.S. interests in Indochina came into greater focus after Roosevelt stopped petroleum sales to Japan following their invasions of China and Indochina. Japan acting to secure territory-rich petroleum to support their war efforts targeted the oil rich Dutch East Indies.

Roosevelt expressed that Japan’s invasion of Indochina was “unthinkable” and hinted at sending US troops to Vietnam unless Japan abandoned Indochina. Cannot help but read this saber-rattling with the existing strenuous relations between Japan and the United States:

President Roosevelt to Emperor Hirohito of Japan
Washington December 6, 1941

More than a year ago Your Majesty’s Government concluded an agreement with the Vichy Government by which five or six thousand Japanese troops were permitted to enter into Northern French Indo-China for the protection of Japanese troops which were operating against China further north. And this Spring and Summer the Vichy Government permitted further. Japanese military forces to enter into Southern French Indo-China for the common defense of French Indo-China. I think I am correct in saying that no attack has been made upon Indo-China, nor that any has been contemplated.

During the past few weeks it has become clear to the world that Japanese military, naval and air forces have been sent to Southern Indo-China in such large numbers as to create a reasonable doubt on the part of other nations that this continuing concentration in Indo-China is not defensive in its character.

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Bandwidth for Schools

A National Broadband Policy needs to be more than just a talking point. Schools in our country need to upgrade their internet bandwidth to 25 Megabytes per second. This is for every school — not just the K12 district who slices up the bandwidth based upon the total number of school buildings in the district. The technology and educational impact upon our schools: leaving them behind just when students from around the world are joining and benefiting from the broadband educational internet.

Playing catch-up
Today we find a majority of schools around the country in the educational slow lane. For some reason it does not matter if the school is remote or urban, many are connecting at just 5 Megabits/second. Its like teaching history with books that still recognize Russia as the old Soviet Union….oh how I miss Gorgachev.
Any college connecting at less than 10MB — shows a lack of understanding and vision for their students who enter higher education seeking not just a degree but an advantage to enter the global marketplace.

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