The French Indochina War, 1946-54

Cold War – The Early Vietnam War, 1945-63

In this course, Aurelie Basha i Novosejt (University of Kent) explores the early Vietnam War from 1945 to 1963. In the first module, we look at the French Indochina War from 1946 to 1954. After this, we look at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Conference of 1954. Then, we discuss the leadership in North and South Vietnam from 1954 to 1961. In the fourth module, we look at the Kennedy Administration's policy toward Vietnam from 1961 to 1963. After this, we focus in more detail on the counter-insurgency programs of the early 1960s. Finally, we explore the counterfactual question of what would have happened in Vietnam if Kennedy had not be assassinated in November 1963.

The French Indochina War, 1946-54

In this module, we look at the French Indochina War from 1946 to 1954. In particular, we will focus on: (i) where Indochina is and some background about its history, including how it became a French colony in the 19th century; (ii) the occupation of Vietnam by the Japanese during the Second World War; (iii) France's desire to retake Indochina after the Second World War and how this led to war with the Viet Minh; and (iv) the developments of the French Indochina War, including a discussion of early US involvement.