Vietnam Conflict with France - Term Paper Example

Vietnam Conflict with France Introduction Historians have acknowledged the piece of evidence that there had been struggling in Vietnam for decades earlier than Vietnam War began. People from Vietnam had put up with French colonial rule for more than six decades when Japanese force conquered parts of Vietnam in 1940. The Vietnam conflict with France really started in 1847 through the military operations made by French troops as a part of protecting the Catholic groups (Spartacus Educational). The war is also known as French Indochina war, Franco- Vietnamese War, Franco- Viet Minh War and The dirty War. Historians have documented variety of causes like politics, social, economic and legal issues play a vital role in the conflict. Vietnam conflict with France contributes severe losses in both sides. Because of inadequate troops and war strategies, France faced failure. Diversity of Terrain, density in population and guerrilla war strategies became supporting forces for Vietnam. In addition, war between Vietnam and France paved the way for aggravating social tension, economic crisis and political pressure in France. Like France, war affected Vietnam also in different ways. After the war, the nation is subjected to substantial political polarizations such as the immediate spreading of communism, mounting American invasion and nation’s socio-economic changes. Vietnam conflicts with France ends in the failure of France and it paved the way for substantial changes in social and political fields of Vietnam and Southeast Asian region. Historical background of Vietnam conflicts with France It is a startling piece of information for a reader that Vietnam conflicts with France has some historical backdrops. In 17th century, Catholic missionaries had reached in Vietnam and engaged in religious activities. In the beginning, missionaries had concentrated on religious programs and related social services. Later missionaries had marked their name in politics and trade. As a result, missionaries were forced to accept protest from native Vietnamese. In 847, France had sent troops to Vietnam for rescue service. Vietnam became beneficial for the French and “Vietnam had good supplies of coal, tin, zinc and rubber” (Spartacus Educational). Majority of the above mentioned products were sent to France and Vietnam also makes available a fine market for French manufactured goods. Research professionals had marked that by 1938; more than 57% of all Vietnam’s imports were French companies and business groups. The spread of communism had inspired many Vietnamese and they began to question the French authority to rule Vietnam. During the end of 1880s French forces had established a powerful region in Northern Vietnam and they became a substantial power in Northern Vietnam. The native Vietnamese faced severe hardships from French authorities in different ways. They were forced to work in tea plantations and rubber estates with low wages and unhealthy conditions. French officials had pressed the rights of its employees through unnecessary taxes and imprisonment without trial. As a part of their continuous provocation against Vietnam, France had used border disputes for their operations against Vietnam and it followed by Paknam navel incident. Consequently, some preventive measures were generated from the side of Vietnam and these circumstantial changes acted as contributory factors in France- Indochina war. Vietnam conflicts with France after the Declaration of Independence in 1945 Ho Chi Minh had declared Vietnam as an independent nation on 2th September, 1945 and the people from Vietnam welcomed the new land. Even though France had forced to receive the pressure from Japan and America, French troops continuously expressed their unwillingness to quit the land. “The French, however, were not willing to give up their colony so easily and fought back” (Rosenberg). Their isolated attacks against Vietnamese have changed the land in to place having unending conflicts. However, United States and Japan had kept a passive attitude towards French invasion in Vietnam. The bombardment of Haiphong had worked as a catalyst in the war between France and Vietnam and it is considered as the quick reason for the encounter. Gary Donaldson made some relevant researches in the field of Vietnam conflicts with France and examines the causes of the conflicts. Donaldson states that “On November 23, After the French ordered the Viet Minh to evacuate Haiphong, a French Cruiser opened fire on the city with heavy guns” (Donaldson 76). After the sudden burst out, French officials reported that more than 6000 Vietnamese were killed in the operation French attack had revealed its aggressiveness against its enemies and, for Vietnam the attack became a sudden thrash to its nationality. After the burst out of World War II, South Asia had demonstrated some signs of new conflicts and these conflicts created tension in Southeast Asia. Japanese invasion of French equatorial Vietnam spread some signs of nationalism among the public. Japanese invasion had eliminated the myth of Western invincibility and it triggered the rise of nationalism. Analyzing the war, it is obvious that Viet Minh had the advantage of fighting homeland having a glorious aim shared by most of the people in Vietnam- independence. Initial status of the war had exposed French domination against Vietnamese. Gene Im examines the war procedure in a detailed manner in the work entitled A Comparison of the French Indochina War and the Vietnam War. Author remarks that “From the onset of the war, the French held the major cities in Vietnam and the most significant actions were in the countryside of Cochin China and Tonkin (Southern and Northern sectors of Vietnam)” (Im). The use of Guerrilla war strategy had made a payment for Vietnamese against France. Because of the extreme mobility of guerrilla groups, Viet Minh successfully practiced guerrilla war. French force often faced difficulties in handling the quick and unexpected guerrilla attacks and they had never organize a counter insurgency method against Vietnamese because of sufficient troops. Anyhow, the absence of sufficient military force, the diversity of terrain and the density in population made French war strategies in applicable to Vietnam. In 1954, the conflicts between France and Indochina reached its zenith and the final encounter is held on at Dien Bien Phu in the Tonkin sector. Here, Viet Minh troops under the control of Vo Nguyen Giap and the French Union’s French Far East Expeditionary Corps were entered in to face to face encounter. Most of the fighting took place in Northern Vietnam especially Tonkin area. More than fifty thousand Vietnamese and twenty thousand soldiers from French side were involved in the battle at Dien Bien Phu village. After the initial fall Viet Minh strongly way back to the battlefield and they captured colonies from France. Socio-economic and political changes which happened after 1950s in Vietnam forced France to think about a withdrawal from the land. The Viet Minh advantaged from the Communist administration having taken authority in China at the same time as the French in Vietnam depicted from immeasurable resources. Vietnam conflicts with France widely accepted “the dirty war” because of its unexpected loss and unpopularity at home. Mark Atwood Lawrence observes that “By the end of 1952, more than fifty thousand soldiers from France and French empire were dead, missing, or captured- seemingly senseless losses in a brutal conflict nicknamed “the dirty war” (Lawrence). During the end of 1950s, United States was paying more than half of expense of the France’s endeavor in Vietnam. Historians have mentioned that Geneva Conference is the substantial consequence of Vietnam conflicts with France. In 1954, Geneva Conference was held to settle on the fate of Vietnam. As per the norms of Geneva Conference, Communists get the North part which is known as Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the non-Communists get Southern part of Vietnam and they got the title State of Vietnam. As Dr. Constance Wilson comments; “The Vietnamese rejected French rule, and after defeating the French at Dien Bien Phu, obtained their independence at the Geneva Conference in 1954” (Wilson). In addition, Viet Minh acquired diplomatic acknowledgment from Soviet Union and Communist China after the France-Indochina war. To the France, the war provided some devastating consequences in its prestige. Mass killing in the war field caused social and political crisis in both nations. Furthermore, failure at Dein Bien Phu led France to insurrection in Algeria by Muslim activists. Experts of international politics have observed that through achieving the U.S recognition for its marionette king Bao Dai, French marked diplomatic victory in Vietnam. The rise of communism and the thought of unification act as contributory effects in French –Indochina war. Conclusion In conclusion, it is apparent that Vietnam conflicts with France have some historical backdrops and the war contributed severe consequences in both sides including massive loss of man power. Vietnamese had suffered the malevolence of colonial administration for more than six decades and their frustration and rise of nationalism became a major reason for the war. After the declaration of independence, Vietnam expected to make a new government but French intrusions became a practical barrier for Vietnamese in making a stable government. Vietnam conflicts with France reached its zenith after the event of bombardment of Haiphong. French troops faced initial victories against Vietnam and later they faced difficulties in preventing guerrilla war strategies effectively. Even though the failure at Dein Bien Phu caused French withdrawal from Vietnam, it contributed some diplomatic benefits for France. Similarly, Vietnam received diplomatic acknowledgement from Soviet Union and Communist China. Works cited Donaldson, Gary. America at war since 1945: politics and diplomacy in Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. Illustrated edn. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996. Print. Im, Gene. A Comparison of the French Indochina War and the Vietnam War. Silvapages. 1995. Dec 5. 2011. http://www.pvhs.chico.k12.ca.us/~bsilva/projects/wars/indochina.vietnam.comparison.htm Lawrence, Mark A. The Vietnam War: A Concise International History: the end of French era. Illustrated edn. Oxford University Press, 2010. Print. Rosenberg, Jennifer. Vietnam War. About.com Guide. 2011. Web. Dec 5. 2011. http://history1900s.about.com/od/vietnamwar/a/vietnamwar.htm Spartacus Educational. The Vietnam War. spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk. Web. Dec 5. 2011. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/VietnamWar.htm Wilson, Constance. Colonialism and Nationalism in Southeast Asia. seasite.niu.edu. Web. Dec 5. 2011. http://www.seasite.niu.edu/crossroads/wilson/colonialism.htm Read More