America's Vietnam War and Its French Connection

Frank Cain is a Visiting Fellow at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of New South Wales in Canberra.

• 1. The Return of French Colonialism and the Formation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam2. The US Reaction to French Colonialism and the Franco-American Affiliation3. The Return of the French Army and the Collapse of French/DRV Negotiations 4. The Modus Vivendi and the Battle for Haiphong 5. The DRV’s Evacuation to the Mountains, Moutet’s Failed Mission to Ho Chi Minh and Admiral d’Argenlieu’s Departure From Office 6. French Military Losses Against the DRV and the French Search for a Replacement of its Colonial Administration7. The Rise of Communist China and the Crisis of Bao Dai 8. Vietnam Linked to Korean War and de Lattre’s Campaign Against General Giap 9. Off-Shore Procurement and French Victories Against the DRV’s Campaigns 10. Early Eisenhower Years and the Bao Dai Problem11. Eisenhower’s Plans for Financing the French and the Rise of Ngo Dinh Diem 12. French Attacks on People’s Army and the Battle of Dien Bien Phu 13. How Dien Binh Phu was Lost and the Role of Secretary Dulles in Geneva Negotiations14. United States in the Post-Armistice Indochina and the Direct Funding for Ngo Dinh Diem15. General Collin’s Mission and the Problems of Diem’s One-Man State16. Kennedy Sends Aid in Lieu of Troops and the Deaths of Diem and KennedyConclusion

"Frank Cain’s America’s Vietnam War and Its French Connection provides a detailed account of American and French policies toward Vietnam from 1945 to 1963. Relying on extensive research in the American National Archives and Records Administration and British National Archives, Cain provides a step-by-step recounting of events that complicated the Franco-American relationship and ultimately led to a much greater American commitment to Vietnam by 1963."Kathryn C. Statler, University of San Diego