Ever wonder?

Originally Posted by Raven

Sounds like my kind of book! Great stuff for a 'alternate reality' sort of plot.

BTW.......the british almost DID win! They kicked our butt up until Yorktown!

Alternate history?

What if the French had triumphed at Dien Bien Phu, the Americans had bombed the Viet Minh positions around the valley, and the Geneva peace talks had not split Vietnam in half? Food for thought.

[telaquapacky]

Originally Posted by Andrew Harrison

What if the French had triumphed at Dien Bien Phu, the Americans had bombed the Viet Minh positions around the valley, and the Geneva peace talks had not split Vietnam in half? Food for thought.

What if, when Ho Chi Minh came to Harry Truman asking for aid, we had given it and persuaded France to give up Vietnam peacefully? They would be our friends as they are now, over fifty years ago, with the savings of countless lives and the avoidance of untold tragedy.

Originally Posted by telaquapacky

What if, when Ho Chi Minh came to Harry Truman asking for aid, we had given it and persuaded France to give up Vietnam peacefully? They would be our friends as they are now, over fifty years ago, with the savings of countless lives and the avoidance of untold tragedy.

Yes, the tragedy could have been averted but I dont think President Truman would have been allowed to give aid to Ho Chi Minh after the fall of China to the Communists.

I think the real point though is that the French government(s) of the period just wernt up to the job of giving strong, clear leadership during this difficult time. A quick look at the French order of battle from 1945-54 shows foreign and colonial troops in the majority. They wanted IndoChina back but didnt want to loose too many French lives in the process.

Still, I think a French Union victory in that valley would have created some interesting alternate choices for the region.