French Imperialism In Vietnam

Despite having been an independent country for nine-hundred years, Vietnam experienced an entire century of brutal occupation before it would reclaim its independence, all of which was due, in large part, by two foreign occupiers from the 1880’s to the 1970’s. During their respective tenures, both the French and the United States had a different rationale for their presence in Vietnam, yet there are undoubtingly some similarities between the two countries’ policies. For the French, the strategic location of Vietnam, in addition to their western, imperial, and mercantilist mentality propelled them to take control and reclaim Vietnam before and after WWII. For the United States, the accumulating consequences of policies by different U.S. presidents, the aftereffects of the French presence, and global events propelled the United States to become heavily involved in Vietnam by 1963. For the Vietnamese, the overarching self-interests of the French and the United States highlights the struggles that the Vietnamese faced in achieving their independence. In comparing these two countries policies, both powers thought (in one form or another) that they were

In general, it should be noted that the United States did not approve of the French’s imperialist presence in Indochina after WWII. For example, despite Ho Chi Minh declaring Vietnam’s independence in 1945 in a declaration that directly quoted both the U.S. and French declarations, the French clearly did not believe these values were universal (Ho Chi Minh, 23). In short, this made the French war in Vietnam seem contradictory to the United States. Also in 1947 in a report, U.S. Sectary of State George Marshall told the French embassy that he did not approve of the French’s slow progress towards peace in Indochina wished to see an independent government in Vietnam (Marshall pg.