Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam at
the Geneva Conference.
THE policy of intervention in the war in Indo-China pursued by the American imperialists is a component part of the power politics pursued by the U.S.A after World War II with the aim of world domination.
The weakening of France as a result of the war in Indo-China, her need of American help to continue this war provided an opportunity and the conditions for this intervention.
By their intervention in Indo-China the American imperialists pursued the aim to gradually oust the French from Indo-China and turn Indo-China into an American colony, seize the economy and resources of Indo-China, suppress the national and democratic movement of the peoples of Indo-China, turn Indo-China into a spring-board for the conquest of the countries of South-East Asia, make out of Indo-China an American military base. By intervening ever more actively in the war in Indo-China, prolonging and extending it, the American imperialists tried at the same time to save the American economy from the grave menace of the crisis which became particularly serious after the signing of the Armistice in Korea.
The history of this American intervention clearly reveals the above-mentioned aims and various phases of the intervention and the methods which are being used for the achievement of those aims.
In August 1947, an American diplomat left for Hong Kong, had talks with Bao-Dai, later, in September 1947, he talked with French authorities in Indo-China and then left for France where he conferred with the French Government. In December 1947, that diplomat urged the American intervention in Indo-China: “Bao-Dai should be recognized, — he declared, — and should be assisted in the formation of an army”. He openly said to the French: “If France is not desirous of such a decision, America must take the issue in its hands”.
1950 was marked by the first phase of wide intervention by the American imperialists in Indo-China. This phase began when the Chinese People’s Liberation Army defeated the armed forces of Chiang Kai-shek and completed the liberation of the vast Chinese mainland.
At the beginning of 1950, after Jessup’s visit to Indo-China it was decided to send American military and economic missions to Indo-China and military assistance was promised in exchange for the obligation of the French colonizers to establish within a short period of time the so-called National Government which would have its army and would be invested with wide powers in the field of foreign relations. Jessup’s visit resulted in the official statements by the American authorities about the American intervention in Indo-China.
The heavy defeat by the end of 1950 aggravated the position of the French Expeditionary Corps who was forced to meet ever more powerful attacks of the armed forces of the Vietnamese people. The American interventionists made use of that situation to intensify their intervention in the war in Indo-China.
In 1953 the Armistice in Korea made the American imperialists pay greater attention to Indo-China. The American ruling circles emphasized the “importance” of Indo-China and the necessity of providing aid to the French colonizers. The year of 1953 was also the year of new success scored by the peoples of the three countries — Vietnam, Khmer and Pathet Lao — almost on all the fronts. In the same year the resistance of the French people to the war in Indo-China made new progress as it embraced broader circles of the people and public opinion of France. The American imperialists made good use for intensifying their intervention of the fact that the French colonizers had found themselves in a desperate position from where there was no escape: The intervention took form of providing new military credits and of the direct participation of the American imperialists in the strategic direction of military operations, in particular in the elaboration and execution of the Navarre plan.
But in spite of the ever-increasing American intervention in the war, French troops suffered one defeat after another while the peoples of Vietnam, Khmer and Pathet-Lao continued to score new victories. At the end of 1953 and at the beginning of 1954 the armed forces of Vietnam, Khmer and Pathet-Lao became more active in all areas of operations and scored new considerable victories. The Navarre plan not only failed to improve the military situation of the enemy but on the contrary made it still worse. And again the American imperialists made good use of the situation in order to take a new step in their intervention: in exchange for granting new, more considerable military credits for 1954, further substantial aid with aviation and personnel for direct participation in the annihilation of the population of Vietnam, Khmer and Pathet Lao, the Americans insisted upon their participation in the training of the so-called “National Army”.
The brilliant victories of the peoples of Indo-China achieved in the course of recent months, the success of the peace movement in France, the prospects of the reestablishment of peace by the Geneva Conference spread anxiety among the American interventionists. They invent new plans (the plan of “common actions”, of “collective security”...) in order to prolong and extend the war in Indo-China in complicity with the French advocates of waging war till the end. This policy of strength and war has provoked the protests of the peoples and governments of various countries of South-east Asia.
To justify this policy of strength and war the American interventionists refer to the defence of the United States, South-east Asia and of liberty itself.
Defence of the United States? So we, peoples of Indo-China, constitute a threat to the United States. No reasonable person can imagine such extravagancy for an instant.
Defence of South-east Asia? Indeed, peace and security of South-east Asia and Asia are really endangered not by the peoples of Indo-China or any Asian country but in fact by the American imperialists.
Defence of liberty? It is we, oppressed peoples of Indo-China, oppressed peoples of Asia, oppressed peoples of the whole world who are the most ardent and consistent defenders of our freedom, of freedom for all peoples to choose their political regime against any threat of imperialist subjugation.
The evolution of the American intervention in the war in Indo-china reveals the following facts.
The American imperialists have turned France, on the one hand, into an instrument of their policy and, on the other hand, they prepare her ousting from Indo-china. But the French circles, advocating merciless war in their political blindness, desire the continuation of war. To continue war they need the American aid and thus they surrender to the mercy of the American interventionists who will take upon themselves at an opportune moment the burden of their “substitution” for the French because the latter will be impotent or obstinate. On the other hand, the American imperialists forcing the French to continue the war in Indo-China endeavour to weaken France in order to subdue her to a greater degree in Europe.
Such is the first aspect of American intervention.
The other aspects of it is the establishment of the so-called national regime to which France is suggested to grant a complete “independence”. The establishment of the so-called National Government as well as the formation of a “national” army which should exist separately from the French Expeditionary Corps — these are the terms being imposed by the American imperialists upon the French colonizers in exchange for their military aid.
These terms give them an opportunity to place under their own control the so-called national governments and armies, to complete their substitution for the French, to realize in full their policy “to use the Indo-Chinese against the Indo-Chinese” and to intensify and extend military actions.
The ruling circles of the United States exercise every pressure on France with the view to extend war in Indo-China demanding to send to Indo-China new contingents of French and African troops, of Legioneers, mercenaries of every kind, Hitlerites included.
The imperialist circles of the United States and France are seeking in this way to continue war to gain profits with blood shed by others.
They count on drawing other countries into war. The purpose of all this is to prolong and extend war for the purpose of transforming Indo-China and adjacent countries into American colonies. Such are the plans of the mortal enemies of peace in Indo-China. However, the heroic resistance of the peoples of Indo-China has frustrated these plans. This resistance becomes day by day ever more powerful and effective. The military situation of the enemy is now difficult as never before particularly after the great victory at Dien Bien Phu scored by the People’s Army of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on the eve of this conference, the importance of this victory cannot be overlooked by anyone. The united peoples of Indo-China, convinced of their rights, are determined to fight in order to frustrate the plans of the American interventionists.
That is why the American interventionists and the French advocates of waging war till the end are now the main obstacle to the cessation of the war, to the re-establishment of peace in Indo-China.
The American interventionists seeking to prolong and extend the war in Indo-China urge a number of countries to take part in the war, thus creating a new threat to peace in Asia and in the whole world.
This policy of aggression, these military provocations are in contradiction with the interests of the peoples of Vietnam, Khmer and Pathet Lao, are in contradiction with the interests of the French and American peoples.
The peoples of Vietnam, Khmer and Pathet Lao desire peace, independence, unity and democracy. They desire to establish friendly relations with the peoples of the whole world. Their aspirations correspond to the interests of the peoples of the whole world.
The cause of the peoples of Vietnam, Khmer, Pathet Lao which is the cause of peace will inevitably triumph.