Activity 1 - How did the French lose the war?

  1. Review - Cut out and examine these cards which show the various reasons for the French defeat in the French Indochina War.
  2. Rank - Rank these 12 cards in a diamond formation with the most important reasons for defeat at the top, and the least important at the bottom. 
  3. Link - Are any of these reasons linked? Draw arrows between them to show the links between different reasons. 
  4. Discuss - Show your completed diamond formation to a partner and explain your perspective on why the French lost the Indochina War.
  5. Write - “The French were defeated by what happened off the battlefield, rather than what happened on it.” To what extent do you agree with this question?

Activity 2 - Why did the VM lose the peace?

  1. Read - Read pages 107-109 Sanders, V. (2015) and make notes on what happened at the Geneva Conference.
  2. Examine - Complete this worksheet by researching the aims and the outcomes of the Geneva Conference for each of the major powers that attended.
  3. Discuss - Why didn’t military victory translate to political victory for the Viet Minh?

Activity 3 - What other perspectives exist?

  1. Review - Read the three historical perspectives that can be taken on the French Indochina War on this worksheet. Then identify key events and historical examples that could be used to support each viewpoint.
  2. Evaluate - Which historical perspective do you agree with the most and why? Write a paragraph answer explaining your view on the historiography of the French Indochina War.
  3. Explore - Try to research and identify other perspectives on the French Indochina War. How do people view the war today?

Further Reading

OBLIGATORY READING
  1. Sanders, V. (2015). Access to History: The Cold War in Asia, 1945-93, pp. 101-109
RECOMMENDED READING
  1. Opinion | The 30-Years War in Vietnam (Published 2017). (2020). The New York Times.
SUPPLEMENTAL READING
  1. Paul, C., Clarke, C., Grill, B., & Dunigan, M. (2013). Indochina, 1946–1954: Case Outcome: COIN Loss (Mixed, Favoring Insurgents). In Paths to Victory: Detailed Insurgency Case Studies (pp. 23-30). RAND Corporation.
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