Joint Chiefs of Staff and the First Indochina War, 1947-1954

For the U.S., the Second World War had brought new knowledge of Indochina & its problems. As between the combatants, the French & the Viet Minh insurgents, America had every reason to avoid involvement until the situation came to be seen as a communist threat to all of Southeast Asia. France was a crucial ally, especially in holding Europe against Soviet power, but Indochina was drawing off some of France's best soldiers & sapping that nation's morale. But if the French gave up, the question of direct American intervention would arise. For the U.S. & for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the years from 1947 to 1954 were a period when these problems slowly grew in importance; they reached crisis proportions in the early months of 1954. Photos.Armstrong, David A. is the author of 'Joint Chiefs of Staff and the First Indochina War, 1947-1954', published 2005 under ISBN 9780756749286 and ISBN 075674928X.