0 - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORATION
- their netional unity was compromised
- a quick political solution (elections within 6
months) was deferred for 2 years
- they were forced to yield their claims advanced in
support of the Pathet Lao and the Free Khmer
* Soviet Union
FForces
- they were forced to accept international inspection
teams over indigenous ones
- the threat 3f massive US intervention was forestalied
- their prestige as a world peacemaKer was enhanced
- they saw France's rejection of the European
Defense Community (one month after the conference)
as a result of their strategy
- communisC. ccnsolidation of all Indochina was not
achieved
* China (PRC)
- they saw the treaty creating a neutral buffer zone
- they preempted US military moves by diplomacy
- their domestic economy was protected (the Koreai
war had exacerbated economic problems in the PRC).
the treaty did not preclude the return of US
influence to Southeast Asia.
2) Impact on US Goals fori Southeast Asia
The Viet Minh victory at Dien Bien Phu signalled to the
world the military impotence of the French forces in Indochina,
with the bitter experience of Korea still in mind,
tactical defeat presaged strategic disaster.
The US,
feared that the French
The US goal of preventing the
countries of Southeast Asia from passing into the communist orbit was
beginning to crumble. After somewhat reluctantly joining the Geneva conferences,
the US gave consideration to the following options-
0 merely urging the French to a greater effort
7-8