Hardback | |
August 20, 2019 | |
9780813177748 | |
English | |
296 | |
9.00 Inches (US) | |
6.00 Inches (US) | |
1.15 Pounds (US) | |
$60.00 USD, £45.00 GBP | |
v2.1 Reference | |
JFK and de Gaulle
How America and France Failed in Vietnam, 1961-1963
This history of Franco-American relations during the Kennedy presidency explores how and why France and the US disagreed over the proper western strategy for the Vietnam War. France clearly had more direct political experience in Vietnam, but France's postwar decolonization cemented Kennedy's perception that the French were characterized by a toxic mixture of short-sightedness, stubbornness, and indifference to the collective interests of the West.
At no point did the Kennedy administration give serious consideration to de Gaulle's proposals or entertain the notion of using his services as an honest broker in order to disengage from a situation that was rapidly spiraling out of control. Kennedy's Francophobia, the roots of which appear in a selection of private writings from Kennedy's undergraduate years at Harvard, biased his decision-making. The course of action Kennedy chose in 1963, a rejection of the French peace program, all but handcuffed Lyndon Johnson into formally entering a war he knew the United States had little chance of winning.
About the Author
Reviews
"America's road to disaster in Vietnam has been endlessly chronicled, but Sean L. McLaughlin takes a fresh approach to that familiar story by diving deep into the disconnect between JFK and Charles de Gaulle over Vietnam. Richly documenting the tale through both US and French archives, McLaughlin recounts how Washington deflected, rebuffed, didained, and ignored wise French counsel to avoid plunging into a deeper political and military engagement with Saigon and to instead aim for Southeast Asia's neutralization. No serious student of JFK, his foreign policy, or the Vietnam War should miss this cogent contribution, which illuminates not only political but also personal (and gendered) dimensions of the discord between Kennedy and Le Général—and their disastrous consequences."—James Hershberg, George Washington University
"Why did US policymakers ignore powerful voices urging the United States to disengage from Vietnam before it became embroiled in a major war there? In this richly detailed study, McLaughlin delves in unprecedented depth into the case of Charles de Gaulle, one of the most persistent critics of US escalation. McLaughlin's analysis of American cultural antipathy to France illuminates a tragic missed opportunity on Washington's road to war in Vietnam and sheds valuable light on Franco-American relations more generally. Deftly blending political, diplomatic, and cultural history, this is essential reading for any serious student of the origins of the Vietnam War."—Mark Atwood Lawrence, University of Texas at Austin
University Press of Kentucky | |
Studies In Conflict Diplomacy Peace | |
|
|
|
|
Hardback | |
August 20, 2019 | |
9780813177748 | |
English | |
296 | |
9.00 Inches (US) | |
6.00 Inches (US) | |
1.15 Pounds (US) | |
$60.00 USD, £45.00 GBP | |
v2.1 Reference | |
Other Titles from Studies In Conflict Diplomacy Peace
A Diplomatic Meeting
The Sailor
America's Israel
Other Titles in POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General
Zero-Sum Victory
Ireland's Helping Hand to Europe
Selling Intervention and War
Other Titles in Vietnam War
My Lai