1. BELLWORK: 11/29
In order to use their material advantage, the French develop a strategy…..what was it? Why was this plan problematic?
How did the RC4 Battle benefit the Viet Minh?
Describe the French strategy implemented by General Alessandri. Was it successful? Explain!
Describe Ho and Giap’s non-military strategy for defeating the French.
List the three phases of revolutionary military strategy the Viet Minh used to defeat the French.

2. Discuss
Advantages vs. Disadvantages of the French Army

3. Indo-China War
Strategies

4. French War Plan
Goal: create one big engagement to defeat bulk of Viet Minh (material advantage!)
Problem: still had to govern; built outposts throughout country
Outcome: became easy targets for Viet Minh

5. Additional French Strategy: RC4
Goal: Interrupt Chinese supply routes
Plan: Use 3 outposts to limit trade = danger at night so France committed supplies/extra men
Outcome: Played right into Viet Minh strategy of war of attrition.

6. French General Alessandri
Goal: destroy local support of Viet Minh (vital to their guerrilla strategy)
Plan: 1. French troops push Viet Minh out of small areas and 2. local recruits destroy infrastructure
Problem: French didn’t have enough resources to hold against re-infiltration of guerrillas
Effects: French failed to win local support, no plan for reform

7. Viet Minh Commander Vo Nguyen Giap
Goal: avoid direct, large scale combat
Plan: establish long, drawn-out guerrilla war (based on Mao’s revolutionary warfare)
Relied on two forms of strategy:
Non-military
Military
Throughout military phases, Giap built the regular force, increased recruitment, sent soldiers to China, stockpiled weapons, spread communism and created factories to produce small arms.

8. Viet Minh Non-Military Strategy
Goal: Impart communist and nationalist ideology by establishing political, economic, & social influence on populace
Use propaganda and intimidation!
Used commissars in tactical decisions
Outcome: directly tied communist ideology to military effectiveness
Established deeply-motivated fighting force with clear aims

9. Ho on communism in the colonies
“You all know that today the poison and life energy of the capitalist snake is concentrated more in the colonies than in the mother countries. The colonies supply the raw materials for industry. The colonies supply soldiers for the armies. In the future, the colonies will be defenders of the counterrevolution.”
“We must be victory. They must be withdrawn.

10. Viet Minh Military Strategy
Guerilla Phase: small actions by regional force  ambushes, assassinations, booby traps, hit and runs
Mobile Phase: Combo of guerrilla tactics and large-scale ops  move forces over a lot of territory to drag the French along = lengthen supply lines and isolate them!
Offensive Phase: More conventional war  pitched, conventional battles to force the French into surrender (Dien Bien Phu)

11. Discussion
What could the French have done to defeat the Viet Minh? Or were they doomed from the start? Explain!

12. HOMEWORK
Read & annotate the “operations” section  pages 73-81

13. Documentary: The First Indochina War