In addition to regular posts, I’m going to occasionally post discussions of books I’ve been reading. Today’s post is on The Road to Dien Bien Phu by Christopher Goscha, on the First Indochina War, for which I’ve written up my notes into chapter summaries followed by a discussion. If you’re interested, you can
Very interesting. It would seem that both Vietnam wars, far from being "unwinnable quagmires" were actually very near-run things, with the main differentiating factor being the iron determination of the Viet Communists to conquer all Vietnam for communism, regardless of casualties, collateral damage, or postwar economic prospects, as opposed to their opponents, often divided against themselves, and unsure if the game was worth the candle. Nietzsche would have approved...
Very interesting. It would seem that both Vietnam wars, far from being "unwinnable quagmires" were actually very near-run things, with the main differentiating factor being the iron determination of the Viet Communists to conquer all Vietnam for communism, regardless of casualties, collateral damage, or postwar economic prospects, as opposed to their opponents, often divided against themselves, and unsure if the game was worth the candle. Nietzsche would have approved...