U.S. Relations and Policies in Southeast Asia, 1944-1958
This collection puts American policy in Southeast Asia and the traumatic events of the first Indochina War and the desire for Communist containment into the larger perspective of the Cold War. Historically, U.S. policy and diplomacy with Southeast Asia has been defined by U.S. interests in the region, whether it's maintaining free lanes of communication through the South China Sea, gaining access to the resources and markets of Southeast Asia, or containing the spread of Communism. Since World War II, the U.S. has constantly been involved in conflicts in the region: providing material and financial support for France during the First Indochina War and direct involvement in the Viet Cong insurgency in South Vietnam. This collection identifies the key issues, individuals, and events in the history of U.S.-Southeast Asia relations between 1944 and 1958, and places them in the context of the complex and dynamic regional strategic, political, and economic processes that have fashioned the American role in Southeast Asia.