The long and stable Franco-American diplomatic rapport was undermined throughout the American escalation of the Vietnam War. This paper specifically examines French President Charles de Gaulle’s increasing discontent at his ally’s involvement in Southeast Asia and analyzes the decisions of successive American presidents to ignore him. Beginning in 1961, with the inauguration of American President John F. Kennedy, the paper proceeds chronologically to 1964, by which point transatlantic relations had worsened considerably as a result of de Gaulle’s growing confrontation of the Indochina question. Using archival diplomatic documents from both countries, this paper seeks to explain why the United States government refused to comply with De Gaulle’s requests. This papers makes two main conclusions: American policy makers were willfully blind to their ally’s suggestions and the French proposal for the neutralization of Vietnam was not realistic. These findings are supported by various policy decisions made leading up to the war, relying heavily on primary sources to demonstrate the failings of both the French proposal and the American willingness to consider the perspective of a crucial ally.
{"title":"Willful Blindness: Franco-American Relations and the Escalation of the Vietnam War","authors":"Olivier Bergeron-Boutin","doi":"10.26443/firr.v9i1.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26443/firr.v9i1.5","url":null,"abstract":"The long and stable Franco-American diplomatic rapport was undermined throughout the American escalation of the Vietnam War. This paper specifically examines French President Charles de Gaulle’s increasing discontent at his ally’s involvement in Southeast Asia and analyzes the decisions of successive American presidents to ignore him. Beginning in 1961, with the inauguration of American President John F. Kennedy, the paper proceeds chronologically to 1964, by which point transatlantic relations had worsened considerably as a result of de Gaulle’s growing confrontation of the Indochina question. Using archival diplomatic documents from both countries, this paper seeks to explain why the United States government refused to comply with De Gaulle’s requests. This papers makes two main conclusions: American policy makers were willfully blind to their ally’s suggestions and the French proposal for the neutralization of Vietnam was not realistic. These findings are supported by various policy decisions made leading up to the war, relying heavily on primary sources to demonstrate the failings of both the French proposal and the American willingness to consider the perspective of a crucial ally.","PeriodicalId":417989,"journal":{"name":"Flux: International Relations Review","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125524543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO) is commonly understood as a Cold War-era puppet terrorist group that was intent on destabilizing the nascent socialist government in Mozambique. Since Mozambique ended one-party rule in 1994, this organization continues to serve as the leading democratic opposition to the majority government of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO). This paper argues that, contrary to common understanding, external actors had a limited role in RENAMO’s development and success relative to often neglected internal factors. Through an examination of RENAMO’s external support base, its evolution, and its recruitment patterns, as well as popular discontent with FRELIMO, this paper will explain the party’s successful transition to democratic politics.
{"title":"From the Bush to the Office: Renamo’s Sustained Support Base During and After the Mozambique Civil War","authors":"Suraiya Foss-Philips","doi":"10.26443/firr.v9i1.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26443/firr.v9i1.7","url":null,"abstract":"The Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO) is commonly understood as a Cold War-era puppet terrorist group that was intent on destabilizing the nascent socialist government in Mozambique. Since Mozambique ended one-party rule in 1994, this organization continues to serve as the leading democratic opposition to the majority government of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO). This paper argues that, contrary to common understanding, external actors had a limited role in RENAMO’s development and success relative to often neglected internal factors. Through an examination of RENAMO’s external support base, its evolution, and its recruitment patterns, as well as popular discontent with FRELIMO, this paper will explain the party’s successful transition to democratic politics.","PeriodicalId":417989,"journal":{"name":"Flux: International Relations Review","volume":"233 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123108917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fishery depletion is a driving force in the militarization of the South China Sea. Using Garrett Hardin’s theory “the tragedy of the commons” as an analytical lens, this paper explores the relationship between the lack of legitimate territory designations and the illegal overexploitation of wild fish stocks. It argues that China, as the regional hegemon, has triggered conflicts by pursuing an agenda of maritime territorial expansionism. Some Southeast Asian countries, affected by these resource-driven incursions, defend their exclusive economic zones through military buildup. Therefore, the rising violence and decreasing availability of fish force some non-commercial fishermen to pursue piracy as an alternate form of income. The findings of this paper suggest that increased militarism of the South China Sea has not only predominantly affected the lives of non-commercial fishermen but also negatively impacted the regional environmental health. In the future, without multilateral resource management, this militarization will only worsen.
{"title":"Fishery Depletion and the South China Sea","authors":"Jay Mackinnon","doi":"10.26443/firr.v9i1.8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26443/firr.v9i1.8","url":null,"abstract":"Fishery depletion is a driving force in the militarization of the South China Sea. Using Garrett Hardin’s theory “the tragedy of the commons” as an analytical lens, this paper explores the relationship between the lack of legitimate territory designations and the illegal overexploitation of wild fish stocks. It argues that China, as the regional hegemon, has triggered conflicts by pursuing an agenda of maritime territorial expansionism. Some Southeast Asian countries, affected by these resource-driven incursions, defend their exclusive economic zones through military buildup. Therefore, the rising violence and decreasing availability of fish force some non-commercial fishermen to pursue piracy as an alternate form of income. The findings of this paper suggest that increased militarism of the South China Sea has not only predominantly affected the lives of non-commercial fishermen but also negatively impacted the regional environmental health. In the future, without multilateral resource management, this militarization will only worsen.","PeriodicalId":417989,"journal":{"name":"Flux: International Relations Review","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123621529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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