We had most of the world in our pocket at the time. I doubt support of the Viet Minh rather than France would have had any political reprecussions, Vietnam under Ho would have been a communist country. Personally, were there a benefit to us, I wouldn’t have cared much about offending the French. As to the Japanese surrender, there would have been no role there unless you’re suggesting the Viet Minh sign in place of France, which wouldn’t have made much sense. There were only 9 or 10 allied signatories. The French, of course, being on both sides of the conflict.
Agree to disagree. The Viet Minh were prepared to accept US help. They simply wanted the French OUT.
American rubber companies pleaded with Foster Dollars to let the Viet Minh accept the Japanese surrender. They wanted those plantations in the worst way.
Foster Dollars was an idiot.
Do You Know? After the US refused to let the Viet Minh accept Japanese surrender, the French (and British) RE-ARMED captured Japanese troops and sent them into battle against a now very pi$$ed off commie bunch, AKA, Viet Minh?
(Japanese troops knowing they were going to face war crimes trials, fought for the French like demons. Many were pardoned.)
The whole battlefield after WWII was chaotic. And American stupidity MIGHT have mitigated a lot of that, had any one paid attention to HO.
Yes, he was a commie. But no, he hated China and distrusted Stalin.
All I’m saying is, we had a CHANCE, and we blew it. We’ll never know now. But hey, that’s how history rolls.