The French created a colony in Indochina in 1862 and stubbornly held on until suffering a disastrous military defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. In reality, their policies in early colonial times, their defeat by the Germans in WWII, and their attempts to regain control after that war reflected a narrow mindset that was at odds with a worldwide wave of nationalism. With America’s newfound hegemony after the war, the U.S. began to be drawn in to the politics and warfare of the late French colonial period, which would lead to the quagmire that was America’s Vietnam. By lecture, slides, and videos, we will look at France in Vietnam, with the U.S. looking over their shoulder and getting ready to take over the conflict.

Bob Rougvie is a graduate of Suffolk University in Boston with a BA in History. He has had a long career in the wood products industry in New England. Prior to retirement, he was president of a machinery distribution corporation for 23 years. He is an avid reader of history, with a particular interest in the period prior to and during WWII. He has led several Osher classes with an emphasis on early 20th century European history. Bob is also a Vietnam veteran.