Aly+Gordon+2

Aly Gordon February 5, 2012 IB History; Per. 8 Historical Investigation

Thesis: To what extent did the rise of Vichy France facilitate the demise of French Indochina?

Cooper, Nicola. //France in Indochina: Colonial Encounters//. Oxford: Berg, 2001. Print

Origin: Nicola Cooper, the author of this book, is an accomplished historian who specializes in French colonialism and France's colonial wars at Swansea University. He has published many different works, most of which pertain to these subjects. With that in mind, this source can be deemed both reliable and valid. Purpose: The purpose of this source is neither to persuade nor to entertain, but to simply enlighten the reader of the many French-colonial discourses that are often overlooked. Value: Because the book chronicles only the years prior to 1941 (the year in which VF rose to power), it is, in fact, very valuable in my investigation. It highlights the affects of both domestic and foreign affairs in shaping Vietnamese Communism throughout the 1920's and 30's, and in turn, further reveals the deeply rooted nature of the independence movement. With this new information, I can begin to determine the extent to which the rise of Vichy France or long-lasting revolutionary sentiment fueled the fall of France's colonies. Limitations: Seeing as Cooper is a mere historian and was not present during the independence movement, this source is undeniably limited. His perspective is based solely on research and therefore lacks in authenticity. Had it have been a first-person account of unrest during the era, this source would have been much fuller in its grasp of the revolution.