Aly+Gordon+-+Annotated+Bibliography

Aly Gordon Research Question: To what extent did the rise of Vichy France facilitate the demise of French Indochina?

Works Cited: Quinn-Judge, Sophie. //Ho Chi Minh: The Missing Years//. London: C. Hurst, 2003. Print.

Sohpie Quinn-Judge, the author of this book, is an accomplished historian who heads Temple University's Center for Vietnamese Philosophy, Culture, and Society. Her involvement in the region--whether it be as a medical volunteer or a Soviet-Asian relations correspondent-- is, without question, extensive. With that in mind, this source can be deemed both reliable and valid. The purpose of this source is neither to persuade nor to entertain, but to simply enlighten the reader of Ho Chi Minh's actions from 1919-1941. 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. Seeing as Quinn-Judge is a mere historian and was not present during the independence movement, this source is undeniably limited. Her 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.

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

The author of this book, Nicola Cooper, 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, both the reliability and validity of this source are sound. The purpose of this source is neither to persuade nor to entertain, but to simply enlighten the reader of the many French-colonial conflicts that are often overlooked. 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 discusses not only France's imperial identity, but the nation's understanding of its own role, as well. Seeing as Cooper is a mere historian and was not present during the independence movement, this source is certainly 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.

"Ho Chi Minh: letter from abroad (1941)." //World at War: Understanding Conflict and Society//. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 22 Jan. 2012.

This letter was written by Ho Chi Minh, arguably the most influential and rousing leader of the Viet Minh independence movement. In his letter, he calls on his “fellow country-men”—from notables to peasants, and even civil servants—to rise up against their French oppressor. He uses the Third Republic’s demise as mere motivation and argues that it is the people’s duty to act, all the while implementing a “now or never” sort of tone. It is, in essence, a call to arms. This source is valuable in laying the foundation for my investigation and essentially shows that, yes, the fall of France (and subsequent rise of the Vichy government) was the catalyst for rebellion. However, because of this fact, it does not address unrest prior to the Vichy government and is therefore rather limited.