III.

The Geneva Agreements

08 May - 21 Jul 1954
1.

International and domestic context and

the convening of the conference

2.

Big countries positions toward

Indochinese conflicts and at Geneva

3.

DRVs position at Geneva

4.

Geneva negotiation process

5.

Aftermaths and assessment

1. International and domestic

context and the convening of the
conference
INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT:

Most intensive period of Cold War in early 1950s: two hot wars in
Asia with participation of either super power; Eisenhower 1953
adopt the strategy massive retaliation, brinkmanship; SU got
H-bomb

Tendency of peace in the international relations: SU, preoccupied

with its domestic issues, pursuit the strategy of peaceful
coexistence with the West. Ending Korea war in July 1953 with
38th parallel as border between North and South Korea.

China (PRC) while maintaining alliance relations with SU,

endeavour to attain the status of powers.
2

1. International and domestic

context and the convening of the
conference
DOMESTIC CONTEXT

Nov 1953: HCM announced Vietnams willing to negotiate

on basis of Vietnams independence

Battle of Dien Bien Phu (13 March 07 May 1954);

Americas involvement in Indochina: Assist French

financially and materially during the war. Plans to rescue

Dien Bien Phu. Propose collective security alliance
including US, France, UK, Australia, Thailand and th
Philippine.
3

Question

How important is the Dien Bien Phu battle

to Geneva conference?

2. Major countries positions

toward Indochinese war
Soviet

Union:
+ Settle the Indochinas conflict in peace
+ Allow China to play it part in dealing
with the Indochinese issues.
United States:
+ Keep Indochina stand, stop the spread
communism in the region.
+ After Korea war, did not want to
participate in another hot war alone.
6

2. Major countries positions

toward Indochinese war
United Kingdom:
+ Not to have involve in Indochinese
conflict either individually or collective, but
still want good result for the West.
France:
+ End the war with acceptable result.
China:
+ Settle the conflict in peace

Big countries position at

Geneva conference
SU:
+ Look forward to peace agreement, not let Indochina issue
destroy the grand strategy of peaceful coexistence with the West.
+ Keep Mendes France government stand to oppose European
Defense Community-EDC

US:
+ Reluctantly attended the conference, with main intention to
prevent France from making too much concession, and in exchange
for French approval of European Defense Community-EDC.
+ Preparing its own plan for a post-French Indochina: with the UK
and later French influence in Laos and Cambodia, keep at least half
of Vietnam. While pushing for the alternative Ngo Dinh Diem and
common defense in Southeast Asia-SEATO 08 September 1954.

Big countries position at

Geneva conference
French: Avoid bilateral talk with DRV, using
multilateral conference with the hope of
gaining more concessions from DRV.
UK: seek an good result for the West, not to
involve in the conflict.
China: Use Geneva conference to promote
its international status and want a peace
settlement to the Indochina conflict.

3. DRVs position at Geneva

conference
10/4/1954 Vice chairman of ministerial council Pham
Van Dong address at National Assembly about
position of DRV at Geneva: PEACE, INDEPENDENCE,
UNITY, DEMOCRACY.
2/5/1954: Secretariat meeting: Not highly appreciate
Geneva conference, but should not miss this chance
for peace. Ready for negotiation after Geneva.
15-17/7/1954: Central Committee meeting:
+ US is the enemy of Indochina and is obstructing the
negotiation in Geneva
+ The Geneva conference develop in favour direction.

10

DRVs position at Geneva

conference
In DRV point of view, Geneva conference
should focus on 4 issues:
Cease fire;
Peace, independence, unity and
democracy in Indochina;
Relations with France;
Relations among VN, Laos, Cambodia and
with foreign countries.

11

DRVs position at Geneva

conference

DRVs Proposal:
Requesting solution to both military and
political aspects of the conflict
Considering Indochina as one solving conflict
in all three Indochinese countries
Other countries respecting Indochinese states
independence
Cease-fire in the whole Indochina, foreign troops
to withdraw from Indochina, regroupment areas
(Vietnam 13 parallel Quy Nhon province)
Elections in all three countries to set up unified
government in each (as soon as possible in six
months time)

Convening Geneva
Conference
25/1/1954 at Berlin Conference, SU foreign minister
propose a five-power international conference to seek
solution to Korean war and Indocchina war: the Geneva
Conference (26 Apr-15Jun on Korea, 08 May-20 Jul 1954 on
Indochina).
Participants:
+ Belligerent countries: France; DRV; State of Vietnam
attend but ignored in substantive issues; Royal
Government of Laos; Royal Government of Cambodia
(Laotian and Cambodian resistance forces there but not
recognised).
+ And powers: US; Britain; Soviet Union; China
First time an international conference attended by all five
powers, first time PRC attended a powers conference

4. Geneva negotiation
process
From

8/5-19/6/1954: discuss general

issues
From 20/6-10/7/1954: Head of
delegations report to leaders of each
country. Main activities outside the
conference
10/7-20/7: Final and decisive period

14

Phase I: from 8/519/6/1954

8/5/1954: Bidault- head of French delegate gave 5
point proposal
10/5/1954: Pham Van Dong gave 8 point proposal.
These two proposals became the basic for negotiation.
Result:
Agreed that Indochina issue should be solved in full
package, meaning both military and political solution.
Established a forum to discuss military issues
Agreed on the list of important issues that need to be
negotiate in the next phases

15

Important developments in
phase I
French continue to lose in Red river delta, 26/5 French
forces withdrew from Hanoi.
No agreement reached among French, US and UK to save
French in Indochina. US confirmed that no military force
be sent to Indochina.
18/6/1954: Ngo Dinh Diem was appointed the Prime
Minister of State of Vietnam (Bao Dai is Head of State).
19/6/1954: Mendes France replaced Lanien to be the
Prime Minister of France and declared to reach an
agreement on Indochina issue within one month,
otherwise step down.
Side line meeting: Chou En-lai met Eden UK Foreign
Secretary on 16/6 and Bidault- head of French delegate

16

Phase II: from 20/6-10/7/1954

Head of each delegate go back to report to their

leaders. Main activities took place outside the
framework of the conference.
23/6/1954: Mendes France met Chou En-lai in
Berne
3-5/7/1954: Chou En-lai met Ho Chi Minh in
Lieuchou. After the meeting, Vietnam Labour
party direct the DRV delegation:
Military issue:
Political issue
Negotiation
17

DRVs position after Chou En-lai

met Ho Chi Minh in Lieuchou
Military issues: i) cease fire at the same time in VN,
Laos, CPC. ii) Temporary demarcation line: 16 parallel.
iii) No troops or military officer to be intruded during
cease fire. iiii) No foregn military base, no military
alliance.
Political issue: i) time for general election (French, under
US pressure did not want to specify the time for general
election, just saying the time will be negotiated and
agreed by related partners) ii) how DRV participate in
French Union after the country reunified and
independent iii) the member of International
supervision committee
Negotiation: Discuss with French in equal position

Phase III: from 10/7 to

20/7/1954
Late June and July 1954: VN, French, China,
SU, UK all support an agreement signed. US
wanted an agreement with the least
constraint on US manoeuvre after that.
Main issues of disagreement: temporary
demarcation line, time for general election,
cease fire in Cambodia and Laos.

19

Reaching the final agreements

Documents:
Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam,
Laos, Cambodia.
Final Declaration of the Geneva Conference on Restoring
Peace in Indochina, 21 July 1954.
General
Solutions to the whole Indochina
Both military and political aspects
Vietnam:
Military demarcation line at 17 parallel
General election to be held in two years time
Laos and Cambodia:
Laos: two provinces under royal control for regroupment
Jurist.org
Cambodia: no areas for regroupment
US and Bao Dai government refused to sign the final 20
agreement
20

Temporary line: China (Chou en-lai) pressed VN to

make concession. i) If not agreed on this issues,
Mendes France (support peace) might fall, and the prowar faction (with supporting from US) might won. Ii) SU
also agree with Chinas position to reach an
agreement, do not a small issue to destroy the whole
process of negotiation. Iii) within two years, whole VN
will be under DRV. On 19/7 agree on 17 parallel.
(France ask for 18, DRV for 16. China propose 16 with
Hai Phong and/or Hanoi belong to French).
Time for election: final agreement reached in
19/7/1954: Within two years, but two sides must
negotiate and agree on the specific time before
6/1955.
Cease fire in Cambodia and Laos: Cambodia became
neutral and cease fire, but resistant force must be
disarmed or participate in local police force. Laos:
Pathet Laos withdraw to Sam Nua and Phongsaly. But
these towns provinces put under control of Laos royal
governement.

5. Aftermath and assessment

Aftermath
Regroupment and movement of population
Ceasefire in the South
National election and prospect for unification
Laos and Cambodia
Assessment
International factors, the role of powers in bringing
about solution
Vietnams policy and prospects

22

22

Key points and timeline

Keypoints
Peaceful trend in international relations, all
powers want peaceful solution to Indochina
conflict
The victory of Dien Bien Phu, the
importance of the battle.
DRVs position to solve the conflict both
militarily and politically
The result of the Geneva conference.

Timeline
25/11/1953:
25/1/1954:
7/5/1954
8/5/1954
18/6/1954
23/6/1954
3-5/7/1954
21/7/1954

Timeline
25/11/1953: HCM answer Expressen Newspaper: DRV is
willing to talk.
25/1/1954: Molotov proposed five power conference on
Korean and Indochina conflicts
7/5/1954: Dien Bien Phu
8/5/1954: Open Geneva conference on Indochina
18/6/1954: Diem became Prime Minister of State of
Vietnam/ Mendes Frances became Prime Minister of France
23/6/1954: Chou En-Lai met Mendes France in Berne, made
concessions
3-5/7/1954: Liuzhou meeting Chou en Lai and Ho Chi Minh
21/7/1954: Geneva accords signed

Discussion

Discuss the main points of international and

domestic context of Geneva conference

Discuss the position of powers toward

Indochina issues at Geneva conference

Why was China so active at Geneva

conference?

Was DRV lost in Geneva Agreements in

1954?

Topic for mid-term paper

Choose one of the following topic:

1. What lessons could be learnt from the diplomatic activities

of DRV in 1945-1946? Examine one diplomatic lesson that
you are most interested in.
2. What was DRVs policy toward Chinese Kuomintang forces
in 1945-1946? Why did DRV adopt that policy?
3. What was DRVs policy toward French in 1945-1946? Why
did DRV adopt that policy?
4. Assess the result of Geneva agreement toward DRV.
5. Assess the role of People Republic of China at Geneva
conference on Indochina issue in 1954.

Mid-term paper format

Paper: A4 size paper shall be used. Paper shall be

of good quality and of sufficient opacity for normal
reading.
Font: Time New Roman; Size: 12 pt.
Line spacing: double or one and a half.
Margins: at the binding edge shall be not less than
40 mm and other margins not less than 20 mm.
Pagination: Pages of text and appendices shall be
numbered consecutively throughout the paper.
Page numbers must appear on each page,
preferably at the centre of the top of the page.

Mid-term paper format

Length: 3000 words
Deadline:
+ Soft copy: sent to:
levanhai1979@yahoo.com no later than
15/4/2013.
+ Hard copy submitted on 16/4/2013.
+ Presentation and peer review: 16/4 and
23/4.
Referencing style: Harvard system is
preferred
Title page: Follow rule of the University