Title: Contesting Indochina : French remembrance between decolonization and Cold War /
Authors: Edwards, M. Kathryn, 1979-
Year: 2016
Subjects: Indochinese War, 1946-1954; Decolonization Indochina.; Decolonization; French colonies.; France Colonies Asia; Indochina
Abstract: "How does a nation come to terms with losing a war--especially an overseas war the purpose of which is fervently contested? In the ensuing years, how does such a nation construct and reconstruct its identity and values? For the French in Indochina, the stunning defeat at Dien Bien Phu ushered in the violent process of decolonization and a fraught reckoning with a colonial past. Contesting Indochina is the first in-depth study of the competing and intertwined narratives of the Indochina War. It analyzes the layers of French remembrance, focusing on state-sponsored commemoration, veterans' associations, special-interest groups, intellectuals, films, and heated public disputes. These narratives make up the ideological battleground for contesting the legacies of colonialism, decolonization, the Cold War, and France's changing global status"--Provided by publisher.
Contents: French Indochina from conquest to commemoration -- Remembrance and rehabilitation : the ANAI and the anticommunist narrative -- From activism to remembrance : the anticolonial narrative -- Morts pour la France? : official commemoration of the Indochina War -- "The forgotten of Vietnam-sur-Lot" : repatriate camps as sites of colonial memory -- "La sale affaire" : collaboration, resistance, and the Georges Boudarel affair -- Missing in action : the Indochina War and French film.