Singapore Accords

The **Singapore Accords** was a peace agreement between the Kingdom of Siam and the republics of Laos, Vietnam and France after the Indochinese Revolution.

## Singapore Accords

A Siamese map depicting the territorial changes after the accord.

### Signatories

Kingdom of SiamRepublic of Laos

Republic of Vietnam

Republic of France

## The Indochinese Revolution and aftermath

The Indochinese Revolution severely altered the balance of power in Indochina. For many it was another war that proved colonialism was faltering and may even be coming to an end, while others (French nationalists) only claimed the war was a minor setback and that Indochina will be French once again. However, the “war for reclamation” as the French put it never came. For the longest time the French remained on the sidelines, blockading the Vietnamese from gaining access to the ocean.

But it did nothing. After almost a year of fighting the French public was exhausted as with soldiers having to fight almost suicidal battles on land and sea (mostly with sea invasions). The French were beaten, as the rebels and Siam had succeeded in the war. In February the French, Siamese, Vietnamese and Laotians met in Singapore to discuss a final treaty for borders and agreements.

## The terms of the accords

While the French wanted to be compensated in some way for losing such a big colony, but no one else was willing to agree to French demands. All too often the French were forced to cave into the others’ demands. The final terms are as follows

*The Kingdom of Siam annexes the regions of Battambang, Xayabury and Phnom Penh. Vietnam, Laos and France recognizes the new Siamese borders.*

*All countries recognize the new governments of Vietnam and Laos.*

*France promises to end the naval blockade and remove their navy from the South China Sea.*

*The rest of Cambodia is granted to the Republic of Vietnam, but the province is t9 be demilitarized. No Vietnamese troops may enter the region.*

*A non-aggression pact is signed between Vietnam, Laos and Siam, lasting 10 years.*

## Aftermath of the Accord

While war finally stopped in the region, there were heightened concerns over ideological conflicts between the conservative Laos and Siam against socialist Vietnam. These fears only increased when just 4 months later the Laotian government was overthrown in a coup and radical communists seized the country. While on paper Vietnam had nothing to do with it most are suspicious of the Vietnamese government and the role they played in the Laotian Revolution. Laos after became a de-facto Vietnamese puppet, and the term “Iron Curtain” was born to portray an ideologically split Indochinese peninsula, between the reactionary West (Siam and Burma) and the revolutionary East (Vietnam and Laos). Siam is also still eyeing Laos even after they promised to not interfere in the country, and many civilians in those countries predict that a war will soon come out.

Shortly after the French lost Indochina came the French Civil War which spread all throughout France and it’s colonial empire. While the Vietnamese and Laotians were happy about achieving their independence they also were one of the first countries to recognize the Workers Republic of France as legitimate, and subsequently reached out to Paris in late 1934 to discuss trade agreements and treaties. With the end of the civil war and a socialist victory, France and Vietnam began reconciling their past in place for reconstruction.