Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3
NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
0154 FEC IN INDOCHINA = 240,000. VIETNAMESE NATIONAL ARMY = 211,000. LAOTIAN ARMY = 21,000. CAMBODIAN ARMY = 16,000. VIETMINH = 115,000. REGULARS PLUS 185,000 MILITIAMEN + GUERRILLAS.
011654 THE CABINET OF PRINCE BUU LCC WAS INVESTED.
012654 AT THE BIG FOUR CONFERENCE IN BERLIN, BIDAULT SPECIFIED THAT A CONFERENCE ON INDOCHINA BE HELD. THE MAIN RESULT OF THE BERLIN CONFERENCE WAS THE SETTING OF APRIL 26 FOR A MEETING AT GENEVA ON INDOCHINA. /FLEM-CWO.
012954 SEC.DEF. MEMO TO SEC. AF. DIRECTED 200 AIR FORCE PERSONNEL TO INDOCHINA TDY TO JUNE 15, 1954.
012954 MAJOR GENERAL ERSKINE, CHAIRMAN OF THE PRESIDENT'S SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON INDOCHINA, THOUGHT MAAG INDOCHINA SHOULD BE RAISED TO MISSION LEVEL TO HELP WITH TRAINING.
0254 THE NEW FIRST VIETNAMESE DIVISION WHICH HAD BEEN CREATED ACCORDING TO THE NAVARRE PLAN AND LEFT IN A STATIC POSITION, TURNED AGAINST BAO DAI AND THE FRENCH. /FLEM-CWO.
0254 PRESIDENT RHEE OF KOREA OFFERED TO SEND A ROK DIVISION TO INDOCHINA. WERE OPPOSED. /314-1
020154 PRESIDENT EISENHOWER, THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, OTHER AGENCIES OF THE GOVERNMENT AND A SPECIAL COMMITTEE UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF W. BEDELL SMITH HAD STUDIED THE INDOCHINA SITUATION IN TERMS OF WHAT COURSE THE U.S. SHOULD FOLLOW. THEY HAD CONSIDERED THE USE OF U.S. GROUND AIR AND NAVAL FORCES IN INDOCHINA AND ALSO REVIEWED THE OLD THEORY THAT INDOCHINA WAS THE KEY TO SOUTHEAST ASIA, WEIGHED ALTERNATIVE PLANS LIKE THE STRENGTHENING OF THAILAND. /FLEM-CWO.
020554 GEN. O'DANIEL'S REPORT ON HIS 3RD VISIT TO VIETNAM RECOMMENDED 1) ORGANIZATION OF A SMALL STAFF TO GO QUICKLY TO VIETNAM WITH DETAILED OPERATIONS AND TRAINING PLANS 2) TWO OFFICERS TO BE ATTACHED TO VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT 3) MORE FUNDS FOR STEM 4) TRAINING COMMAND FOR VIETNAMESE NAVAL AND AIR FORCES.
020954 WAR MINISTER RENE PLEVEN TOURED VIETNAM. /LANCASTER.
MID FEB. 1954 GENERALS FAY AND BLANCK, CHIEFS OF STAFF OF AIR FORCE AND ARMY RESPECTIVELY, AND SECRETARY OF WAR PIERRE DE CHEVIGNE TOURED VIETNAM FOR FRANCE. /LANCASTER.
MAR–APR 54 THE BATTLE OF DIEN BIEN PHU RAGED.
030354 PRINCE BUU LOC ARRIVED IN PARIS WITH A DELEGATE TO NEGOTIATE A SETTLEMENT OF VIETNAM CLAIMS ON THE BASIS OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT'S SOLEMN ATION OF JULY 3, 1953- THE FRENCH INSISTED ON A COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE THE TOTAL INDEPENDENCE AND A COMMITTEE TO DEFINE THE NATURE OF VIETNAM'S ASSOCIATION TO FRANCE. THIS EFFECTIVELY TIED UP AND PUT OFF ACTIONS UNTIL THE GENEVA CONFERENCE OPENED. (SEE 042854) /LANCASTER.
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