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Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3
NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
TOP SECRET – Sensitive
IV. A. 2.
AID FOR FRANCE IN INDOCHINA, 1950–1954
TABLE OF CONTENTS AND OUTLINE
| Page | |||
| 1. | The U.S. and the French Colonial War | 1 | |
| 2. | The Containment of Communism | 2 | |
| 3. | "The Line of Containment" and "The Domino Theory" | 3 | |
| 4. | U.S. Perception of the Chinese Communist Threat | 4 | |
| 5. | U.S. Perceptions of the Situation within Vietnam | 5 | |
| a. | The Military Situation | 5 | |
| b. | The Economic and Political Situation | 6 | |
| c. | French Objectives in Vietnam | 6 | |
| d. | French Resolve to Remain in Vietnam | 6 | |
| 6. | The Decision to Assist France and the Associated States | 6 | |
| a. | French Request Aid | 6 | |
| b. | The Griffin Mission | 8 | |
| c. | JCS Views | 8 | |
| d. | Presidential Approval | 10 | |
| e. | Erskine Mission | 11 | |
| f. | JCS Reevaluation | 11 | |
| 7. | MAP for Indochina | 14 | |
| a. | Magnitude | 14 | |
| b. | Effectiveness | 15 | |
| 8. | Critique | 17 | |
| a. | French Misestimated | 17 | |
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TOP SECRET – Sensitive
