| January
|
| 8th
|
The State Department declares that it will approve arm sales to France, except for
use in Indochina
|
| February
|
| 20th
|
Ho Chi Minh sends a letter –
via the British Consul - to the French President appealing for peace. He writes
"...we want our unity and our independence within the French Union; we want, a just
peace which will do honor both to France and to Vietnam"
|
| March
|
| 5th
|
Mr. Emile Bollaert is named as the replacement for Admiral Thierry d’Argenlieu as
French High Commissioner for Indochina
|
| 27th
|
French handwriting experts report that Ho Chi Minh’s signature on the February 20th
peace proposal is a forgery!
|
| April
|
| 1st
|
Bollaert arrives in Saigon
|
| May
|
| 7th
|
Paul Mus, advisor to Bollaert, meets Hoang Minh Giam, DRV Minister of Foreign Affairs,
to discuss possible cessation of hostilities
|
| 20th
|
Ho Chi Minh and Hoang Minh Giam reject France’s stringent cease-fire conditions
|
| July
|
| 28th
|
Ho Chi Minh reorganizes the DRV government, appointing Catholics and a member from
Cochin-China
|
| September
|
| 10th
|
Bollaert makes a speech in Hadong conceding that the question of the union of the
three Kys was for the people to decide themselves, but that diplomatic representation
and defense are matters for the French Union and not for individual states
|
| 22nd
|
Chief of Surete admits to the Saigon Consul that former Emperor Bao Dai agreed to return from Hong Kong and negotiate with the French some
time ago. However, Bao Dai did not return immediately so as to avoid the appearance
that his agreement was a put-up job
|
| December
|
| 7th
|
Bao Dai signs the Ha Long Bay Agreement, which weakly commits the French to national
independence for Vietnam. Prominent nationalists, including Ngo Dinh Diem, condemn
the agreement as falling far short of real independence.
|
| June
|
| 5th
|
Bao Dai and Bollaert sign a second Long Bay Agreement in which France solemnly recognizes
the independence of Vietnam. However, the French government retains control over
foreign relations and the Army and defers transference of other government function
to future negotiations
|
| October
|
|
Leon Pignon replaces Bollaert as French High Commissioner in Indochina
|
| March
|
| 8th
|
Bao Dai and President Auriol of France sign the Elysee Agreement:
- France reconfirms Vietnam’s status as an independent Associated
State within the French Union
- France agrees to unify Vietnam and place it under Vietnamese administration
– the terms to be negotiated subsequently
- France retains control of Vietnamese Armed Forces and foreign relations
|
| 14th
|
French National Assembly passes a bill forming a territorial assembly for Cochin-China
|
| April
|
| 23rd
|
Cochin-China assembly votes for unification with Annam and Tonkin as part of the
State of Vietnam within the French Union
|
| June
|
| 4th
|
French Assembly passes the Cochin-China bill unifying Vietnam
|
| 13th
|
Bao Dai arrives in Saigon
|
| 14th
|
The Associated State of Vietnam is established with Bao Dai as Head of State
|
| October
|
| 1st
|
Having defeated Chiang Kai-Shek’s Nationalists (Kuomintang), Mao Tse-Tung proclaims
the Peoples Republic of China
|
| 6th
|
U.S. Congress passes the Mutual Defense Assistance Act through which arms, military
equipment and training assistance might be provided worldwide for collective defense
|