The Communist Challenges in Malaya and Indochina

Abstract

Communist Movements in Malaya and Indochina provided serious challenges to British and French colonial administrations in the later 1940s and 1950s. The outcome of these challenges was very different: communism in Malaya was contained successfully and reduced to being an irritant rather than a menace. In Vietnam, the Vietminh flourished and the latter was dominated by communists. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in September 1945, was never defeated: its existence was often shadowy but the flame continued to burn and it inspired many young Vietnamese. The bankruptcy of French policy was revealed in 1954 with the convening of the Geneva conference and the humiliating surrender of Dien Bien Phu. The communist advance was held temporarily because of a combination of Anthony Eden’s diplomatic skill and the willingness of the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to settle for half a loaf instead of transferring the whole loaf in 1954. However, it was clear in the mid-1950s that communism in the Malayan peninsula (but not in Singapore) was a declining force whereas in Vietnam it was expanding. The potential of communism in Laos and Cambodia was a matter for speculation: communism was likely to be more of a threat in Laos for geographical reasons. However, Vietnam was the principal focus of attention in 1955.