The Cold War in Asia (excluding Vietnam after 1954), 1946-75

Empire and its aftermath

Young & Kent: International Relations since 1945

Indian independence as Cold War threats in Europe develop

1947- 48• The nature of the Cold War’s links with the

decolonization process- the economic and political impact of the

Second World War on Asia• The road to India’s achievement of independence

- the role of Attlee and the disagreements over the Indian transfer of power in London

- Indian nationalism and Hindu/Muslim tensions

- internationalism and Empire in respect of increasing Cold War tensions- Mountbatten’s influence on the

acceleration of the transfer of power

The Cold War and decolonization in Ceylon and Burma 1947-50

• Cold War and the need for moderate nationalists in independent Sri Lanka

- British policy in 1947 and its impact on the timing of independence in 1948

• Wartime legacies and the shift to Cold War priorities in Burma

- the nature of Burmese opposition to British rule

- the roles of Aung San and U Nu- the Cold War and the socio-economic

order in Burma• Independence in 1949 and the Burmese refusal

to join the Commonwealth

The Cold War in French Indo-China 1946-49

• Vietnamese society at the end of World War II: - peasants and plantations- the political effect of socio-economic conditions- Ho Chi Minh and nationalism

• The Japanese departure and the nationalist arrival in Hanoi- the roles of the Americans, British and Free French in

the rejection of the new Vietnamese government• The creation of the French Union and the start of the war in

1946- the French Union, its overseas territories, associated

states and Indo-China- the failure of the Fontainebleu talks on Indo-China’s

position- the French attack on Haiphong

• The impact of the Cold War - communism and nationalism- the return of Bao Dai 1949

Cold War in Vietnam: US aid and French defeat 1949 - 54

• Truman and US aid - the Korean War and the commencement of

significant aid• Dulles and maintaining the French Empire in the Cold

War- the growing propaganda disadvantages of

Empire- the disagreements with Britain about assisting

the French militarily- the issue of reforming the French Union

• The Geneva Conference 1954- Eden’s disagreement with, and independence

of, Dulles- the agreement on elections for a united

Vietnam and the American refusal to accept it• The lessons of the French defeat at Dienbienphu

Post-colonial instability in South East Asia in the 1960s

• Laos:- Washington and the Royal Lao Army v Hanoi and the

Pathet Lao- Souvanna Phouma and Phoumi rivalry- Greater North Vietnamese involvement and Soviet

aid by 1961- the right-neutral-left division in Laos- Kennedy’s 1961 acceptance at the Khrushchev

Vienna meeting of the neutralisation of Laos- US reconciliation with the Souvanna Phouma

government and the agreement at the reconvened Geneva Conference 1962

• Burma:- Ne Whin and isolationism

• Indonesia: - Sukarno, non alignment and anti-colonialism post-

Bandung

The Malaysian issues and the British desire for the Federation

• The ethnic and political status of the states of Singapore, Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei and Malaya

• The British desire to create Malaysia to solve the Singapore problem

• The Singapore problem after the achievement of internal self-government Singapore’s independence – British requirements:

- the Singapore base for a continued East of Suez presence

- the retention of the Singapore base with reduced cost to London

- the avoidance of Chinese radicalism in Singapore through the more conservative Malays

- a Malayan minority - only avoided by combining Malaya, and the North Borneo territories (Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah) with Singapore

The support for Malaysia within the region

• Support in Singapore- PM Lee Kwan Yew saw it as

facilitating independence• Support in Kuala Lumpur

-PM Tunku Abdul Rahman saw it as increasing Malayan influence

• British commission reported 1962 that the dependent Borneo territories were in favour

• Malaya-Singapore agreed August 1961 on Malaysia’s establishment in 1963

Opposition to Malaysia and the Indonesian ‘Confrontation’

• Opposition in Manila- Philippine claims on Borneo territories

• Opposition in Jakarta- from Sukarno’s anti-colonialism and the

invasion of Dutch West Irian 1961- from the PKI opposition communist party - from doubts over Borneo’s ability to exercise

self- determination properly through a British commission

• Launch of ‘Konfrontasi’ (Confrontation) January 1963 - Propaganda against Malaysia- Guerilla raids on Malaysia’s creation September

1963- British troops deployed and from 1965

Australian SAS in cross border incursions and British intelligence covert operations

Cold War Indonesia and the Konfrontasi settlement 1966-7

• Sukarno identified as US ally in communist struggle and initially received aid 1963

• UN involvement 1963- UN assessment of opinion in Borneo favoured the

British position over the acceptance of Malaysia• Talks on Maphilindo federation of Malaya, Indonesia and

the Philippines 1963• Singapore independence in 1965

- removed important British aim regarding the base

- reduced Malay enthusiasm• Growing American disillusionment with Sukarno 1965• American support for General Suharto in the Sept 1965

murder of pro-communist senior military officers weakened the Indonesian leader’s position and removed the communist threat

• End of Konfrontasi 1966 and formation of ASEAN 1967

The Indo-Pakistan War 1965• Cold War Soth Asian effects in the early 1960s

- Kennedy more prepared to court India- General Ayub Khan fearful of over reliance on America

• Sino-Indian war 1962 - cemented closer Chinese relations with Pakistan- impact on Indo-Pakistani dispute over Kashmir- India felt less secure- US disturbed by Ayub Khan’s better relations with China

• Increased instability from within the region 1965-Washington seemed less able to control the regional situation

through a ‘reliable ally’- Rann of Kutch and growing tensions over Kashmir- August-September Indo-Pakistani war

• Consequences of the War-US Cold War setback

- greater Soviet role in brokering the settlement- closer Soviet-Indian links

- growing importance of China- no settlement to the inherent instability produced by the Kashmir

problem- bankruptcy of President Johnson’s regional policy

The Indo-Pakistan War 1971• Regional situation in 1970

- resentment in the East at the West’s economic domination and pre-occupation with Kashmir

- 1970 earthquake • The December 1970 elections

- conflicting aims of Bhutto in the West and Rahmann in the East over more or less centralization in Pakistan

- parliament suspended and the East (Bangladesh) claimed independence

• The run up to war- Rahmann imprisoned and martial law produced armed resistance- flight of refugees justified India’s claim to be involved in a solution

to the problem through Bangladesh independence-November border incidents produced disagreement over who started

the conflict• Kissinger’s Cold War interpretation of the conflict and US tilt to Pakistan

- the perception of the global dynamics of the Soviet rivalry- US interests in detente required an approach to China through

Pakistan- Pakistan history of alignment with US- external Indian involvement seen as unconducive to the

containment of conflict in the less developed world