Notes on the Colonial Heritage in Vietnam

The heritage of colonialism in Vietnam is Communism. The strength of the Communist party of Vietnam is a unique phenomenon in the developing world. Vietnam was the only country where a Communist-led government was established at the end of World War II without the kind of outside help the Red Army gave to the Communist parties of Eastern Europe.

From this follows a still unrecognized and therefore startling truth: The loss of Vietnam to Communism occurred in 1915. All the fighting that...