In 1954, with the end of the Battle of Dien Bien Bien Phu, French colonial rule in the Indochina Peninsula also came to an end. In order to solve the post-war problems, delegations from nine countries, including China, the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain, France, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, met in Geneva, Switzerland.
At the meeting, China, the Soviet Union, and North Vietnam naturally stood on the same front. During the preparatory work meeting before the meeting, the three countries worked closely together to confront each other in the form of division of labor and cooperation, and consulted with each other on major issues in an attempt to achieve a coordinated view. At the outset, the Chinese delegation did decide to support all the demands of North Vietnam. But with the meeting, Zhou Enlai, as the chief representative, found that the development of things did not seem to be as simple as he thought. In his view, China may have been deceived by the Vietnamese.
First, Zhou Enlai realized that something was wrong
Before the start of the meeting, the Vietnamese proposed that they hoped to achieve the reunification of the north and south of Vietnam in one fell swoop through the Geneva conference. At the same time, they argue that Cambodia and Laos are also "indispensable" fraternal allies of Vietnam. After the withdrawal of the French army, in order to ensure the security of the three countries, it is reasonable to establish an "Indochina Federation" with Vietnam as the core, that is, to merge vietnam, Laos and Cambodia into one country.
In fact, Vietnam does have a basis for doing so. Since the 18th century, vietnam, laos and Cambodia have gradually become French colonies and become the so-called French Indochina. After World War II, Ho Chi Minh led the Viet Cong in a revolutionary struggle to liberate Vietnam from the French. With the help of new China, the Vietnamese army won repeated victories and liberated a large part of the country. The Chinese military advisory group believes that in order to completely defeat the French army, the revolutionary war must not be limited to Vietnam alone, and a "second battlefield" must be opened in Laos and Cambodia to disperse the French army's already stretched troops.
Guided by this policy, the Vietnamese army began to enter Laos and Cambodia, and established the Laotian War Of War Government in August 1950 and april 1952, respectively. Both anti-war governments were actively propped up and formed by Vietnam, their main leaders were under Vietnamese control and leadership, representing Vietnamese interests in Laos and Cambodia, and the main members of their armies were also composed of Vietnamese and locals of Vietnamese ancestry.
These two anti-war governments also faced off with the existing Royal Government of Laos and the Royal Government of Cambodia. During the Franco-Vietnamese War, the Vietnamese army achieved outstanding results in Laos and Cambodia, controlling a lot of territory and population.
The Vietnamese believed that the french colonists had now been driven out, which was the perfect opportunity to realize the "Indochina Federation". Therefore, they hope that through the Geneva Conference, their military presence in Laos and Cambodia will be completely legitimized, so as to realize the so-called "Indochina Federation" and unite the three countries into one.
But to establish the Indochina Federation, it was necessary to pass through China and the Soviet Union. Before the meeting began, the Vietnamese repeatedly proposed the establishment of the "Indochina Federation". At that time, New China had just been founded, and its external experience was insufficient, and its understanding of the political and people's conditions on the Indochina Peninsula was not enough. So at the beginning, China agreed to Vietnam's plan. However, when Zhou Enlai actually arrived in Geneva and met the representatives of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Laos, he gradually discovered that what the Vietnamese said was different from the facts.
At the beginning, Vietnam stressed that it was connected to Laos and Cambodia in the same language and was a country, but it was forcibly separated by the colonizers. However, Zhou Enlai found that although the country is geographically similar, language and customs are fundamentally different things. Afterwards, Zhou Enlai commented on the relationship between the three countries:
"The national and national boundaries of the three Indochina member states are very clear and strict. This boundary existed before the establishment of colonial rule in Indochina, and it was seen in public by the people of the three countries, and in the past we did not see it so seriously at home... The two royal governments of Cambodia and Laos are still legitimate governments in the eyes of most local people, and are recognized by more than thirty countries in the world... It was only in this engagement at geneva that we understood that the problem is not so simple and must be treated strictly in three countries. ”
Later, Chinese scholars carefully studied history and gradually discovered that in the eyes of the Laotians and Cambodians, the Vietnamese and the French were actually no different, they were invaders who tried to annex their territory. If it were not for the complete occupation of Vietnam by France as a colony, I am afraid that Laos and Cambodia would have become Vietnamese territories long ago.
2. Aggressive Vietnam
As we all know, Vietnam has been The territory of China since the Han Dynasty, known as Jiaotong and Annam in ancient times, and has always existed as a county in the south. In the chaotic times, Jiaotong County was generally closed to itself, and in the era of peace, it returned to the central government. However, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the Jing Navy Jiedushi, stationed in Vietnam, declared itself independent, thus ending vietnam's so-called "Northern Period". Since then, Vietnam has existed as an independent country.
Among the countries of the Indochina Peninsula, Vietnam is the only centralized state founded by Confucianism, which has always regarded itself as a "little China", and its political system, canonical system and writing are almost completely copied from China. For the surrounding "barbarian" countries, Vietnam has always had a sense of superiority, considering itself a heavenly kingdom, and showing a rare aggressiveness among Confucian countries.
In the final analysis, Vietnam originated as a warlord at the end of the Tang Dynasty and was a loser in the central plains. Since it was impossible to expand its power to the north, Vietnam began to expand to the south in the name of "Tianzi" and "Southern Dynasty". Its surroundings, Laos, Champa and Cambodia, all fell prey to the Vietnamese invasion.
Vietnam has the advantage of a centralized system, so the neighboring countries are not their opponents, which is why Vietnam has repeatedly succeeded. At the same time, Vietnam, fearful of China's interference, only dared to encroach on the territory of other countries one bite at a time. It took hundreds of years for Vietnam to expand from a corner of the country to what it is today.
First of all, Vietnam continued to invade the Champa state in the south, despite the repeated orders of the Central Plains regime. From the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, after a long war, Vietnam finally completely swallowed up this thousand-year-old country in 1695 and expanded its territory into the Indian Ocean.
Second, Vietnam launched a tidal invasion of Laos, located to its west. From 1334 to 1827, Vietnam had established seven military palaces on Lao territory, occupying two-thirds of Lao territory.
Finally, Vietnam also launched a campaign against Cambodia. In those days, Cambodia was also wide, and the Khmer Empire it established occupied most of the Indochina Peninsula. But by the time Vietnam rose, Cambodia had become a weak country to be bullied.
After the fall of Champa, Vietnam bordered Cambodia. Just three years later, Vietnam invaded Cambodia and seized half of its territory. Saigon (present-day Ho Chi Minh City), the most prosperous city in Vietnam today, was originally Cambodian territory.
By 1830, Vietnam had largely controlled Laos and Cambodia, and in time, these two countries would inevitably follow in the footsteps of the city and become part of Vietnam. However, the invasion of the French interrupted this historical process.
In 1858, france began an invasion of Vietnam under the pretext of killing missionaries in Vietnam, and soon occupied all of southern Vietnam. In 1863, France forced Cambodia to become its protectorate by force. In 1884, the Sino-French War broke out, and the Qing army collapsed for thousands of miles, resulting in the French army successfully occupying Hanoi and Lang Son, and hitting Zhennanguan on the Sino-Vietnamese border. With the signing of the Sino-French New Covenant, Vietnam became a French protectorate. In 1893, France struck iron while it was hot and annexed Laos. As a result, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were completely invaded by France, forming the so-called "French Indochina".
Among the three Indochina countries, France gave priority to Vietnam everywhere, supporting Vietnam with laos and Cambodian manpower, and its governor's office was also located in Vietnam. The vast majority of officials below the "federal" provincial level, except for a few Cambodian and veteran officials, are served by Vietnamese. Even the French mines in Laos and Cambodia, the foremen of plantations, the directors of prisons and even the executioners of executions were mainly Vietnamese.
The French did this to make Vietnam a bridgehead for invading China. But the move also gave the Vietnamese a sense of superiority over Laos and Cambodians.
In 1940, Japan invaded southeast Asian countries and drove France out of Indochina. Although Japan did not rule Indochina for a long time, it also regarded the three countries as a whole, and also engaged in the "Indochina Federation".
Therefore, Vietnam has always regarded Laos and Cambodia as its own pockets, brotherly countries that must be "unified". On the one hand, Laos and Cambodia do regard Vietnam as a "big brother"; on the other hand, they also regard Vietnam as an aggressor who deprives them of their independence and freedom. The conclusion of a "special relationship" is acceptable to both countries; but to become a constituent republic of the "Indochina Federation", the two countries cannot do so in any way.
Vietnam holds a grudge against China
Knowing this, China's demands on Vietnam's "Indochina Federation" began to harden. Zhou Enlai told the Vietnamese deputies that there are huge differences in national conditions between Vietnam and Cambodia, that the royal governments of Laos and Cambodia are still very prestigious, and that it is impossible for China to support Vietnam in forming the so-called "Indochina Federation." Zhou Enlai also informed the CPC Central Committee of his opinion and forwarded it to the CPV Central Committee for serious consideration.
China does not support the "Indochina Federation," and American attitudes on the Indochinese issue have become increasingly tough. On June 16, the U.S. delegation argued that Vietnam's asking price for Laos and Cambodia was too high, so it decided to withdraw from the meeting. Therefore, the Geneva Conference faces the risk of fruitlessness, indochina being interfered with by armed intervention by the United States and Britain, and rekindling the flames of war.
In this crisis, Vietnam eventually had to consider compromise. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam finally sent a telegram to Zhou Enlai and decided to agree to Zhou Enlai's proposal that "the three indies be treated separately", which was actually forced to abandon the plan to seek a new "Indochinese federation". Not only that, but Vietnam also agreed to withdraw its troops from Laos and Cambodia, which also meant the demise of the Laos and Khmer resistance governments that it had painstakingly run. The foundations of the Lao-Cambodian revolution that they had painstakingly managed were all in vain, which also made them feel extremely bitter.
In desperation, Vietnam had no choice but to retreat and seek "compensation" for Vietnam's own problems, that is, to achieve the reunification of the two Vietnams. However, under the aggressive military pressure of the US military, Vietnam once again chose to make concessions.
On July 3, Vietnamese leaders used the adjournment time to hold talks in Liuzhou, Guangxi Province, and Zhou Enlai earnestly persuaded the Vietnamese:
"At that time, North Korea was anxious to reunify, and as a result, it was defeated by the joint intervention of the United States and other countries, and now the truce is the first priority, and if the United States interferes, the revolution in the Indochina Peninsula may be in danger of losing everything."
In desperation, Vietnam even gave up the demand for "reunification of the two Vietnams" and had to accept the "humiliating conditions" of the division of the two Vietnamese at seventeen degrees north latitude.
Judging from the results of the Geneva Conference, France completely withdrew from Vietnam, and the Viet Cong also recovered important cities and seaports such as Hanoi without bloodshed, and was able to concentrate on developing national strength, to achieve the reunification of the motherland through universal suffrage, and to retreat to the area north of the 17th parallel in an attempt to move backwards. At the same time, the conference deprived the United States of an excuse to intervene militarily.
Where there is life, there is hope. In the end, with the assistance of China and the Soviet Union, Vietnam drove out the American army and realized the reunification of the motherland.
Zhou Enlai did not support Vietnam in forming the "Indochina Federation" or to unify Vietnam to realize the complete reunification of the motherland; in fact, he was well-intentioned and far-sighted, and he had to eat food bite by bite. At that time, although the Vietnamese army liberated a large part of the country, it was actually exhausted. If the U.S. Intervention Army arrives, it will be vulnerable. At that time, let alone the reunification of the motherland, even the political power will not be able to be maintained.
But the Vietnamese don't see it that way. In their view, at the Geneva conference, Chinese "betrayed" Vietnam. As a result, Vietnam lost the opportunity to liberate the country by force at low cost, and was later forced to fight a war of unification with heavy casualties under the intervention of the United States; according to the Geneva Agreement, all Vietnamese volunteers in Laos and Cambodia were withdrawn, and the idea of a new "Indochina Federation" was in vain. Therefore, many cadres within the Viet Cong were very dissatisfied with this, especially Le Sung of the Southern Bureau.
Since then, the outcome of the Geneva Conference has become the first pillar of Sino-Vietnamese relations. At the beginning, the Viet Cong always made a statement that the outcome of the Geneva Conference was correct and deserved; but sino-Vietnamese relations broke down, and Le Son said that China had "betrayed the national interests of the Vietnamese people" and "in order to ensure the establishment of a safe zone south of their country" and "attempted to maintain the long-term division of Vietnam, weakening Vietnam and subordinating itself to China."
It can be said that the results of the Geneva Conference have laid the groundwork for the subsequent confrontation between China and Vietnam. China may have little problem with Vietnam's reunification, but it will never allow the establishment of the so-called "Indochina Federation." If Vietnam wants to dominate Southeast Asia, it must pass the Chinese barrier.
The dissolution of the "Indochina Federation"
Shortly after the Geneva Conference, the two Vietnamese were divided and the war soon rekindled. And the United States did indeed go down in person and joined the melee. Due to the lessons of the Korean War, the US military only bombed North Vietnam to prevent China and the Soviet Union from sending volunteers to fight in Vietnam.
In order to fight against the Americans, Vietnam once again sent troops into Laos and Cambodia. Vietnam's ambitions for the Indochina Federation were once again ignited. First, Laos was completely controlled by Vietnam. Vietnamese advisers were everywhere in the Lao army, even infiltrating company-level troops in Laos. Among mass organizations, Vietnamese advisers have infiltrated the township level.
Vietnam had a good time in Laos, but it hit a hard nail in Cambodia. The Cambodian Communist Party resolutely resisted Vietnamese infiltration, and relations between the two parties entered a freezing point.
In 1975, after expelling the American troops, North Vietnam eliminated the South Vietnamese regime and realized the reunification of Vietnam. At the same time, Vietnam immediately ended the 622-year-long rule of the Lao royal family, established the "Lao People's Democratic Republic", and completely controlled all departments of the Lao party, government and army. And this situation has been exaggerated to the point that all the main leaders in Laos basically have a Vietnamese wife who is responsible for monitoring them.
In 1977, Vietnamese troops and advisers marched into Laos, and the Lao government declared that it would be "forever aligned" with Vietnam. It can be said that at this time, Laos has completely become a vassal state of Vietnam.
From December 25, 1978 to January 7, 1979, the Vietnamese army captured all of Cambodia in just 13 days, expelled the Khmer Rouge, and established the so-called "People's Republic of Cambodia".
As a result, Vietnam finally realized its own plot, that is, Laos and Cambodia were controlled in its own hands, and the establishment of the so-called "Indochina Federation" was imminent.
Like Laos, most of the senior leaders of the "People's Republic of Cambodia" have a Viet Cong background. Of the 21 central committee members, 19 married Vietnamese wives. At the same time, Vietnam stationed a large number of troops in Cambodia, sent 12,000 advisers, and migrated a large number of Vietnamese to Cambodian territory.
Vietnam is well aware that China will never allow Vietnam to establish an "Indochina Federation." So they changed their policy of balance and began to "turn one-sided" towards the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union and Vietnam attacked China, China naturally had no time to look south and could not stop Vietnam from digesting Laos and Cambodia. And this is Vietnam's long-distance and close-range attack policy.
Deng Xiaoping, who was in charge of government affairs at that time, said: "I remember that Chairman Mao criticized us for being overzealous on the Vietnamese issue, and now it seems that Comrade Mao Zedong is very far-sighted. ”
When Vietnam continued to demand weapons and equipment from China after reunification, Deng Xiaoping categorically rejected their demands. Because Deng Xiaoping understood that Vietnam's ambitions were by no means limited to unifying the country, but also Laos, Cambodia, and even Thailand.
As a result, the relationship between China and Vietnam gradually changed from brotherhood to enemies, and war was inevitable.
On February 17, 1979, the Sino-Vietnamese War broke out, and Vietnam was forced to send a large number of troops north to prepare for a possible "second lesson" from China. At the same time, China and Vietnam also engaged in 10 years of border conflicts in the Lao shan and Eryin mountain areas. This move by China has plunged Vietnam into a situation of two-front operation in the north and southwest. As a result, Vietnam's huge army has been unable to be demobilized, and military spending accounts for 60% of national income every year.
At this time, vietnam's "financial lord", the Soviet Union, was also exhausted by the exhaustion of military force, and gradually became unable to support Vietnam's economy. In Cambodia, Vietnam has gradually become passive because of the continuous attacks of anti-Vietnamese guerrillas. Vietnam itself is a "poor big brother", and now it is finally time to be unable to support it, and it cannot afford to raise two younger brothers, Laos and Cambodia, and naturally they will have to separate their families.
In 1988, Soviet Gorbachev proposed a "new thinking" and basically stopped aid to Vietnam. Subsequently, Vietnam's domestic inflation rate soared 10 times, and there was even famine in the country.
Faced with this new situation, Vietnam was forced to withdraw its troops in Cambodia early. In April 1989, the People's Republic of Cambodia amended its constitution to change the country name to "State of Cambodia", thus ending its "special relationship" with Vietnam. At the same time, Vietnam also achieved a withdrawal of troops in Laos. The dream of Vietnam's "Indochina Federation" was shattered.
With the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops in Laos and Cambodia, Relations between China and Vietnam were finally normalized. Following China's example, Vietnam began "innovation and development." Like China, Vietnam's economic level is also improving year by year. Today's Vietnamese finally understand that there is no way out by force and hegemony, and only economic development and the improvement of people's living standards are the king's choice.