Tuong Vu - Vietnam’s Communist Revolution The Power and Limits of Ideology

This series showcases cutting-edge scholarship in US foreign relations that employs dynamic new methodological approaches and archives from the colonial era to the present. The series is guided by the ethos of transnationalism, focusing on the history of American foreign relations in a global context rather than privileging the United States as the dominant actor on the world stage.

Vietnams Communist Revolution

The Power and Limits of Ideology

Tuong Vu

University of Oregon

One Liberty Plaza, New York NY 10006, USA

Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge.

It furthers the Universitys mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence.

Tuong Vu 2017

This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.

First published 2017

Printed in the United States of America by Sheridan Books, Inc.

A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library.

Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URL s for external or third-party Internet Web sites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

This is not a book I intended to write; fortuitous circumstances and generous support from colleagues and institutions came together to nudge me along, chapter by chapter, over ten years. Three scholars who have influenced this project the most are Peter Zinoman, Keith Taylor, and Chris Goscha. Peter Zinoman taught me to write as a historian and offered valuable comments on many chapters. Keith Taylors scholarship is a great source of inspiration. Chris Goschas invitation to participate in a Euroseas conference in Paris in 2004 had me put my thoughts on the topic together for the first time. Im indebted to Chris for giving me so many helpful suggestions besides the chance to start the project. Im also grateful to the encouragement from many fellow panelists at that conference, including Christian Ostermann, the late Ilya Gaiduk, Chen Jian, and Nayan Chanda. This Euroseas paper eventually became of this book.

In the same spirit, I greatly appreciate historian Sergey Glebov who encouraged me to write an article for the journal Ab Imperio: Studies of New Imperial History and Nationalism in the Post-Soviet Space . Parts of this article were included in of this book. Smith College deserves thanks for offering me generous support through a Mendenhall Fellowship, which contributed greatly to my research for this book.

Two other institutions awarded year-long fellowships that enabled me to complete the bulk of the project. The Asia Research Institute (ARI), National University of Singapore, provided substantial funding and a collegial working environment during 20072008. ARIs directors, Anthony Reid, John Gavin, and Lily Kong, deserve credit for their support of this project. Jamie Davidson, Karl Hack, Huang Jianli, SR Joey Long, Anthony Reid, Nicolai Volland, Geoff Wade, Wasana Wongsurawat, Leong Yew, and other colleagues offered insightful comments on papers that would be included in this study. David Koh and Pham Nhu Quynh made Singapore feel like home.

Im indebted to Princeton Institute of International and Regional Studies (PIIRS), Princeton University, for offering me a Development and Democracy Fellowship during 20112012. Atul Kohli deserves special thanks for suggesting the fellowship, arranging a talk on the project, reading chapters of the manuscript, and giving me meticulous feedback. Deborah Yashar and Mark Beissinger also were very kind and generous with their time and advice. Im also thankful to my former Princeton professors Lynn T. White III and Miguel Centeno for discussing this project with me.

The Naval Postgraduate School and the University of Oregon deserve great thanks for having provided substantial funding that enabled me to make many research trips to Vietnam. Im grateful to Mr. Ed Colligan, an alumnus of the Department of Political Science at the University of Oregon, for supporting a department award of which I was a recipient. Im indebted to colleagues in Oregon, especially Deborah Baumgold, Erin Beck, Gerry Berk, Dan HoSang, Karrie Koesel, Joe Lowndes, Craig Parsons, Priscilla Southwell, Dan Tichenor, and Priscilla Yamin for their enthusiasm about the project.

Lien-Hang Nguyen was a firm supporter from early on. Ed Miller read the entire manuscript and made numerous excellent suggestions on structure and arguments in a truly comradely spirit. Jacques Hymans was enthusiastic and gave valuable advice for framing the main arguments. Ben Kerkvliet is the best mentor one can ever hope for. Pierre Asselins very helpful advice on the project is greatly appreciated. Sophie Quinn-Judge and Kosal Path kindly provided important archival and other materials. In the process of revising, I received very helpful comments from Kosal Path, Zachary Shore, and Lewis Stern that significantly improved the arguments. At the University of Oregon, I benefited greatly from Glenn Mays wise advice and unfailing support. Other friends and colleagues who helped sustain my interest in Vietnamese studies were Haydon Cherry, Olga Dror, Erik Harms, Tuan Hoang, Alec Holcombe, Charles Keith, Liam Kelley, Ben Kerkvliet, Christian Lentz, Martin Loicano, Ken MacLean, Shawn McHale, Martina Nguyen, Phan Nhien Hao, Gerard Sasges, Balasz Szalontai, Keith Taylor, Philip Taylor, Alex Thai-Vo, Nu-Anh Tran, and Alex Vuving.