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Introduction The United States’ involvement in the First Indochina War represents a crucial chapter in the history of American foreign policy, marking the initial phase of what would become deep military commitment in Southeast Asia. This period witnessed the fundamental transformation of American policy from relative disinterest to substantial engagement, establishing patterns that would characterize later involvement in Vietnam. The evolution of American policy during this conflict reveals the powerful influence of Cold War mentality on foreign policy decision-making, the tensions between anti-colonial traditions and containment imperatives, and the early manifestations of what would later be termed “mission creep” in…
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In one decisive episode, a democratically elected leader was removed in a covert Anglo-American operation, foreign powers reasserted control over Iranian oil, and the Shah’s autocracy was restored.