Bernard B. Fall

Biography

See: (in) http://www.geocities.com/bernardbfall/bio.html

Its youth and the war

Bernard B. Fall is born with Vienna on November 19th, 1926 in an Jewish family. Taken refuge in France in 1938 following the Anschluss, It acquires French nationality. After the French defeat in 1940 and the occupation Nazi, her father Leon Fall and his mother Hannah Seligman join the Resistance of the first hour. His/her father is stopped and carried out and his/her mother, arrétée and off-set did not return. at 16 years, in 1942, Bernard walks on the trace of his parents and joined Resistance in the the Alps. With the Release in 1944, Bernard engages in the regular army. There remains until 1946 and is receives the Cross of the Release. After the war, Bernard B. Fall works as analyst for the war crimes to the Procès of Nuremberg. He inquires in particular into the Krupp factories.

First stay with the United States and the French war

in 1948, he studies with the Sorbonne then at the University of Munich until 1950. He receives then to go to study with the the United States in the Maryland. In 1951, it enters to the University of Syracuse, NY, where it obtains a control in political science. Of return to Maryland, with the University Johns Hopkins of Baltimore, MANDELEVIUM, Bernard B. Fall is encouraged by its Masters of the International studies to study the Vietnam. Not being satisfied with documents, Fall leaves to Vietnam at the end of 1952. On the ground of the War of Indo-China, it can accompany the French troops with the combat under the terms of its nationalté French. Starting from its observations on the ground as well French side as side Minh Vietnamese soldier at various political and military levels, Bernard B. Fall predicts a possible French defeat since 1953. With the fall of Diên Biên Phu, Fall makes take to the United States the responsibility for this American defeat because them reserves to bring a sufficient help to French.

Professor in international relations

In 1954, Fall turns over to the United States and wife Dorothy Wiener. the following year, it obtains its doctorate in the university of Syracuse, NY, and became there assisting professor. In 1956, he becomes professor in international relations at the Howard University of Washington, cd., is established in 1962 and there intermittently teaches until his death in 1967. Having kept its interest for Indo-China, it goes back there several times (1957, 1962,1965,1966 and 1967) to study the political and social developments on the spot. At the time of one of his voyages, Bernard B. Fall receives a purse of the SEATO (South-Is Asia Treaty Organization) to study the development of Communism in Southeast Asia, in particular the increasing communist activities with the Laos. However, there remains interested by the tensions between the North and the South of Vietnam. In 1962, Fall teaches in Kampuchea at the Institute of Administration. At the time of a voyage in Hanoi, it meets Pham Van Dong and Ho Chi Minh, which predicts to him the success of Communism in the South in the following decade. Fall supported the American presence in the South Vietnam, thinking that it could prevent the reunification of the country under the communist yoke.

The American war

On the other hand, Fall is very critical as for the mode of Ngo Dinh Diem supported by the United States. He criticizes also the tactics employed by the American army in Vietnam. As the conflict intensifies in the Sixties, Fall becomes increasingly pessimistic as for the chances of American victory, predicting that they would lose if they did not draw from lessons of the French defeat. Fall publishes many articles, fact of the conferences developing its analysis of the situation in Vietnam. The searchs for Fall are then regarded as exceptional per many Diplomate S and American soldiers, but its unfavourable opinions were not taken with the serious one. In 1964, Fall concludes with the military defeat from the United States in Vietnam. These conclusions draw the attention of the FBI which starts to supervise its activities. In 1967, accompanying a group US Navy, on a ground which he had traversed with the French troops, Fall jumps on a mine and dies by leaving a widow and two orphan.

Homage

Bernard B. Fall had never taken the American citizenship. With the advertisement of its death, the members of the Congress of the United States and the National Assembly of France paid a homage upright to him.

Its most known book and most important is certainly “Street Without Joy” (1961), (Street without joy) which details its experiment and its analysis of the first War of Indo-China. The “street without joy” was the nickname given by the troupiers of the CEFEO (French Task force in the Far East) to the railway line trans-Indochinese of Saigon to Hanoi: indeed, the trains were regularly attacked, causing many losses and demoralizing the soldiers and the political authorities and soldiers. It was the combat of the tiger and the elephant wanted by Ho Chi Minh since 1946.

Library and files of Bernard B. Fall with the " John Fitzgerald Kennedy Présidential Library & Museum" offered by Dorothy Wiener, its widow.

Its major works

“The Vietminh Mode” (1954), “Vietminh” (1960, French translation, Hake)

“Street Without Joy” (1961), “Street without joy”

“The Two Vietnams” (1963), “two Vietnam” (1962, French translation, Payot)

“Indo-China” 1946-1962 (1962, Laffont)

“Vietnam Witness, 1953-66” *1966)

“Hell in has Very Small Place: The Sits Diên Biên Phu off” (1966), “Diên Biên Phu, a corner of hell” (1968, posthumous French translation, Laffont)

“Anatomy off has Crisis: The Laotian Crisis off 1960-1961” (posthumous publication 1969).

Conclusion

In Vietnam and Kampuchea, Bernard B. Fall is regarded as a large intellectual, honest and honest. The Jewish child of Vienna formed to the " communale" , was always grateful towards its host countries and serving accurately them: initially in French Resistance, then within the French Army and finally in the American Universities.

External bonds

Site on Bernard B. Fall

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