Rice Wars in Colonial Vietnam

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The Great Vietnamese Famine of 1945, which resulted in over a million deaths, is examined in detail, linking it to the Viet Minh's unexpected rise to power shortly after. Drawing from extensive French archival research, the author presents a new interpretation of wartime economic exploitation by Japanese and Vichy French forces. The narrative explores whether the famine indicated a loss of colonial authority or if it was the dire conditions that enabled communist success. It highlights the Vietnamese agency in their struggle for moral victory amidst colonial challenges, with lasting implications for postwar conflicts and development.