“GETTING IN THE RING WITH THE BIG POWERS:” INDIA, CANADA, POLAND AND THE INTERNATIONAL CONTROL COMMISSION IN VIETNAM (1954-1964)

Abstract

The dissertation examines the work of the International Control Commission (ICC) in Vietnam, from its creation at the 1954 Geneva Conference to the beginning of the Vietnam War. The study is the first multiarchival account on the work of the Commission, utilizing documents from India, Poland, Canada, US and UK. It focuses on three areas of the Commission's mandate: 1956 unifying elections, ban on import of war materials and the issue of subversion, in order to evaluate the ICC's influence and ability to shape the deteriorating situation in Vietnam. The thesis finds that the ICC had greater influence on the issue of political settlement than previously recognized, particularly as an outlet of India's foreign policy. New Delhi initially pursued a clear policy aimed at unification and neutralization of Indochina. In time, however, its interest in the region faded away and the Commission's importance diminished amid internal quarrels.