11.8. Rivalry: SEATO
Hawaii Pact Book One: Spratly & Paracel
The Hawaii Pact, or is better recognized as Pacific Alliance Treaty Organization (PATO), is a millitary alliance as a result of growing Chinese threat on the 21st century, Most of us although dated the background back to Kennedy's Asian focus, the real origin of Hawaii Pact is the birth of SEATO, later was merged to Spratly League as USEAN.
In July 1975, the Third Indochinese War began, A minor border conflict between the North and South had erupted into yet another warfare. This battle soon attracted spectators, and volunteers all across the world, In Hanoi, both China and Soviet Union aided the Democratic Republic of Indochina. They gave supplies, air force and money bo assist them. Meanwhile, the United States and her allies helped the Federal Repuplic in all they can afford. The South during the 1973 Border Clash had won the South until the 17th Parallel, they were trying to move upwards, this time to Hanoi. For the first three months, the fighting was inconclusive. The Communists had more men than their counterpart, but Saigon's air superiority bogged down any advances.
On November 13,1975, however, things went radically complicated, when both parties witness the invitation of the third, from the West. The Kingdom of Thailand, apparently, had waited a decade for the perfect time to invade. After foreign backing and total military preparation, everyone was outflanked when Thailand blasted their artillery.
Thailand was a kingdom ruled by military, Field Marshall Thanom decided to reverse every colonial expansion that cost Thailand their lands. Although past was not a correct justification suitable for the world to accept, Thailand manage to reduce world anger by giving some of the land for his allies, like the Kingdom of Indochina, later became Kingdom of Laos.
Bảo Long, after his military defeat on the Second Indochinese War, was crippled with Laos as his turf. Later on, that region would be overthrown by Viet Minh Symphathizers, much of it was incorporatedto North Indochina. So, the monarch must be exiled to nearest allies, which is the Kingdom of Thaland. Having strategical missions, Thailand opted supporting Laos for reclaiming their old extent.
Therefore, as both parts of Indochina were engulfed in violence. Thailand sought this opportunity to restore order, or simply a blatant land acquisition. In just a few months, Thailand pushed North and South with relative ease. And because of that, the peace deal for the Third and short Indochinese War, ended with Thailand to have new friendly kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia, also having the old 1904 Borders.
Indonesia, having some sort of mutual assistance with South Indochina, was furious with Thailand sudden aggression. At first, Indonesia wanted to invite Thailand into a regional assosiation, pimarily to be another regional group able for securing their own. However, with Thailand instead to invade Indochina, and literally disband both nations as now Vietnam only. Thailand was under Nasution’s wrath.
In late 1975, Indonesia had secured the Philippines for a possible alliance, military and econoically. As both friends of the United States, and afraid with China, Indonesia can join hands with the Philippines easily. After the Third Indochina War, public sympathy for South Vietna rose, and they all demanded for Indonesiato formally assist them. That was the elephant for Nasution.
Nasuton knew that allying with South Vietnam would fast forward the tensions against North. In superior context, the United States was able to fight both China and the Soviet Union’s volunteers because their lack of cooperation and willpower. With more members joining in the proxy war, more would be at stake, and the next war in the region will cause the world war to happen, definitely. Furtermore, things got really heated up when it was revealed that France was behind Thailand’s aggression.
France, geopolitically, could not go anywhere to China without passing Indonesia by sea. France was relatively isolated by the world, hated by everyone in Europe except Portugal and Yugoslavia. Going everywhere by land to Asia was not an option, as it would cross the EEC, which has bad relations. Gremany successfully blockade France with friends, all of France’s neighbors, the Low Countries and Italy were under EEC’s camp.
Going by sea, was relatively better. France’s best relations with UASR gave them complete access of the Suez, but when they tried to reach China, Malacca is a problem. Thorez adminitration solved this issue by basically bribe Indonesia from Madagascar. But, the Marchais Presidency was more ambitious, and he decided to make one nation on South East Asia under her (France’s) influence, so they would cross the straits safely without worrying the Indonesians would blockade them because of their ties with the United States.
Therefore, Georges Marchais got interested with the Kra Canal. Forming as an aternative to the natural sea access, this Thailand’s Suez Canal can bypassed the Malacca Straits, and ending the monopoly Indonesia had. Luckily, France was not experiencing this situation, as Nasution’s Presidency allowed the access to have relatively free tariffs, which later became one of his downfall later in 1978 Election.
A long story short, France was able to put Thailand under their influence, albeit secretly, and formed some sort of mutualism between two powers. France by Thailand was able to have a better and active relations between China (which was France’s number one priority to counter the Soviet Union), and now giving Thailand better clay. France help in the Third Indochinese War was also proven with guns and artillery support.
Of course, now South East Asia had become the first active proxy battle between three powers. It was later shown that China slowly withdrew from North Vietnam and favored Thailand, as the latter proved to be a better negotiator, rather than North’s ambivalent side between the Soviet Union or China, which still had tensions because of Mongolia. China officially abandoned North Vietnam for Thailand when China officially sided with France in 1977, a formal say of ‘go to hell’ to the Soviet Union.
In this matter, Suharto noticed two horrendous things, one that China had found himself a new, yet moderate ally that would reshape communism, two that China was expanding, and three that South Indochina was surrounded by hostiles. He needed to act quick and decisive, and this regional organization was one smart maneuver.
In 19th January 1976, the South East Asia Treaty Organization was formed. SEATO comprised of Indonesia, Philippines and South Vietnam, with the United States and Japan as member states outside the region. On the next month, a formal economic pact called Spratly League, as it was created in the Spratly Islands by three navy ships from the respective nations.
The Spratly Islands incumbently controlled by three nations, Indonesia from Malaysia’s and Brunei’s Acquisition, Philippines and South Vietnam. The Paracel Islands remained a dispute between the South and the North, not to mention that the entire South China Sea was claimed by both China and Taiwan, with the former was creating a navy for it and the latter already spawned tensions. Especially when the United States found large oil reserves full for exploitation, none of the South East Asian Nations attepted to surrender their claims.
The first dispute SEATO bizarrely concluded was the Spratly Islands dispute. Rather than splitted between three nations, the archipelago would be administered under a joint government, the Spratly Special Territory was created under SEATO, and later given to an economic alliance becoming a regional organization under the same name, Spratly League.
Happy Eid al-Fitr everyone. Wish you all well even during this unfortunate events.
My computer was having issues, and would be fixed on Thursday. So, I'm typing this on mobile.
Map of Indochina after the Third Indochinese War
I'll give you the map of Indochina after having my laptop fixed. But, please enjoy this update!
The Hawaii Pact, or is better recognized as Pacific Alliance Treaty Organization (PATO), is a millitary alliance as a result of growing Chinese threat on the 21st century, Most of us although dated the background back to Kennedy's Asian focus, the real origin of Hawaii Pact is the birth of SEATO, later was merged to Spratly League as USEAN.
In July 1975, the Third Indochinese War began, A minor border conflict between the North and South had erupted into yet another warfare. This battle soon attracted spectators, and volunteers all across the world, In Hanoi, both China and Soviet Union aided the Democratic Republic of Indochina. They gave supplies, air force and money bo assist them. Meanwhile, the United States and her allies helped the Federal Repuplic in all they can afford. The South during the 1973 Border Clash had won the South until the 17th Parallel, they were trying to move upwards, this time to Hanoi. For the first three months, the fighting was inconclusive. The Communists had more men than their counterpart, but Saigon's air superiority bogged down any advances.
On November 13,1975, however, things went radically complicated, when both parties witness the invitation of the third, from the West. The Kingdom of Thailand, apparently, had waited a decade for the perfect time to invade. After foreign backing and total military preparation, everyone was outflanked when Thailand blasted their artillery.
Thailand was a kingdom ruled by military, Field Marshall Thanom decided to reverse every colonial expansion that cost Thailand their lands. Although past was not a correct justification suitable for the world to accept, Thailand manage to reduce world anger by giving some of the land for his allies, like the Kingdom of Indochina, later became Kingdom of Laos.
Bảo Long, after his military defeat on the Second Indochinese War, was crippled with Laos as his turf. Later on, that region would be overthrown by Viet Minh Symphathizers, much of it was incorporatedto North Indochina. So, the monarch must be exiled to nearest allies, which is the Kingdom of Thaland. Having strategical missions, Thailand opted supporting Laos for reclaiming their old extent.
Therefore, as both parts of Indochina were engulfed in violence. Thailand sought this opportunity to restore order, or simply a blatant land acquisition. In just a few months, Thailand pushed North and South with relative ease. And because of that, the peace deal for the Third and short Indochinese War, ended with Thailand to have new friendly kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia, also having the old 1904 Borders.
Indonesia, having some sort of mutual assistance with South Indochina, was furious with Thailand sudden aggression. At first, Indonesia wanted to invite Thailand into a regional assosiation, pimarily to be another regional group able for securing their own. However, with Thailand instead to invade Indochina, and literally disband both nations as now Vietnam only. Thailand was under Nasution’s wrath.
In late 1975, Indonesia had secured the Philippines for a possible alliance, military and econoically. As both friends of the United States, and afraid with China, Indonesia can join hands with the Philippines easily. After the Third Indochina War, public sympathy for South Vietna rose, and they all demanded for Indonesiato formally assist them. That was the elephant for Nasution.
Nasuton knew that allying with South Vietnam would fast forward the tensions against North. In superior context, the United States was able to fight both China and the Soviet Union’s volunteers because their lack of cooperation and willpower. With more members joining in the proxy war, more would be at stake, and the next war in the region will cause the world war to happen, definitely. Furtermore, things got really heated up when it was revealed that France was behind Thailand’s aggression.
France, geopolitically, could not go anywhere to China without passing Indonesia by sea. France was relatively isolated by the world, hated by everyone in Europe except Portugal and Yugoslavia. Going everywhere by land to Asia was not an option, as it would cross the EEC, which has bad relations. Gremany successfully blockade France with friends, all of France’s neighbors, the Low Countries and Italy were under EEC’s camp.
Going by sea, was relatively better. France’s best relations with UASR gave them complete access of the Suez, but when they tried to reach China, Malacca is a problem. Thorez adminitration solved this issue by basically bribe Indonesia from Madagascar. But, the Marchais Presidency was more ambitious, and he decided to make one nation on South East Asia under her (France’s) influence, so they would cross the straits safely without worrying the Indonesians would blockade them because of their ties with the United States.
Therefore, Georges Marchais got interested with the Kra Canal. Forming as an aternative to the natural sea access, this Thailand’s Suez Canal can bypassed the Malacca Straits, and ending the monopoly Indonesia had. Luckily, France was not experiencing this situation, as Nasution’s Presidency allowed the access to have relatively free tariffs, which later became one of his downfall later in 1978 Election.
A long story short, France was able to put Thailand under their influence, albeit secretly, and formed some sort of mutualism between two powers. France by Thailand was able to have a better and active relations between China (which was France’s number one priority to counter the Soviet Union), and now giving Thailand better clay. France help in the Third Indochinese War was also proven with guns and artillery support.
Of course, now South East Asia had become the first active proxy battle between three powers. It was later shown that China slowly withdrew from North Vietnam and favored Thailand, as the latter proved to be a better negotiator, rather than North’s ambivalent side between the Soviet Union or China, which still had tensions because of Mongolia. China officially abandoned North Vietnam for Thailand when China officially sided with France in 1977, a formal say of ‘go to hell’ to the Soviet Union.
In this matter, Suharto noticed two horrendous things, one that China had found himself a new, yet moderate ally that would reshape communism, two that China was expanding, and three that South Indochina was surrounded by hostiles. He needed to act quick and decisive, and this regional organization was one smart maneuver.
In 19th January 1976, the South East Asia Treaty Organization was formed. SEATO comprised of Indonesia, Philippines and South Vietnam, with the United States and Japan as member states outside the region. On the next month, a formal economic pact called Spratly League, as it was created in the Spratly Islands by three navy ships from the respective nations.
The Spratly Islands incumbently controlled by three nations, Indonesia from Malaysia’s and Brunei’s Acquisition, Philippines and South Vietnam. The Paracel Islands remained a dispute between the South and the North, not to mention that the entire South China Sea was claimed by both China and Taiwan, with the former was creating a navy for it and the latter already spawned tensions. Especially when the United States found large oil reserves full for exploitation, none of the South East Asian Nations attepted to surrender their claims.
The first dispute SEATO bizarrely concluded was the Spratly Islands dispute. Rather than splitted between three nations, the archipelago would be administered under a joint government, the Spratly Special Territory was created under SEATO, and later given to an economic alliance becoming a regional organization under the same name, Spratly League.
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Happy Eid al-Fitr everyone. Wish you all well even during this unfortunate events.
My computer was having issues, and would be fixed on Thursday. So, I'm typing this on mobile.
Map of Indochina after the Third Indochinese War
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