Generals' affair
A leaked report exposed French military pessimism in Indochina.
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The Generals' Affair, also referred to as the Revers Report or Rapport Revers, was a political-military scandal during the French Fourth Republic in the First Indochina War. It unfolded from September 1949 to November 1950. The affair is notable for the leak of a confidential military report that deeply embarrassed the French government.
Quick Facts
- Also known as
- Revers Report, Rapport Revers
- Duration
- September 1949 to November 1950
- Scandal erupted
- September 1949
- General dismissed
- December 1949
Facts from the source article.
Generals' Affair (September 1949)
The Revers Report concluded that France could not maintain its colonial presence in Indochina through military means and should seek a "peace of the brave" with Ho Chi Minh. Citing a lack of manpower and increased Chinese involvement, Revers recommended withdrawal from Viet Minh-held northern regions to concentrate on the Red River Delta.
Due to gross negligence, the confidential report reached the Viet Minh, who broadcast it on radio in August 1949, causing deep embarrassment. The French news magazine L'Express also published part of the report. A fight on a Paris bus between a French soldier and a Vietnamese student led to the discovery of over 70 copies, revealing the report had been widely shared within Paris's Vietnamese community.
Did You Know?
- General Georges Revers was sent to French Indochina in May–June 1949 to inquire about the military situation and troop morale.
- The report of Revers's mission became known as the Rapport Revers.
More in First Indochina War
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Generals' affair (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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