The decisive political developments in South and East Asia following
war's end in 1945 were first, the expulsion of the British, French and
Dutch from their military strongholds in the area; second, the
spectacular unification of China and its rapid advance from inferiority
and political inconsequence to a place among the three major world
powers; third, the meteoric comeback of Japan after its unconditional
surrender in 1945; and fourth, the failure of the costly effort mounted
by Washington after 1954 to establish itself in a position from which it
could dominate the Pacific Ocean and East Asia.
So much we may learn from history. Turning from the past and looking at
the trends of the immediate future, it seems likely that Marxism will
continue for at least some years to be the dominant force in Asia.
Furthermore, the Marxian presence in Asia will include both the Soviet
Union in Northern Asia and China in South Asia. Both countries are
unquestionably stabilized economically and viable politically. Both are
headed away from capitalist imperialism. Both are moving toward Marxian
forms of socialism-communism.
The wars in South East Asia after the expulsion of the French in 1954
were organized, financed and armed primarily by the Washington
government. They were avowedly aimed at the up-rooting of Marxism from
the area. They not only failed in their main objective but they gave
the Soviet Union and the Chinese a chance to pit their advisers,
technicians and military equipment against that of the United States as
the major capitalist contender in the area.
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