La Fayette, We Are Here!

In this special episode, I am joined by Sean J. McLaughlin, historian specialized on the relationship between Charles de Gaulle and John Fitzgerald Kennedy.  He is the author of JFK and de Gaulle: How America and France Failed in Vietnam, 1961-1963 (University Press of Kentucky, 2019).

Together, we discuss the complex but utterly fascinating relationship between France and America in the post-WWII world, especially in Southeast Asia. France and America, two Allies with very different perspectives, had a rough time discussing the situation in Vietnam in the 1950's and 1960's. Add to that the personalities of key characters like de Gaulle and Kennedy, and you end up with a fascinating, if sad, story.

Join us for this great discussion!

Find Sean's books at the University Press of Kentucky

Timecodes:
Introduction
02:35- France's Place at the Outcome of WWII
10:23- De Gaulle's Relationship with America
21:21- John F. Kennedy, France and Vietnam
45:50- Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and France
54:52- France's International Role Since the Vietnam War
59:24- France and America's Relationship Now
1:01:55- Conclusion

Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Photo: De Gaulle and JFK in Paris, 1961. John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library, Boston

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