The core thesis in this source is found in the last paragraph of the intro and the last paragraph of the conclusion where the author’s main idea is clear, even if it cannot be pinpointed to one specific sentence. This thesis is that as Ho Chi Minh began to “represent legitimate Vietnamese nationalism” and as he “occupied the radical end of the political spectrum,” an opposing force would be needed to represent western interests. Since the nationalist movement had become more extreme due to French “unreasonableness” the West, particularly the U.S. needed some leader more toward the middle of the spectrum. This leader, Bao Dai was more supported by the French and therefore had to be supported by the U.S. The thesis shows that the United States’
