Vietnamese+responses+to+French+colonisation

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 * See the above picture at http://www.lschs.org/uploaded/faculty/millerg/early-french-map.jpg

__Background of French Colonisation__** French attempts global supremacy, reaching peak in 19th century.France had yet to have foothold in far east. The purpose of Colonisation of Indochina according to the French was to bring liberty to “the races and people still enslaved by ignorance and despotism”. However, for the Vietnamese people, the outcome was 70 years of oppression and slavery. When the French first arrived in Vietnam in 1858, the Vietnamese people had strong views against them. The French colonial army was very strong and powerful. The Vietnamese led many uprisings and revolts against them, majority with fail. As the period of French colonisation continued to drag on, large support against the French continued to grow.

//“My people live in an era of sadness. I am speechless. I am guilty, my heart is troubled. There is evil in our land which I cannot control. Somehow we must overcome our fear and woe. Others will follow me. May they work together to maintain our freedom. “// Excerpt from Tu Duc’s Last Offical Statement (1883.)

The picture below can be seen at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hàm_Nghi Because the French had gained control over Vietnam by intimidation, duress and direct military threat, there was much anger amongst the Vietnamese towards them. The fact that there was political mayhem amongst the Vietnamese rulers heightened distrust of them by the Vietnamese.
 * __Vietnamese Rebellion__**

Within months, Can Vuong (loyalty to the Emperor) was created, it was a anti-colonist movement consisting of mandarins, military officers, regional governors. Later on a modest peasant army was also part of this organisation however they still could not defeat the French. Therefore the group resorted to guerrilla warfare. All opposition to the French was ruthlessly suppressed.

The predominant interest of the French in Vietnam was profit – virtually no attempt was made to better the lot of its people. The oppression of the French rekindled memories of Chinese domination, a force they had fought so hard for freedom from before and the Vietnamese weren’t going to lose their freedom to yet another foreign occupier.

**__Important figures and events opposing French colonisation:__**

· - 1885-1895: Phan Đình Phùng was a Vietnamese revolutionist who fought with a rebel against the French Colonisation of Vietnam.

· - The opposition to the French was not short lived. It continued during and after WW1, there were sentimental uprisings of support for Vietnam against the French. Although there were many revolts, they failed to influence or remove the French power in any way.

· - In 1930 the biggest uprising since Phan Đình Phùng occurred. Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng (VNQDD) was the Vietnamese Nationalist party who who staged a revolt against the French. They wanted to promote uprising within the general society because they intended on destroying the 'colonised' Vietnam.

See the following website for a greater overview of these events. http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/French_Indochina