Colonisation/Colonialism in Vietnam
Colonialism: is a practice of domination and exploitation of one people by another
through the obtaining of colonies.
Nationalism: is the belief that a group of people with a shared language, history and
culture should be an independent country and/or having pride in your nation.
1. Chinese Colonisation of Vietnam
Vietnam was dominated by China for a thousand years, until the tenth century AD (from
A French colonial official is
carried along a jungle stream
111BC - 938AD). The Chinese introduced the religions and teaching of Confucianism - which
in Indochina
favoured respect for authority, duty to family and a desire for learning - and Buddhism - which emphasised withdrawing from
the ‘material world’. These greatly influenced Vietnamese culture and society. However, the Vietnamese frequently rebelled
against Chinese rule. the rebellions were crushed but a sense of Vietnamese nationalism developed. It was this age-old sense
of identity which Ho Chi Minh was able to draw on in the struggle against first the French, and then the Americans in the
twentieth century. Independence from China was finally achieved in 938AD. Apart from a brief period of Chinese rule again in
the fourtenth century, Vietnam was ruled by emperors and remained independent for 900 years. The carrying out of the
emperor’s orders was the responsibility of thousands of administrators known as mandarins.
In your book, answer:
a. Summarise in your own words, what is colonialism and nationalism?
b. From when was Vietnam dominated by Chinese colonial rule?
c. True or False. Chinese Colonisation of Vietnam led to the birth of Vietnamese nationalism - the desire for
independence from colonial rule.
2. French Colonisation of Vietnam
From the 1500’s onwards, and particularly during the 1800’s, the main European Powers (e.g. Britain, France, Russia, Italy,
Belgium) engaged in a race of colonial expansion. The European nations believed in the idea of ‘Social Darwinism’ - that only
the fittest/strongest nations survived, and they had to build their Empires, by gaining ‘colonies’, to continue to remain powerful.
This led to a ‘race’ between the 1600’s to 1800’s to colonise the world. By 1900, most of the world was a colony of one of these
European Empires.
This period of Colonialism differed from previous periods of Empires (e.g. the Romans) due to new technology and the
justification for it. In terms of technology, developments in shipping and weaponry made it possible to maintain political
control on the other side of the world.
Colonisation, particularly French Colonisation, was also unique in its moral justification (the ‘Why’). French Colonisation was
driven and justified by the idea of the ‘Civilising Mission’. This was the idea that ‘backward and barbaric’ races of people could
be transformed into ‘civilised’ societies by the leadership and influence of Europeans - ‘advanced’ peoples of the world would
bring the benefits of modern civilisation to the ‘primitive’ peoples of Asia and Africa. To do this, the native Vietnanese
population had to abandon their own culture and identity and submit to European rule. Fundamental to the idea of the
Civilising Mission was the belief that the other people lacked civilisation in the first place.
Belief in the civilising mission meant that no matter how badly the ‘colonised’ people were exploited, it was excusable as they
were being taught civilisation in the process. Anything became excusable as there was a moral justification, if not obligation, to
colonise less civilised peoples.
In your book answer:
d. Why did European nations believe it necessary to build empires?
e. Why did technology make this era of ‘colonisation’ different?
f. What was the idea of the ‘Civilising Mission’?
g. Under the civilising mission, how could a ‘backwards race’ gain ‘civilisation’?
h. Why did belief in the civilising mission mean you could exploit ‘backwards races’?
i. Look at the photo above. What does this photo tell you about the French Colonial Empire - i.e. their attitudes?
j. Imagine you are a Vietnamese nationalist (someone who believes in, and desires, Vietnamese independence). How
would seeing this image make you feel?
From 1600, French Catholic Missionaries started to travel to Vietnam to
convert the population and to advise the rulers of Vietnam. Although small
in number, the Catholics at times had a lot of influence over the rulers of
Vietnam.
In 1780 a popular uprising overthrew the ruling family, the Nguyen Clan, and
put in place new leaders. One of the prince of the Nguyen family, Gia Long,
sought to regain power in Vietnam by seeking the military assistance of the
French. French military support enabled Gia Long to gain the position of
Emperor in 1802. From 1820 onwards, driven by a fear of foreign invasion/influence, Catholic Missionaries were severely
persecuted. In 1848 the Emperor Tu Duc ordered the death of 27 European Missionaries, and 30,000 Vietnamese Christians.
The French Emperor, Napoleon III, saw this as an opportunity to invade, giving the justification that he was protecting Christians.
The French were afraid that the British had been establishing colonies in Asia, and felt they needed a foothold into the resources
in Asia. The primary objective of the French was economic- to exploit [take advantage of] the natural resources of the area
and open up markets for French manufactured goods. Vietnam was particularly rich in tin, zinc and rubber trees. Rubber had
recently become a valuable raw material The Vietnamese also numbered over 20
million and therefore could be used as a cheap workforce in the production of
French goods.
In 1858, the French Navy landed at Da Nang and war quickly raged. It took France
25 years to complete the conquest of the area which they named ‘Indochina’.
Their conquest was met with considerable guerrilla resistance but was successful
due to sheer military might. By the 1890’s they had wiped out Vietnamese
resistance.
Indochina consisted of what are now the countries of Laos, Vietnam and
Cambodia. To wipe out any trace of Vietnam as a unified nation and limit the
likelihood of nationalist rebellion, Vietnam was split into three provinces,
Cochinchina, Annam and Tonkin. The entire area of Indochina was ruled by a
French Governor General based in Hanoi. To establish some resemblance of selfgovernance, a ‘Vietnamese Emperor’ was allowed to continue to exist, as were
mandarins (Vietnamese politicians) but they worked for their new colonial masters
and lost most of their power. They were seen by the people of Vietnam as ‘puppets’
made to dance by their French Colonial Masters. Vietnamese independence had
been crushed! Vietnam was no more.
In your book answer:
k. When did the French navy first invade Vietnam?
l. What reason did Napoleon III give for invading Vietnam?
m. What was likely the real reason?
n. What resources did Vietnam possess that the French wanted?
o. What three countries made up ‘Indochina’?
p. Why did the French split Vietnam into three provinces?
q. Who ruled Indochina?
r. USING THE FOLLOWING WORDS, EXPLAIN IN DETAIL WHY FRANCE INVADED VIETNAM: CIVILISING MISSION,
COLONIAL EXPANSION, MISSIONARIES, RUBBER AND RESOURCES
s. BIG QUESTION – IN THE HEARTS OF THE VIETNAMESE, DOES VIETNAM CEASE TO EXIST? WHAT ACTIONS ARE THEY
LIKELY TO TAKE IN RESPONSE TO FRENCH COLONISATION AND WHY? ANSWER IN DETAIL