Introduction to the chapter Nationalist Movement in Indochina: Indochina is a South-East Asian region. It is located roughly east of India and south of China and is naturally influenced by both. The term Indochina refers solely to the region that includes modern-day Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
- French involvement in Indochina began in the early seventeenth century, with the arrival of French priests as part of the Portuguese Jesuit Mission. The initial Vietnamese response was to oppose foreign interests, religion, and commerce.
- The most significant French intervention occurred in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1858, the French arrived in Indochina. They had acquired Cochinchina, Tonkin, and Annam during a war against China in the 1880s.
- French Indochina was established in 1887. French Indochina was made up of four protectorates: Laos, Cambodia, and two parts of Vietnam, Tonkin and Annam.
French motives in colonisation
The French, like other imperialistic countries, saw colonisation as necessary. The colonies provided raw materials and cheap labour, effectively ending their search for a market.
- They satisfied the desire for glory, prestige, and manpower, as well as assisting the French in establishing Roman Catholicism and French culture in the colonies.
- The colonies were required to serve the mother country's interests. The colonies were purchased solely for the purpose of profit.
- The French, like the British in India, desired to civilize the colony of Vietnam. It was, of course, based on the assumption that their civilisation was superior. It made no difference if they destroyed local culture, religions, and traditions in the name of modern civilisation.
The conflict of languages
As with the British in India, the French had to decide whether to use French or Vietnamese in schools. Vietnamese culture was influenced by Chinese culture, which the French had to eradicate. As a result, they destroyed the traditional education system and established their own schools.
- In textbooks, the French claimed that colonial rule benefited Vietnam. According to the French, the Vietnamese were backward, suitable only for manual labour rather than intellectual work.
- The only work they could do was work in the fields as they were incapable of governing themselves. Vietnam was promised peace and order in French textbooks. A French rule was a period of peace for peasants.
- Briefly put, French culture and rule were essential to Vietnamese civilisation. This caused anger among the people and contributed to the nationalist movement in Indochina.
The reaction of the Vietnamese in schools
Teachers and students in the lower school did not follow any higher-level instructions. While criticizing French textbooks, they adhered to their own curriculum.
- Saigon Native Girls School was an example of defiance. In 1926, a native girl was asked to give up her front-row seat to a French student from the neighbourhood. The offer was rejected by her. Her French principal expelled her. Several other students who defended her were expelled as well. Ultimately, the government intervened as the conflict grew worse.
- Students protested against the colonial government for failing to give them better jobs.
- In order to fight for their rights, they formed political parties. Among these was the party of Young Annan, which emerged in 1920.
- French colonialism was fought by schools and students. Their culture and identity were at stake. Rather than being treated as slaves, they were fighting for independence, adding to the already existent nationalist movement in Indochina.
Religious beliefs and anti-colonialism
The clash between colonial rulers and Vietnamese nationalists, resulting in a nationalist movement in Indochina was also fueled by religion. Buddhists and Confucianists were practised by the Vietnamese.
- Chinese philosopher Confucius (554-479 BCE) taught social skills, good behaviour, and respect for the elderly. As a rule, he believed that the ruler should behave like a father to his subjects. Christian missionaries introduced Christianity and preached against some of Vietnam's practices.
- A goal of theirs was to discredit Vietnamese belief in the supernatural.
- An uprising of scholars against the spread of Christianity broke out in 1868, spurred by officials of the Royal Court. Over a thousand Catholics were killed in the provinces of Ngu An and Ha Tien.
- French authorities suppressed the uprising with ruthlessness, but the uprising inspired nationalists even after it was put down and the nationalist movement in Indochina.
The Hoa Hao Movement
In 1939, the Mekong Delta region saw the emergence of this movement. Huynh Phu So was its founder.
- While preaching against gambling, drinking, and opium use, as well as the sale of child brides, he aided the poor, performed miracles, and performed miracles Himself. He was detained in a mental institution after the French declared him insane to put down the movement.
- It's ironic that instead of declaring Phu So insane, the doctor in the asylum became his disciple! Despite being forced to be released by the French, Huynh Phu So was banished to Laos. Concentration camps held a large number of his supporters.
- Consequently, religion instilled anti-colonial sentiments in Vietnam.
- The Confucians offered an alternative to French dominance. The nationalist leader Phan Boi Chau (1867-1940) was one of them who strengthened the nationalist movement in Indochina. A scholar of Ngu An Province, his father had instructed him in the Confucian tradition.
- In 1885, phan Boi Chau witnessed French troops crushing the scholar-gentry resistance to colonial overlords. In 1903, he established the Revolutionary Society (Duy Tan Hoi), which was headed by Prince Cuong De. The goal was to put together Nguyen members with nationalist sympathies that could lead the independence movement.
- From 1905 to 1908, he lived in Japan. There, he met Japanese and Chinese revolutionaries. In 1905, he met the Chinese reformer Liang Qichao (1873-1929) in Yokohama.
Influence of Japan and China
In 1907, Phan Boi Chau founded a society of about 100 Vietnamese students in Japan. The students were influenced by this society to identify as Vietnamese, rather than Cochinchinense, Annamese, or Tonkinese, as the French referred to them.
- The primary objective was to drive the French out of Vietnam and restore the Nguyen Dynasty, which had been deposed by France. Japan amazed them, as it had become "modern" and even defeated Russia in 1904.
- Students from Vietnam established a branch of the "Restoration Society" in Tokyo.
- However, in 1908, the Japanese forced Phan Boi Chau to leave Japan and deported him to China. Many students fled to Thailand.
The Liberation Struggle and the Second World War
In September 1940, the Japanese forced the French to allow them to use Indochina for military operations. The Japanese were forced to retreat by American forces and the Chinese in 1944.
- In 1945, Japan decided to maintain control of Indochina but had to surrender after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by the Atom Bombs in August 1945. Indochina was reclaimed by France.
- The Vietnamese nationalists were forced to fight both the French and the Japanese during the war. Hanoi was retaken from the Japanese occupation by the Vietminh, or League for Independence of Vietnam, in September 1945.
War with France
After World War II, the French faced the Vietminh, led by the French-educated Ho Chi Minh. America supported Ho Chi Minh during World War II. In addition, the victorious Japanese in the war inspired the Vietnamese.
- A nationalist movement in Indochina led by Ho Chi Minh was launched to liberate France-occupied territory. The puppet government led by Bao Dai that France had backed in Annam was toppled by him in 1945. In September 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared the Republic of Vietnam independent.
- Later, he agreed to make it an autonomous state within the French Union. French-Vietnamese relations deteriorated shortly thereafter, and the French and Vietnamese fought a long battle in 1946.
- Vietminh forces won a decisive victory at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, as the French found the war too costly.
The Geneva Conference
The Geneva Conference divided Vietnam in 1954. Ho Chi Minh was sworn in as the first president of North Vietnam. The Bao Dai government ruled South Vietnam. As a result of the division of the country, a prolonged civil war ensued.
- France effectively lost all claim to territory in the Indochinese peninsula as a result of the Geneva Conference. In 1954, French colonial rule ended, but the United States also became seriously involved in South Vietnam, resulting in the Vietnam War.
- In spite of the United States' superiority in military technology, continuous medical supplies, and access to superior medical equipment, 47,244 men lost their lives and 303,704 were wounded.
- 1914 saw the signing of a peace treaty in Paris. The war with the United States was thus effectively ended. July 2, 1976, marked the reunification of Vietnam as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
- The city of Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. When did the French begin their interests in Indochina?
a. Early seventeenth century|
b. Mid-eighteenth century
c. Late nineteenth century
d. Early twentieth century
Answer: a. Early seventeenth century
2. What was the early Vietnamese reaction to foreign interests in Indochina?
a. Acceptance
b. Indifference
c. Resistance
d. Support
Answer: c. Resistance
3. When did the major French intervention in Indochina occur?
a. Early seventeenth century
b. Mid-eighteenth century
c. Late nineteenth century
d. Early twentieth century
Answer: c. Late nineteenth century
4. How did the French acquire Cochinchina, Tonkin, and Annam?
a. Peaceful negotiation
b. Military conquest
c. Trade agreement
d. War with China
Answer: d. War with China
5. What were the main motives for French colonization of Indochina?
a. Economic domination, military control, cultural exchange
b. Cultural exchange, religious conversion, territorial expansion
c. Economic domination, military control, cultural exchange, religious conversion, territorial expansion
d. Cultural exchange, religious conversion
Answer: c. Economic domination, military control, cultural exchange, religious conversion, territorial expansion
6. How did the French help to develop the economy of Indochina?
a. Building canals and irrigation systems
b. Improving infrastructure such as railways
c. Establishing rubber plantations
d. All of the above
Answer: d. All of the above
7. How was the infrastructure in Indochina built?
a. Voluntary labor of local workers
b. Indentured Vietnamese labor
c. Forced labor of local workers, indentured Vietnamese labor
d. Hiring foreign workers
Answer: c. Forced labor of local workers, indentured Vietnamese labor
8. Why did the French want to colonize Vietnam?
a) To spread Roman Catholicism and French culture
b) To fulfill the desire for glory and prestige
c) To provide raw materials, cheap labor, and a market for goods
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
9. How did the French help to develop the economy of their colony in Indochina?
a) By building canals and irrigation works to increase rice production
b) By building a rail network and improving transport infrastructure
c) By establishing rubber plantations and using forced indentured labor
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
10. What was the reaction of Vietnamese students and teachers to the French education system?
a) They quietly accepted the French teachings and curriculum
b) They followed their own curriculum and criticized French textbooks
c) They protested against the colonial government and fought for their rights
d) All of the above
Answer: b) They followed their own curriculum and criticized French textbooks
11. What did Confucius believe rulers should be like towards their subjects?
a) Dictators
b) Enemies
c) Friends
d) Fatherly figures
Answer: d) Fatherly figures
12. How many Catholics were killed in the Scholars Revolt in Vietnam?
a) Over 10,000
b) Over 100,000
c) Over 1,000
d) Over 10
Answer: c) Over 1,000
13. Who founded the Hoa Hao Movement in Vietnam in 1939?
a) Huynh Phu So
b) Confucius
c) Phan Boi Chau
d) Phan Chu Trinh
Answer: a) Huynh Phu So
14. What did the French do to Huynh Phu So, the founder of the Hoa Hao Movement?
a) Exiled him to Laos
b) Executed him
c) Declared him mad and sent him to a mental asylum
d) Rewarded him with French citizenship
Answer: c) Declared him mad and sent him to a mental asylum
15. What did Phan Boi Chau write in his book "The History of the Loss of Vietnam"?
a) A celebration of French colonization in Vietnam
b) A call for strengthening Vietnamese traditions to resist Western domination
c) A lament on the double loss suffered by Vietnam due to colonization: loss of sovereignty and cutting of ties with China
d) An argument for the superiority of French culture over Vietnamese culture
Answer: c) A lament on the double loss suffered by Vietnam due to colonization: loss of sovereignty and cutting of ties with China
16. Who did Phan Boi Chau form a Revolutionary Society with in 1903?
a) Phan Chu Trinh
b) Prince Cuong De
c) Huynh Phu So
d) Liang Qichao
Answer: b) Prince Cuong De
17. What did some Vietnamese intellectuals believe was necessary to resist Western domination?
a) Rejecting all previous ideas and social practices
b) Copying the West in every way
c) Discarding tradition and their own culture and language
d) Strengthening Vietnamese traditions
Answer: d) Strengthening Vietnamese traditions
18. Who was Phan Chu Trinh, a great Vietnamese nationalist leader of the time?
a) A scholar from Ngu An Province
b) A French missionary
c) The founder of the Hoa Hao Movement
d) A Chinese reformer
Answer: a) A scholar from Ngu An Province
19. What did Phan Boi Chau observe the actions of French troops doing in 1885?
a) Helping the poor and performing miracles
b) Preaching against gambling, drinking, and opium smoking
c) Crushing the scholar-gentry resistance to colonial overlords
d) Selling child brides
Answer: c) Crushing the scholar-gentry resistance to colonial overlords
20. What did Phan Boi Chau and Phan Chu Trinh's ideas not reconcile after their two weeks of discussions in Tokyo?
a) The importance of religion in resistance against colonial rule
b) The necessity of strengthening Vietnamese traditions to resist Western domination
c) The superiority of French culture over Vietnamese culture
d) Their ideas could not be reconciled
Answer: d) Their ideas could not be reconciled
21. Who was the founder of the Hoa Hao Movement in Vietnam?
a. Huynh Phu So
b. Confucius
c. Phan Boi Chau
d. Phan Chu Trinh
Answer: a. Huynh Phu So
22. What was the primary objective of the "Restoration Society" in Tokyo?
a. To overthrow the French colonial rule in Vietnam
b. To establish a Vietnamese Democratic Republic
c. To reestablish the Nguyen dynasty
d. To strengthen Vietnamese traditions
Answer: a. To overthrow the French colonial rule in Vietnam
23. Who led the Chinese Revolution that influenced Phan Boi Chau?
a. Sun Yat Sen
b. Confucius
c. Liang Qichao
d. Phan Chu Trinh
Answer: a. Sun Yat Sen
24. What did Phan Boi Chau's anti-French independence movement demand?
a. Expulsion of the French and independence for Vietnam
b. Restoration of the Nguyen dynasty
c. Strengthening of Vietnamese traditions
d. Establishment of a Vietnamese Democratic Republic
Answer: a. Expulsion of the French and independence for Vietnam
25. Who led the final phase in the struggle against French colonialism in Vietnam?
a. Huynh Phu So
b. Phan Boi Chau
c. Phan Chu Trinh
d. Ho Chi Minh
Answer: d. Ho Chi Minh
26. What was the primary cause of the uprisings in Vietnam during the Great Depression of the 1930s?
a. Unemployment
b. Decrease in the price of rubber and rice
c. French colonial rule
d. All of the above
Answer: b. Decrease in the price of rubber and rice
27. How did the French respond to the uprisings in Vietnam during the Great Depression of the 1930s?
a. They were sympathetic to the people's grievances
b. They tried to negotiate and resolve the issues peacefully
c. They were ruthless in crushing the uprisings
d. None of the above
Answer: c. They were ruthless in crushing the uprisings
28. Who was Phan Boi Chau arrested by in 1914?
a. The Vietnamese Government
b. The French Government
c. The Chinese Government
d. The Japanese Government
Answer: c. The Chinese Government
29. What was Phan Boi Chau sentenced to for life in 1925?
a. Exile
b. Hard labour
c. House arrest
d. Imprisonment
Answer: b. Hard labour
30. Who was Phan Boi Chau kidnapped by in 1925?
a. The Vietnamese Government
b. The French Government
c. The Chinese Government
d. The Japanese Government
Answer: b. The French Government
31. What does Ho Chi Minh's name mean?
a) "He who Enlightens"
b) "He who Liberates"
c) "He who Unites"
d) "He who Leads"
Answer: a) "He who Enlightens"
32. What political party did Ho Chi Minh establish in East Asia?
a) Communist Party of Indochina
b) Vietnamese Communist Party
c) Indochinese Communist Party
d) League for Independence of Vietnam
Answer: a) Communist Party of Indochina
33. What organization did Ho Chi Minh lead during the Second World War?
a) Vietminh
b) League for Independence of Vietnam
c) French Union
d) National Liberation Front
Answer: a) Vietminh
34. What was the outcome of the 1954 Geneva Conference?
a) Vietnam was united under Ho Chi Minh's government
b) Vietnam was divided into North and South Vietnam
c) France regained control of Indochina
d) South Vietnam was placed under the Bao Dai government
Answer: b) Vietnam was divided into North and South Vietnam
35. What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail used for during the Vietnam War?
a) Transporting supplies from North to South Vietnam
b) Evacuating civilians from North to South Vietnam
c) Hiding from the American forces
d) Spreading propaganda against the American forces
Answer: a) Transporting supplies from North to South Vietnam
36. How was the Vietminh able to win a decisive victory against the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954?
a) With the help of the American forces
b) By using guerrilla tactics
c) By using superior technology
d) Through negotiations with the French government
Answer: b) By using guerrilla tactics
37. Who was the first President of the independent Republic of North Vietnam?
a) Ngo Dinh Diem
b) Bao Dai
c) Ho Chi Minh
d) Mao Zedong
Answer: c) Ho Chi Minh
38. How did the Ho Chi Minh Trail improve over the years?
a) It became more hidden and difficult to locate
b) It became more heavily guarded by the North Vietnamese military
c) It became wider and more well-maintained
d) It became more isolated and isolated from the rest of the country
Answer: c) It became wider and more well-maintained
39. What was the National Liberation Front (NLF) in Vietnam opposed to?
a) The French colonial rule
b) The dictatorship of Ngo Dinh Diem
c) The American involvement in South Vietnam
d) The unification of North and South Vietnam
Answer: b) The dictatorship of Ngo Dinh Diem
40. How did the Vietnamese use their limited resources to win the war against the United States?
a) By using guerrilla tactics and hit-and-run tactics
b) By using superior technology and weaponry
c) By using chemical warfare
d) By relying on the support of other countries
Answer: a) By using guerrilla tactics and hit-and-run tactics
41. How did the French respond to Ho Chi Minh's proclamation of an independent Republic of Vietnam in 1945?
a) They recognized the independence of Vietnam
b) They agreed to allow Vietnam to be an autonomous state under the French Union
c) They launched a military campaign to re-establish control over Vietnam
d) They signed a peace treaty with Vietnam
Answer: c) They launched a military campaign to re-establish control over Vietnam
42. What event led to the end of French colonial rule in Indochina?
a) The defeat of Japan in World War II
b) The dropping of the Atom Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
c) The victory of the Vietminh at Dien Bien Phu
d) The Geneva Conference of 1954
Answer: d) The Geneva Conference of 1954
43. Who was Ngo Dinh Diem and what was his role in Vietnam?
a) He was the leader of the National Liberation Front and opposed the dictatorship of Bao Dai
b) He was a dictator who overthrew the Bao Dai government and imprisoned or killed opponents
c) He was a Buddhist monk who led a nonviolent resistance against the French colonial rule
d) He was a Christian evangelist who promoted Christianity in Vietnam
Answer: b) He was a dictator who overthrew the Bao Dai government and imprisoned or killed opponents
44. What was the main goal of the League for Independence of Vietnam (Vietminh)?
a) To unite North and South Vietnam under a communist government
b) To drive out the Japanese occupation and recapture Hanoi
c) To establish a socialist government in North Vietnam
d) To gain independence from French colonial rule
Answer: d) To gain independence from French colonial rule
45. What led to the beginning of serious involvement of the United States in South Vietnam?
a) The victory of the Vietminh at Dien Bien Phu
b) The dictatorship of Ngo Dinh Diem
c) The division of Vietnam at the 17th parallel
d) The success of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in transporting supplies from North to South Vietnam
Answer: c) The division of Vietnam at the 17th parallel
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