Beginning of Colonialism in Vietnam
* The French colonized Vietnam and used its natural resources to meet their business needs.
* Policy maker Paul Bernard felt that the main motive behind acquiring colonies was to make profits and so, it was important to develop the economy of the colony.
Civilizing Mission in Vietnam – Education
* The French used education as a tool to carry out civilizing mission in Vietnam.
* The new French schools glorified France and looked down upon Vietnamese and their customs.
* The domination of French culture faced opposition and resistance in Vietnam.
Health and Hygiene – Colony versus Empire
* The sewers of modern Hanoi became a favourable place for the breeding of rats and growth of the bubonic plague.
* The French used a bounty programme for rat catching and paid good bounty for each rat that was caught.
* The Vietnamese realised the concept of collective bargaining and manipulated the French to their advantage.
* The rat hunt marked the defeat of French colonizers and an utter failure of their civilizing mission.
Religion and Anti Colonialism
* Religion played an important role in strengthening colonial control, and it also provided ways of resistance.
* Catholic missionaries set up by the French successfully converted people to Christianity in Vietnam.
* Conversations led to serious objections from all quarters, the Scholars Revolt of 1868 was one such example.
* Another movement against the French was the Hoa Hao movement started in nineteen thirty nine by Huynh Phu So.
* In the 18th century, there were significant movements against the cultural attack of the French in Vietnam.
French Vision of Modernisation – A Complete Failure
* Some Vietnamese intellectuals were in favour of strengthening Vietnamese traditions.
* Other group of intellectuals wanted to imbibe the best from the west even while opposing their domination.
* By the end of the 19th century, Phan Boi Chau emerged as a prominent Confucian nationalist.
* Another nationalist Phan Chu Trinh accepted the French ideal of liberty but accused the French for not abiding by the ideal.
* Japan and China provided models for change and served as a refuge for the people of Vietnam.
Vietnamese Nationalism – In the Light of Communism
* In February 1930, Ho Chi Minh a famous Vietnamese communist revolutionary came forward to bring together the competing nationalist groups in Vietnam.
* The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was formed and Ho Chi Minh became its Chairman.
* The French tried to gain control by using Bao Dai as the puppet king of Vietnam.
* After 8 years of fighting, the Vietminh defeated French in Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
* After the Geneva peace negotiations, Vietnam was divided into two parts, North and South Vietnam.
* Ho Chi Minh and the communists took control of the North Vietnam while Bao Dai’s regime was to look after the South Vietnam.
* NLF of South Vietnam fought for the unification of the country with the help of the Ho Chi Minh government in the North Vietnam.
* Threatened by the rise of communism in Vietnam and the adjoining countries, US sent its troops to intervene in the developing situation.
Entry of the US into the Vietnam War
* US had entered the war in order to help the French and combat the growth of Communism.
* US used chemical weapons that have its effects till today.
* There were both supporters and critics of the war.
* The Vietnamese utilized their limited resources to the maximum in the war, The Ho Chi Minh is one such example.
Contribution of Women and the End of Vietnam War
* The stories of rebel women from past like Trieu Au & Trung sisters were used to create nationalism in Vietnam.
* Women played a crucial role in the Vietnam War.
* Women actively participated in the resistance movements and acted as nurses and helped in constructing underground rooms and tunnels.
* 70 to 80% of the totally youth workers on the Ho Chi Minh Trial were women.
* The war received a lot of criticism in US as thousands of soldiers had been killed on either side.
* Wide spread criticism of the war and US Government policies paved the way for negotiations. In July 1974, a peace settlement was signed in Paris.
* Vietnam got unified on 13th April 1975.