Beginning of Colonialism in Vietnam
Colonialism is a process of building and maintaining of
colonies in one territory by people from another territory and exploiting it
economically.
Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos were referred to as Indo-China.
Trade had flourished in old Vietnam and it was linked with
the maritime silk route. Silk Route refers to an interconnected network of
trade routes that connects eastern southern and western Asia with the
Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe.
The French arrived in Vietnam in 1858 and consolidated their
hold over the northern region by mid-1880. Franco Indo-China was formed in
1887.
Writer and policy-maker, Paul Bernard believed that the
prime motive behind acquiring colonies was to flourish business and make
profits.
Vietnamese economy was predominantly based on rice and
rubber plantations owned by the French and elites in Vietnam. Indentured labour
or labour based on contract was used in these plantations from the
mid-nineteenth century.
The French colonization and their growing dominance in the
country created tremendous unrest in Vietnam and resulted in nationalist
resistance.
Civilising Mission in Vietnam – Education
The French Colonialists believed in carrying out a ‘civilising
mission’ under the guise of modernising the colony and they used education as
tool to do so. This led to an erosion of cultural beliefs, religion and
tradition of Vietnam.
The French citizens living in Vietnam called Colons felt
that educated Vietnamese could replace them as teachers, shopkeepers and
policemen. The elite Vietnamese were very influenced by the Chinese
culture. The traditional education system of Vietnam was dismantled and a new
French education system was introduced.
The school textbooks glorified and justified the French
colonial rule and portrayed Vietnamese people as primitive, and incapable of
intellectual work. The Tonkin Free School, started in 1907 was to provide
western education and ideas. The domination of French culture faced opposition
and resistance in Vietnam.
As the number of Vietnamese teachers in lower classes
increased, they began to question the text books. In 1926, a major protest
took place in the Saigon Native Girl school.
Students came in conflict with the French as well as the
elite. By the 1920s students formed various political parties such as the
Party of Young Annan and published nationalist journals like the Annanese
Student opposing the French domination.
Health and Hygiene - Colony Versus Empire
The rat hunt and bubonic plague of 1903 was a clear
indication of the failure in the French civilising mission. It also presented a
unique way for the Vietnamese to counter colonialism in day- to -day life.
Bubonic plague is a contagious disease, which often proves fatal and can also
cause an epidemic.
In 1903, the bubonic plague broke out in Hanoi and people
manipulated the situation in a different way to exploit French colonisers.
Modernizing Hanoi, one of the main cities of Vietnam came
first on their agenda. The French part of Hanoi was beautified with wide
avenues and a well laid out sewer system. The native quarter was completely
ignored with no modern hygienic facilities.
The sewers in the French part of the city provided perfect
conditions for rats to breed in and easy movement throughout the city. Hanoi
hence became a favourable place for the outbreak of plague.
To combat the rat menace, a rat hunt was started in 1902.
While catching rats in dirty sewers, the Vietnamese realised the concept of
collective bargaining.
The bubonic plague continued to affect Hanoi during 1903 and
the subsequent years. The Rat Hunt marked the defeat of French colonisers and
an utter failure of their civilising mission.
Religion and Anti Colonialism
Vietnam was a place for many religions such as Confucianism,
Buddhism and local practices. The elite in Vietnam were educated in Chinese and
Confucianism while the peasantry believed in a variety of syncretic traditions
that combined Buddhism and local beliefs.
The French missionaries had introduced Christianity in
Vietnam.
The 18th century was marked by significant
religious movements against the cultural attack of the French. One such
movement was the Scholars Revolt of 1868 and was a protest against French rule
and the spread of Christianity.
Hoa Hao was one such movement against the French which
started in 1939 and became a rage in the Mekong Delta. The man behind this
movement was Huynh Phu So.
Huynh Phu So was sent to a mental asylum insane and later
was exiled with his followers to concentration camps. Concentration camps refer
to prisons where people were detained without due process of law.
Overall, religious movements had a contradictory
relationship with mainstream nationalism. Religious movements were certainly
successful in provoking anti-imperialist sentiments.
Vietnamese Nationalism - In the Light of Communism
In February 1930, Ho Chi Minh a famous Vietnamese communist
revolutionary established the Vietnamese Communist party also known as Vietnam
Cong San Dang.
Communism is a political ideology that believes in
establishment of equal and class less society. Common ownership and control of
means of production are important facets of a communist state.
In 1940, Japan occupied Vietnam in order to make imperial
gains in Southeast Asia. The League for the Independence of Vietnam also known
as the Vietminh fought with Japan and recaptured Hanoi in September 1945.
Hence, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was formed and Ho
Chi Minh became its Chairman. The battle of Dien Bien Phu convinced the
Vietnamese of their ability to fight and strategic planning.
After the French defeat, the peace negotiations took place
in Geneva and Vietnam was divided into two parts; North Vietnam and South
Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh and the communists took control of North Vietnam
while Bao Dai’s regime was to look after South Vietnam.
In 1945, the declaration of Independence of Vietnam was
adopted, inspired by the Declaration of Independence of United States and of
France. In South Vietnam the Bao Dai regime was soon overthrown by a coup
led by Ngo Dinh Diem, an authoritarian.
The opposition got united as the National Liberation Front
or NLF and resisted Ngo Dinh Diem dictatorial rule. NLF fought for the
unification of the country with the help of the Ho Chi Minh government in the
north Vietnam.
The rise of communism in Vietnam and the adjoining areas
threatened the US. In order to intervene in the developing situation the US
sent its troops to Vietnam.
Entry of the US into the Vietnam War
Communism was on a rise in North Vietnam under the
leadership of Ho Chi Minh. North Vietnam helped the NLF of South Vietnam to
overthrow the dictatorial rule of Ngo Dihn Diem. They also decided to overlook
the terms of the Geneva Conference and unify Vietnam.
The spread of Communism was viewed as a potential threat by
the capitalist nations especially the US. US sent in their troops to South
Vietnam to intervene and this was the start of the catastrophic US Vietnam war.
Chemical weapons like B52s Agent Orange, Napalm and
Phosphorous Bombs were used which wiped out villages and razed down
forests. The US decision to intervene in Vietnam was criticised vehemently
back home.
Despite the advanced technology and excellent medical
facilities, the US suffered a lot of causalities in the war. The US had
completely underestimated the strength and determination of nationalist
Vietnamese people.
The Vietnamese used their limited resources to gain maximum
advantage over the US. The Ho Chin Minh Trail is a perfect example of
Vietnamese enterprise. This trail was a massive network of footpaths and roads,
used to transport men and materials from North to South Vietnam.
The US regularly bombed the trail to disrupt supplies, but
the trail was managed efficiently and it was rebuilt quickly. Vietnam
bravely combated the US attack and got freedom in 1975.
Contribution of Women and the End of Vietnam War
Vietnamese women made significant contributions to
nationalist causes since ancient times. Vietnamese women played a crucial role
during the war and in other anti-imperialist movements in Vietnam.
Trung Sisters and Trieu Au are famous women warriors of the
ancient times. Popular literature and thinkers celebrated the women who broke
away from the traditional social mould.
Another celebrated woman from the past was Trieu Au from
third century CE who organised a large army and opposed the Chinese rule.
Women as workers carrying a rifle in one hand and hammer in
the other were projected as selfless fighters working for the cause of nation.
In 1965-1975 women formed seventy to 80% of the total youth
workers on the Ho Chi Minh trail. They carried thousands of kilograms of cargo
weapons and food and guarded key points on the trail. They also built airstrips
and neutralized numerous bombs.
The war received a lot of criticism around the world and in
US as numerous people had been killed on both sides. Writers such as Mary
McCarthy and actor Jane Fonda visited Vietnam and brought the Vietnamese
struggle to the notice of the international community.
Widespread criticism of war and US Government policies paved
the way for negotiations. In July 1974 a peace settlement was signed in Paris.
The North Liberation Front occupied the Presidential Palace in South Vietnam on
13th April 1975 and Vietnam got unified.
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