Sacred WarRoots of Revolution

Index

Civilizing mission

French colonialism in Indochina

Fundamental dilemmas

The revolutionary path

The August revolution

Civilizing mission

111 B.C. – 10th century: Vietnamese state was conquered by the

Chinese Empire

long and direct acquaintance with Chinese civilization.

10th Century -: Dai Viet expanded southward along the coast of

South China Sea (war with Champa)

By 1700: conquered Champa, seized the vast Mekong delta

lack of the territorial cohesion

Vietnam was divided into two separate warring states.

Civilizing mission

1802: Hue was founded as the royal capital of the Nguyen

dynasty that united Vietnam.

prohibited Christian missionary activities in the country

Early 19th Century: Industrial Revolution the West turned to

Asia for cheap raw materials and consumer markets.

Dutch -> East Indies, British -> Burma & Malaysia, French ->

Vietnam as a toehold on the Southeast Asian mainland.

“Civilizing mission”: introduce advanced Western civilization (democratic institutions, capitalist economics, modern

technology, culture).

French colonialism in

Indochina

Cochinchina: taken in 1859 and run by admirals until 1879, was

later administered under a governor as a direct colony of

France.

Tonkin: seized in 1882, was ruled after 1897 as a direct protectorate with the French resident superior taking the role of

the former Annamese viceroy.

Annam: was ruled after 1884 as an indirect protectorate with the

Emperor and the Court of Hué in place, and the French resident

superior having the real power.

French colonialism in

Indochina

Profit and production: proto-capitalist system, based on

land ownership,

increased production,

exports (rubber, coal)

low wages (slave physically and mentally)

Taxation and monopolies: extensive taxation system

income tax on wages,

a poll tax on all adult males,

stamp duties on a wide range of publications and documents

imposts on the weighing and measuring of agricultural goods

Monopolies on rice wine and salt

Fundamental dilemmas

Imperial court: how to respond the threat from abroad

Traditional tactics of guerrilla warfare

Appease the French while attempting to introduce political and

economic reforms

The emperor ceded provinces in Mekong delta to the French

placed patriotic Vietnamese in a dilemma.

Should they follow imperial orders and refrain from active

resistance to continuing French advances, or

Should they resist on their own initiative?

Fundamental dilemmas

Phan Dinh Phung (resistor) – Hoang Cao Khai (collaborator)

Phan Dinh Phung:

Confucian scholar-official: patriotism before loyalty

Bitter guerrilla struggle against French colonial regime

Can Vuong (Save the King) movement

Hoang Cao Khai: old childhood acquaintance

Continued fighting would only produce more hardship for people

Can Vuong movement ended in tragedy and failure

New stage in the anti-French movement

Fundamental dilemmas

Phan Boi Chau – Phan Chu Trinh

Phan Boi Chau

Organized the Modernization Society (Duy Tan Hoi)

First modern nationalist

the country must adopt Western technology/political/

economic institutions

sought assistance from foreign sponsor

Phan Chu Trinh

Allow French to carry out civilization mission

Colonial rule brought many benefits

Hope “then transfer power to an independent

Vietnamese government”

The Revolutionary Path

Ho Chi Minh’s activities:

1890 May 19, Nguyen Tat Thanh (later known as Ho Chi Minh)

was born.

1911: Leaving Saigon, traveled throughout the world

1914 (WWI): settled in GB, became aware of Karl Marx’s ideas

1919: joined Parti Socialiste de France (PSF)

1920: helped found Parti Communiste de France (PCF)

1923: went on to Moscow for training in revolutionary strategy by

the Communist International

The Revolutionary Path

Ho Chi Minh’s activities:

1924: arrived in Guangzhou in December

real task: the formation of the first genuinely Marxist

revolutionary organization in Indochina.

1925: established Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League (RYL)

1927: wrote The Revolutionary Path

1930: Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) Indochinese

Communist Party (ICP)

1931: was arrested by British authorities in Hong Kong in June

The Revolutionary Path

1941: France accepted Japan's demand for military control of Indochina.

1941: The Viet Minh, a nationalist movement led by Communists,

was founded.

1942: after imprisoning Ho Chi Minh, the Chinese Nationalist

leader Chiang Kai-shek was pressured into releasing him by

America's Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The OSS sought his

release so he could continue his fight against the Japanese. The

Viet Minh also benefited from U.S. arms and equipment.

1943-1945: Ho Chi Minh offered American intelligence assistance

in reporting on Japanese troop movements and helping Allied

fliers shot down.

The August Revolution

1945, August 14th: Japanese imperial government accepted

Allied peace term. The Pacific war was over.

August 18th: the northern and central provinces in Vietnam

under command of ICP

Late August: Emperor Bao Dai announced his abdication.

September 2nd: Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnamese

independence.

By the end of the year, Vietnam was divided into a

communist north and a noncommunist south, with French forces

trying to restore control over all of Indochina.

Conclusion

The August Revolution: confirmed the Vietminh Front had been

accepted by the majority of the Vietnamese people as the

legitimate representative of their national aspirations.

Vietminh victory was a triumph in a vacuum, achieved in the chaotic conditions at the end of the war

Still, it was the best organized movement in Vietnam and would

do its utmost to meet the immediate needs of the people

Thank you for attention