After the French seized Vietnam’s three southernmost provinces, a region known as Cochin China, in 1862, they extended their authority over Tongking (northern Vietnam) and Annam (central Vietnam) in the mid 1880s. Convinced of their civilizing mission, the French sought to undermine Vietnam’s Confucian culture by creating a French-trained Vietnamese elite willing to cooperate with the colonial regime. Although some members of Vietnam’s upper-class resisted French rule (including the young emperor Duy-tan, whose plot to overthrow the French was uncovered in 1916), most at first sought some sort of compromise between Western culture and Confucianism.Revolutionary nationalistic movements gained adherents in the 1920s, however, as more and more Vietnamese became incensed over continued economic exploitation and political repression, even though 90,000 Vietnamese troops and laborers had helped the French during World War I. The leading nationalist organization was the Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang (Vietnamese Nationalist Party, or VNQDD), founded in 1927 by Nguyen Thai Hoc, a teacher from Hanoi. As a young man he sought to improve conditions in Vietnam through moderate reforms but became disillusioned with the French and turned to revolution. The VNQDD was modeled on Sun Yat-sen’s Nationalist Party and was dedicated to achieving an independent and democratic-socialist Vietnam. In 1929, with the VNQDD membership at about 1,500 its leaders plotted an anti-French insurrection. The uprising, known as the Yen Bay revolt, was crushed in 1930, and the VNQDD leaders were arrested and executed.
While awaiting his execution, Nguyen Thai Hoc wrote a letter to France’s parliament, the Chamber of Deputies (you can read the letter by clicking here). A defense of his actions and a denunciation of French colonialism, the letter was also released the Vietnamese public.
After reading the letter, I would like you to reflect on and discuss the following: In Nguyen Thai Hoc’s view, what are French intentions in Vietnam and what has been the effect of French occupation? How did Nguyen Thai Hoc evolve from a moderate reformer to a revolutionary? If implemented, how would his suggestions to Governor General Varenne have improved the lot of the Vietnamese people? What does the French response to the Yen Bay uprising reveal about the nature of French colonial rule? What do you suppose Nguyen Thai Hoc hoped to accomplish by writing this letter? Your thoughts…
10 comments:
Nguyen says that he cooporated with the French at first thinking he'd benefit from it, but then when he tried to help his people with a stronger economy and better schools he was ignored. This is why Nguyen began the Revolution, the peaceful way didn't work out so well. Nguyen sent letters to the governer regarding protection of local industry, the making of schools, and freedom of opening publishing houses (which I'm guessing is freedom of speech?). If anyone had listened to him life would be a lot easier on the poor of Veitnam. The French were accusing as many people as they could in order to keep the people under control and prevent other uprisings.
After reading this letter it is clear what the French plan to do to help Vietnam, absolutly nothing. It is amazing how Nguyen was just someone trying to better Vietnam and how he eventually becomes the leader of the Vietnamese National Party. It is obvious the French dont care about bettering Vietnam because they didnt listen to one of Nguyen's requests.
It is also outrageous how the French blame the Vietnamese for the massacres which are occuring, while the Vietnamese people are dying due to hunger and abusive treatment. It is understandable for Nguyen's sudden changes of becoming a revolutionary.
This leter has self-determination writen all over it. He even talked about ending the cruelty by executing him for te better of his peoples, now thats a leader, willing to die for his own people!
It seems like Vietnam is sick of dealing with the French and being walked all over. They are just basically saying 'hey, yall are mistreating us and have been for a long time but we are taking Vietnam back and you can get over it'. He also rally seems to care about his country. This is really good of them. =]
Sapp.
geesh! are the French jerks here or what? they beat up the poor Vietnamese people, starve them, get them KILLED and then expect them to be all like "oh, France! we love you!!" and when they don't, they get mad. but really? in your words prill, never ALMOST beat up a person. this is not looking like a happy ending here. why can't the French see that? All the Viets(i just made that up. what are they called again?) just wanted better indusrties and schools. people can be so blind sometimes, it makes me mad >:(
This definitely cuts deep...
The French don't care at all about the Vietnamese people. And like you mentioned earlier, 90,000 or so troops helped the French during World War I. Nguyen just wanted to better his country and people. He's tired of this "foreign invasion" and at first, he was willing to work with the French to better Vietnam, but he was ignored every time he had a new idea. Nguyen was tired of handling this in a peaceful way and having his people being exploited and abused by foreigners. So I can see how he has a change of heart to become a revolutionary. The French are very cruel and abusive towards the Vietnamese. Nguyen probably hoped to encourage his people to fight for their rights and get these jerks out of here. Nguyen is a very dedicated leader, saying he would die for his people. I love this guy man.
These Frenchies can't be hatin on my people like that...
The French were supposed to "help" the Vietnamese because they are another of the countries that "can't stand without a more experienced country to guide them." But even when Thai Hoc wrote multiple letters explaining some reforms he wanted made in Vietnam, they were all ignored and so the French really weren't trying to help Vietnam out at all. Thai Hoc said that peasant houses were being burned down and there were food shortages because of the French. He became a revolutionary because he figured out that the French were in Vietnam for their own benefits, and therefore "we have to expel France." So he formed the Vietnamese Nationalist Party to kick the French out of Vietnam. Thai Hoc was going to provide free education for even lower classes, so this would lead to a more educated society. With the publishing houses and libraries, he would make books widely available to everyone which would aid in learning also. The French reaction to the Yen Bay revolt showed that they were ruthless and just got rid of any possible threat and anything associated with it- the peasants didn't do anything, but they were slaughtered and their houses burned as well. Thai Hoc probably hoped to get through to some different people in France who might actually listen to him and therefore get his aims accomplished.
Nguyen wanted to help out with the country's economy & education, but no one answered or even listened to him. His letters were always rejected from the governor. The government never listened to his ideas and what he had to say about the economy. I think that because of Nguyen's anger and disappointment had him to start the revolution in the first place.
Comparing this letter to the Hind Swaraj by Ghandhi, two different methods are used. While Nguyen Thai Hoc supported revolution, Ghandhi led passive resistance. The results of the Yen Bay revolt are clear: -revolutionaries were executed -the French were harsh in restoring order. This is very reminiscent of the difference of "methods" that Ghandhi speaks of. It can not be concluded that same ends can be achieved by different methods in securing self-determination. While the passive aggression of Ghandhi took more time, its results were more fruitful. The Yen Bay rebellion was not succesful, and Ghandhi would blame this on their method of violence. The
French were industrialized, and angering them by using violence would not work; Ghandhi explains this concept in Hind Swaraj, and I think that the comparison between India and Vietnam is telling.
French intentions are for their own benefit and not to benefit Vietnam as a whole. Nguyen Thai Hoc changed his mindset after the French crossed the line by burning peasant houses and ignoring what his reforms had in mind. This reveals that the French really don't care about anything happening to the Vietnamese. By writing this letter you hoped to inspire Vietnamese to expel French rule from Vietnam.
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