Nationalism in Indo-

China

Prepared by: Amrita Saluja

 INTRODUCTION
• Indo - China is a
small peninsula in
South-East Asia.
It consists of
Laos, Cambodia
and Vietnam.

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 Vietnam and China- the link

• Vietnam was under the shadow of Chinese

empire.
• (i) Vietnam followed the Chinese system of
government and Chinese culture.
• (ii) Chinese language was the language of the
educated Vietnamese people. They followed
Chinese system of education.
• (iii) Confucianism, a Chinese religion, had many
followers in Vietnam.
• (iv) Vietnam was connected to Maritime silk
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 ENTRY OF FRANCE

• The French troops

reached Vietnam in
1858. They defeated
China in a war and
got control over
Tonkin and Annam.
In 1887, the French
Indo-China was
formed

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 EFFECTS OF
COLONIALISM

RESHAPING
ECONOMIC MILITARY
VIETNAMESE
DOMINATION DOMINATION
CULTURE

RESULTED IN NATIONALIST MOVEMENT

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ECONOMIC DOMINATION

IRRIGATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

EARTHWORKS WORKS

roads and railway

Rubber plantation lines built. For
and rice example:- Trans
cultivation Indo-China railway
encouraged. route.

irrigation canals Transportation to

built. improve trade

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 THEORY OF PAUL BERNARD

Aim of colonies is to develop BARRIERS TO

the economies ECONOMIC GROWTH

Standard of living of the people

of that colony would increase High population

They would be in position to buy Low agricultural

more goods productivity

Excessive
The market would expand indebtedness
amongst peasants

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DILEMMA OF EDUCATION
HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH

TO ‘CIVILISE TO HAVE
PEOPLE’ EDUCATED
LABOUR
FORCE

MIGHT OPPOSE MIGHT LOSE

AND REBEL THEIR JOBS
AGAINST TO THEM
FRENCH

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 DILEMMA OF EDUCATION

BUT WHAT • French as the medium of

ABOUT THE education would help in spreading
western culture and civilisation.
MEDIUM OF
INSTRUCTION? • Vietnamese should be the medium
in the lower classes and French in
the higher classes.
• Those who learn French and
adopt French culture could be
given French citizenship.
• Finally, the rich were allowed to
study in French schools and poor
in the Vietnamese schools.
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 DRAWBACKS OF THE EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM

• The government followed the policy of

deliberately failing the students.
• Education was limited to the rich people.
• The textbooks glorified the French rule
and culture and degraded Vietnamese
culture

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 TONKIN FREE SCHOOL

• It was started in 1907 to provide THINK MODERN,

western education. TALK MODERN,
LOOK MODERN!!
• Science, hygiene and French
were taught along with the other
subjects.
• The school encouraged students
to adopt western style of living.
Students had to cut their hair
short.

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 OPPOSITION BY TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS
• Students organised a movement against
the Saigon Native Girls schools which
expelled a student. GO EAST!!!
• Formed political parties like Party of
Young Annan and published a journal
called Annanese Student.
• Thus, schools became an important place
for political and cultural battles.
• Nearly 300 students of Vietnam went to
Japan to get modern education.
• Aim to overthrow the French rule with
the help of Japan.
• Set up Restoration Society in Tokyo.
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HEALTH AND HYGIENE

• French wanted to create Modern

Vietnam (using latest skills )
• They decided to rebuild Hanoi
• In 1903, Hanoi was struck by Bubonic
Plague.

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HEALTH AND HYGIENE- Problem

Hanoi

French part Native Part

•Beautiful city •No modern
•Well- laid out facilities
system •Refuse
•But it became a drained
breeding ground for straight into
rats rivers

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 Rat Hunt

• 1902- Rat hunt started

• Hired Vietnamese workers to catch rats
• Resulted in Collective Bargaining (workers
decided to work together and demand higher
wage)
• Some started raising rats to earn a bounty
• Finally the bounty programme was scrapped
off.

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Religion and Anti-colonialism

• Religion played an important role in

strengthening colonial control.
• Religion, also, provided ways of
resistance

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Religion and Anti-colonialism

Christianity
Buddhism
(locals) •Forced by
French;
intolerant of
Religions Local this easy
practices going attitude
(locals)
and beliefs in
supernatural
Confucianism
(elites)

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 REVOLT

• 1868- Scholars • 1939- Hoa Hao

Revolt Movement
Led by- officials at Founder- Hyunh Phu
Imperial Court So
Location- Ha Tien Location- Mekong
Opposed the spread Delta Area
of Catholicism and Drew on religious
French power ideas popular in anti-
French crushed it. French uprisings

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 Hyunh Phu So
• Founder of Hoa Hao Movement
• Performed miracles and helped the poor.
• Criticized against useless expenditure.
• opposed sale of girl child, gambling and use of
alcohol and opium.
• French declared him mad- MAD BONZE.
• HYUNH Phu So was sent to Lao and his
followers to concentration camps.

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 Vision of Modernisation

Need to strengthen
Vietnamese
Traditions
Two schools of
Thought
Learn from west
even while opposing
foreign domination.

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 TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT-
VISION OF MODERNISATION
Strengthen
Vietnamese traditions
• Led by Phan Boi Chau
• Saw their culture and
world crumbling.
• Formed Revolutionary
Society in 1903 . (Prince
Cuong De was head)
• Influenced by Chinese
reformers.
Learn from west
• Led by Phan Chu Trinh
• Hostile to monarchy
• Wanted to establish
democratic republic
• Accepted French ideas
of liberty and wanted
the french to work for
development of Vietnam.
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Other ways of becoming modern: Japan
and China
JAPAN CHINA
• ‘GO EAST’ movement • China also inspired the
• Japan had modernised Vietnamese
itself and resisted nationalists.
colonization by the • The monarchy was
West. overthrown and republic
• Defeated Russia in 1907 was set up in 1911 in
and proved its military China.
excellence. • Vietnamese students
• After 1908, Japan organised the
Ministry of Interior Association for the
deported Phan Boi Chau Restoration of Vietnam.
and they had to exile
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in China and Thailand
The Communist Movement and
Vietnamese Nationalism
• Impact of The Great Depression of 1930
Prices of rubber and rice fell
Rural debts increased
Unemployment rose
Electrical fuse- Nghe An and Ha Tinh- under
the pressure, they will blow.

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 The Communist Movement and
Vietnamese Nationalism
• Ho Chi Minh established Vietnamese
Communist Party (later renamed as Indo-
Chinese Communist Party) in Feb 1930
• 1940- Japan occupied Vietnam .
• Vietminh was formed to fight Japanese .
• Vietminh recaptured Hanoi in Sept 1945.
• Democratic Republic of Vietnam formed- Ho
Chi Minh chairman

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 The New Republic of Vietnam

 French tried to regain control using Bao Dai as

their puppet.
 General Henry Navarre , Supreme French
Commander of French armies declared they
would be victorious.
 But Vietminh defeated French in 1954 at Dien
Bien Phu.

 There was a peace negotiation in Geneva-

Vietnam divided into two parts

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North Vietnam vs South Vietnam

North Vietnam South Vietnam

• Ho Chi Minh and • Bao Dai’s regime which
Communists took was then overthrown by
control. Ngo Dinh Diem
• Helped NLF to fight • A repressive and
Diem’s rule and work for authoritarian govt.
the unification of the • National Liberation
country. Front formed opposing
this dictatorial rule.

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THE ENTRY OF US INTO THE WAR

• The US policy planners feared that the victory of the

Ho Chi Minh government would start a domino effect
and many communist govt would come into existence.
• From 1965 to 1972, over 3,403,100 US personnel
served in Vietnam
• US had advantage over Vietnam in terms of
technology and medical supplies.
• But they underestimated the power of nationalism to
move people to action and fight the most
technologically advanced country in the world.

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THE ENTRY OF US INTO THE WAR

• The phase of struggle with the US was brutal. HOW?

• Used heavy weapons and bombs-B52s
• Chemical weapons such as Napalm and Agent Orange
were used which proved to be very dangerous.
• Even the people of US did not support the war. The
poor sections of US society were forced to be part of
the war while the rich were allowed to continue with
their education.
• Even US media played an important role in both
criticizing and supporting the war- Green Berets
(supported war) and Apocalypse Now (critised war)

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The Ho Chi Minh Trail

• The trail was of high importance in Vietnam’s war against

US.
• Most of the trail was outside Vietnam in neighboring Laos
and Cambodia with branch lines extending into South
Vietnam.
• The trail used to transport men and materials from the
north to south.
• It had support bases and hospitals along the way.
• They had porters (especially women) to carry medical
supplies.
• The trail symbolizes how the Vietnamese used their
limited resources to great advantage. The US tried their
best to disrupt but failed
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Role of Women against the
anti-imperialist movement
in Vietnam.
(see if you can compare
this with the role of women
in India)
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 ROLE OF WOMEN

Women as Rebels Heroes of Past Times

1. Greater equality than China
2. No role in public life.
3. New image emerged during
nationalist movement.
4. Nhat Linh wrote a novel showing
women rebelling against social
norms. (kind of Indulekha)
1. Trung sisters and their struggle
against Chinese domination in 39-43
CE.- Phan Boi Chau wrote a play and
glorified them.
2. Trieu An went to jungles, organised a
large army to fight against Chinese
in 3rd century.- became a sacred
figure

Women during war Women in times of Peace

1. Women used to shoot down planes. 1. Image as workers became predominate.
2. Also represented as workers. 2. Started working in factories.
3. Shown with rifle in one hand and
hammer in other.
4. Nursed the wounded, constructed
underground rooms, built
airstrips
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 THE END OF WAR

• US failed to crush the Vietnamese

resistance.
• It has been called as the first television war.
• Finally a peace settlement was signed in Paris
in January 1974.
• Fighting between the Saigon Regime and NLF
continued.
• NLF occupied the presidential palace in
Saigon on 30th April 1975 and unified Vietnam.

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