baodai1

would prove to be the last emperor to sit on the Golden Throne of the Son of Heaven. The ceremony took place on January 8, 1926--a date chosen by astrologers as "an auspicious day". The entire court, mandarins and family members were present to kowtow before the new Son of Heaven. The French Governor-General expressed the desire of his country that the new Emperor's reign be a peaceful one.
    Shortly after the coronation Emperor Bao Dai returned to France for school while the nation was administered by the French Superior Resident and his advisors. It was not until September 6, 1932 that Emperor Bao Dai took up his official duties. He was unlike any monarch before him and wanted to reform and modernize the nation. To the astonishment of the traditional conservatives his first act was to abolish the kowtow, choosing instead a less dramatic show of respect. On May 2, 1933 with French support he broke up the council of regency under the Catholic Nguyen Huu Bai. He appointed young and reform-minded men into his cabinet including Pham Quynh as Minister of Education, Ngo Dinh Diem as Minister of the Interior and Bui Bang Doan as Minister of Justice. Emperor Bao Dai was to prove a champion of judicial and educational reforms.
    When World War II began in Europe France began pulling troops in to fight Germany and Emperor Bao Dai took the opportunity to try and gain more autonomy for Vietnam from their colonial masters. He asked for mandarins in the high offices of Vietnam and represenation for his government in the Ministry of Colonies. The French saw where this was going and used the war as an excuse to delay discussions on the subject of Vietnamese sovereignty. They sent the Emperor an airplane as a gift hoping to placate him. As in World War I Vietnam sent workers to assist the French war effort but all of Bao Dai's efforts to make major changes were thwarted. The French used the British as an example, telling the Emperor that he reigned but did not rule. When Bao Dai gave up trying to reason with the French they complained that he had lost interest in politics.
    Earlier, on March 24, 1934 Emperor Bao Dai married the Catholic Vietnamese Empress Nam Phuong. The couple eventually had 5 children, 2 sons and 3 daughters. These were, Crown Prince Bao Long, Prince Bao Thang, Princess Phuong Mai, Princess Phuong Lien and Princess Phuong Dung. Though they had their problems, the marriage did last, but political events overshadowed all aspects of the Emperor's domestic life. After France was conquered by Germany the Japanese obtained permission to use bases in Vietnam for their conquest of Southeast Asia. Their takover was swift and Bao Dai was told that Japan had no wish to interfere with court functions but simply replaced the French as colonial administrators. In 1945, with Japan's collapse imminent they gave Bao Dai recognition as a "free" member of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere and urged him to declare independence from France. Emperor Bao Dai declared that the treaty with France of 1884 was repealed and Vietnam was now free. What was not said was that the Japanese had the crown-pretender Prince Cuong De standing by to replace the Emperor if he refused to cooperate.
     With change in the air communists revolts broke out under Ho Chih Minh hoping to emulate Mao Zedong of China. The Japanese forced Bao Dai to dismiss his trusted conservative minister Pham Quynh who advocated friendship with France. He was later captured and executed by the communist dominated Vietminh. This left a frightful impression on the young Emperor. A new government was brought in by Bao Dai that began planning a written constitution. However, the Japanese made it clear that their "partnership" with Vietnam was not an equal one. Just as the Japanese surrendered to the United States a famine spread in the Tonkin area that cost thousands of lives. The Emperor could do nothing to help them and so the Vietminh stepped in. The Emperor was told to abdicate, which he did in fear of his life. He officially handed power over to Ho Chih Minh and "Citizen Vinh Thuy" as he was now called was hauled to Hanoi as a figurehead counsellor to Ho Chih Minh, an act meant to appease the conservatives.
    When the French returned to Tonkin Ho Chih Minh feared that the Emperor would turn against him and collaborate with the French. He stated his intent to declare war on France and sent Bao Dai to China. Without any support or finances he flew to Hong Kong where he decided that his life in government was over. However, the French had a much more difficult time than expected dealing with the Vietminh and began to formulate a plan to bring back the Emperor as a Vietnamese personality who could draw support away from Ho Chih Minh. However the "Bao Dai Solution" was meant mostly to cement French colonial rule. The Emperor realized this and argued with De Gaulle that Vietnam would never submit to being ruled by anyone ever again. He made Vietnamese independence a condition to his returning the country as France's counterpart to the Communist Ho Chih Minh. De Gaulle was outraged that France should be expected to give up but later agreed to make Vietnam a free nation within the French Union.