Vietnam has a rich French history encompassing three centuries. The events that took place after French colonisation were similar to those of the Spanish and Portuguese in South America. Basically, both made forceful attempts (and were successful) to obtain the land of the native people. Also, the natives rebelled against the new powers overtaking them, creating perpetual instability in the regions.

During the 1600s, the French established a colony off the east coast of India. During this time, the Dutch East India and British East India Companies were also exploring around this area. Recently, Vasco de Gama (from Portugal) had found a route around Africa to Asia. Many European powers were therefore making for Asia in search of trade benefits. The French, however, were not welcomed in Asia and soon removed their occupation. After they had left, some missionaries remained as the legacies of the first French occupation in Southeast Asia.

After the French had departed, the missionaries sided with the local Christians in battles for land and. Due to the lack of numbers of French representation in Vietnam, the group was both insecure and vulnerable. During the year of 1843, the French re-occupied Vietnam and established colonies around what was called "French Indochina" - Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The next blow to the Vietnamese people came in 1861 when the French made an attack, and seized, Saigon, the capital of the time. Pressured by the perpetual power of the French and fearing more violence from conflict with their colonisers, the Vietnamese surrendered three nearby provinces and an island. It is debatable if this decision made by the government was beneficial for the people - although many people would've been killed by the French in their quest for land and power, even more people actually did die from disease and starvation - for every 20 people killed by disease and starvation, only 1 soldier was killed. The French exploited their monopoly in Vietnam by changing their agricultural practices. They gained control over the rice crop, rice being the staple diet of the Vietnamese, and manipulated the delicate balance between crop success and failure. Under the French, most of the crops failed.

For further fear of his people, the Emperor Tu Duc signed a treaty in 1874 which entitled France to all of Vietnam. In return, the French promised to protect the Vietnamese from external forces. Practically for the Vietnamese, this deal put them second best - because they were blocking external forces, there was no way for the French to be overthrown by a neighbouring country. And so their dominance continued...

By 1887, France had control over all of Vietnam. 

Over this period in which the French had total control of the country, a new movement emerged in the Vietnamese - nationalism. To the Vietnamese, the French had invaded in on their country, people and culture for no apparent reason. A negative sentiment against the French built up during this time, and justifiably too! The French had treated the colonised very poorly and caused many unnecessary deaths.

1954 really saw the end of French colonial dominance in Southeast Asia as it was forced to leave.

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This website was last updated on Saturday, 02 November 2002