Vietnam Background
➔ Vietnam is a small country on the eastern side of Indochina
➔ Together with Laos and Cambodia, it forms the region Indochina
➔ Between 1960 and 1973, the US was involved in a war with Vietnam
➔ Vietnam struggled with Chinese domination; which was then followed by French
colonisation into the 19th century
Overview of the struggle against colonial powers prior to WW2
● History on Vietnam is of a constant struggle by its people for independence
● In its early history, China dominated Vietnam (imposing their own culture, customs and
language on the people)
● In the 10th century, Vietnam defeated China and gained their independence
● Europeans made contact in the 16th century, with the Portuguese first to arrive then
followed by groups of French, Dutch and British traders
● 1858 -1883: France colonised Indochina
● The French ruled Vietnam directly, replacing Vietnamese officials with their own
● The French used it for resources and developed little infrastructure, only creating roads,
bridges and harbours to improve communications for its own use
● French Colonial rule was extremely harsh - the French seized the land of the
Vietnamese peasants and forced them to work
● The French destroyed much Vietnamese culture and tradition
Vietnamese resistance to French colonial rule
● The Vietnamese did not submit to colonial rule. They resisted fiercely in various forms,
including peasant revolts and guerrilla warfare
● In 1930 - Ho Chi Minh and Vo Guyen Giap formed the Nationalist Party
● In 1930 - the Nationalist Party tried to overthrow French rule. It failed because the party
did not allow the peasants (who were the majority) into its party
● Communist organizations were more successful because the mobilised the peasants
● Communist organisations were successful at first, but were later crushed.
● During WW2, the Communist Party showed it could organise the peasants in a number
of uprisings, but could not really threaten the French regime
● All these struggles were linked to the natioanlist desire of the Vietnamese people to be
independent
➔ Vietnam is a small country on the eastern side of Indochina
➔ Together with Laos and Cambodia, it forms the region Indochina
➔ Between 1960 and 1973, the US was involved in a war with Vietnam
➔ Vietnam struggled with Chinese domination; which was then followed by French
colonisation into the 19th century
Overview of the struggle against colonial powers prior to WW2
● History on Vietnam is of a constant struggle by its people for independence
● In its early history, China dominated Vietnam (imposing their own culture, customs and
language on the people)
● In the 10th century, Vietnam defeated China and gained their independence
● Europeans made contact in the 16th century, with the Portuguese first to arrive then
followed by groups of French, Dutch and British traders
● 1858 -1883: France colonised Indochina
● The French ruled Vietnam directly, replacing Vietnamese officials with their own
● The French used it for resources and developed little infrastructure, only creating roads,
bridges and harbours to improve communications for its own use
● French Colonial rule was extremely harsh - the French seized the land of the
Vietnamese peasants and forced them to work
● The French destroyed much Vietnamese culture and tradition
Vietnamese resistance to French colonial rule
● The Vietnamese did not submit to colonial rule. They resisted fiercely in various forms,
including peasant revolts and guerrilla warfare
● In 1930 - Ho Chi Minh and Vo Guyen Giap formed the Nationalist Party
● In 1930 - the Nationalist Party tried to overthrow French rule. It failed because the party
did not allow the peasants (who were the majority) into its party
● Communist organizations were more successful because the mobilised the peasants
● Communist organisations were successful at first, but were later crushed.
● During WW2, the Communist Party showed it could organise the peasants in a number
of uprisings, but could not really threaten the French regime
● All these struggles were linked to the natioanlist desire of the Vietnamese people to be
independent
