Vietnam Colonisation

Question 1

Why did the french invade vietnam

competition

Answer 1

• By 19th Century , the competition for colonies was becoming more prominent among european powers
• British were looking to expand their colonial empire to southeast asia .
• Burma had come under the British SOI and french were afraid that they might use Burma to gain access to China
• Germany was looking for new lands to colonise and rumoured to have set their eyes on northern vietnam.

A)
increase soi
ensure vietnam fell to no one else
strengthen french prestige

Question 2

Why did the french invade vietnam

Tu Duc’s rule

Answer 2

• under emperor tu duc the french catholic missionaries were increasingly prosecuted .
• France used this as a guise to annexed southern vietnam by 1867 .
• Direct rule was imposed and the Vietnamese governor who reported to the Vietnamese emperor was replaced by a french naval officer .
• The rest of Vietnam was then under french SOI was vulnerable to aggression

A)
gain religious freedom of missionaries
acquire more territories in rest of vietnam

Question 3

Why did the french invade vietnam

new trading bases

Answer 3

• french wanted to establish trading base in saigon to rival british colonies of singapore and hong kong
• thought the mekong river could help them gain a back route to yunnan to gain access to china for trade opportunities
• but mekong river not feasible and abandoned it instead using cochin - china and red river in Hanoi to gain access to yunnan

A0
exploit trade routes to china
yunnan serves as a market for french goods

Question 4

Why did the french invade vietnam

raw materials

Answer 4

• vietnam had valuable mineral resources such as iron , tin, zinc and phosphate .
• french desired coal mines in northern vietnam as coal energy was required to fuel the expanding french navy
• there was competition for the mines from the British as the french had to secure the mine before the british did

A)
increase edge over european competitors
exploit raw materialls
profit off of raw materials

Question 5

Why did the french invade vietnam

desire to civilise

Answer 5

• saw vietnam as backwards city ruled by autocratic emperor
• believed french culture and democratic political system was superior and french imperialists felt it was their duty to civilise vietnam as an undeveloped nation .
• french and vietnamese catholics also wanted french to takeover vietnam so that catholicism could be spread

A)
spread religion
fullfill ideological objectives