France–Vietnam relations
This article needs to be updated.(November 2017) |
France |
Vietnam |
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Diplomatic mission | |
French Embassy, Hanoi | Vietnamese Embassy, Paris |
French–Vietnamese relations started as early as the 17th century with the mission of the
First contacts
One of the early missionaries in Vietnam was the
Alexandre de Rhodes returned to Europe in 1650, to advocate the dispatch of bishops in order to better accompany the development of Roman Catholicism in Vietnam (at that time around 100,000 converts), and the dispatch of
"We have all reason to fear that what happened to the Church of Japan could also happen to the Church of Annam, because these kings, in
soldierss to these Oriental regions where Christians multiply in a marvelous way, lest, without bishops, these men die without sacrament and manifestly risk damnation."
The efforts of Alexandre de Rhodes helped to the creation of the
Meanwhile, the Jesuits under the Portuguese
In 1680, the French East India Company opened a factory in
, perceived with higher degree of religious tolerance, allowed Christian worshippers from France and establishing their bases, although not allowing churches to be built. This resulted with the heavy influence of Christianity in the south than the north, a major contributing factor for the Christian presence in Southern Vietnam in the future.Military collaboration (1787–1820)
Towards the end of the 18th century, the
In spite of these inconveniences, between 1789 and 1799, a French force mustered by Pigneau de Béhaine managed to support Gia Long in acquiring sway over the whole of Vietnam.
The death of Gia Long, and the accession of Emperor Minh Mạng in 1820 severely strained relations between France and Vietnam. In an effort to reestablish close contacts, Jean-Baptiste Chaigneau was nominated French Consul in Huế. He offered a peace treaty, but remained unsuccessful, and left Vietnam definitively with Philippe Vannier and their families in December 1824. On 12 January 1825, an embassy led by Captains Hyacinthe de Bougainville and Courson de la Ville-Hélio arrived in Đà Nẵng, with the warships Thétis and Espérance.[10] Although they had numerous presents from the Emperor and a letter from Louis XVIII delivered on 8 January 1824, the ambassadors could not obtain an audience from Minh Mạng.[11]
Resistance to missionaries
In 1825, emperor Minh Mạng issued an edict prohibiting foreign missionaries in Vietnam, following the infiltration of Father Regéreau from the Thétis when it was anchored in Đà Nẵng.[12] In his edict, Minh Mạng asserted that Christianity perverted the people:
"The Westerner's perverse religion confuses the hearts of men. For a long time, many Western ships have come to trade with us and to introduce Catholic missionaries into our country. These missionaries make the people's hearts crooked, thus destroying our beautiful customs. Truly this is a great disaster for our land. Our purpose being to prevent our people from abandoning our orthodox way, we must accordingly completely eliminate these abuses."
— Minh Mạng 1825 Edict against Christianity.[12]
As the prohibition proved largely ineffective, and missionaries continued their activities in Vietnam, especially under the protection of the governor of Cochinchina Lê Văn Duyệt, a total ban on Roman Catholicism as well as French and Vietnamese priests was enacted following their support of the Lê Văn Khôi revolt (1833–1835), leading to persecutions of French missionaries and the execution of Father Joseph Marchand in 1835.[7][11] These events fed in France a desire to intervene and protect the Roman Catholic faith.
Attempt at overture
Following the defeat of China by Great Britain in the
Minh Mạng's successor, Thiệu Trị, also upheld the anti-Catholic policy of his predecessor but tried to avoid direct confrontations. Captain Favin-Lévêque, arriving in Đà Nẵng in 1840 on board the corvette Héroïne, obtained from Thiệu Trị the release of five imprisoned missionaries.[11]
In 1843, the French Foreign Minister,
In 1845, Cécille was dispatched to Vietnam in order to obtain the release of Bishop Dominique Lefèbvre, who had been condemned to death (the request for the intervention of the French Navy had been transmitted to Cécille by Captain John Percival of the USS Constitution).[11][15]
In 1847, Cécille sent two warships (Gloire and Victorieuse) under Captains Lapierre and Charles Rigault de Genouilly to Đà Nẵng (Tourane) in Vietnam to obtain the liberation of two imprisoned French missionaries, Bishop Dominique Lefèbvre (imprisoned for a second time as he had re-entered Vietnam secretly) and Duclos, and freedom of worship for Catholics in Vietnam.[16][17] As negotiations drew on without results, on April 15, 1847, a fight named the Bombardment of Đà Nẵng erupted between the French fleet and Vietnamese ships, four Vietnamese ships were sunk as a result. The French fleet then sailed away.[16]
Territorial conquest
In 1858, Charles Rigault de Genouilly attacked Vietnam under the orders of Napoleon III following the failed mission of diplomat Charles de Montigny. His stated mission was to stop the persecution of Catholic missionaries in the country and assure the unimpeded propagation of the faith.[18] Rigault de Genouilly, with 14 French gunships, 3,000 men and 300 Filipino troops provided by the Spanish,[19] attacked the port of Đà Nẵng in 1858, causing significant damages, and occupying the city. After a few months, Rigault had to leave the city due to supply issues and illnesses.[18]
Conquest of Cochinchina (1862–1874)
Sailing south, De Genouilly then accomplished the
On 13 April 1862, the Vietnamese government was forced to negotiate and officially cede the territories of
An embassy was sent to France under Phan Thanh Giản in 1863, to try to recover the territories lost to France.[23] Although Napoleon III initially accepted Phan Thanh Giản's plea, the agreement was finally canceled in 1864, under pressure from Napoleon's cabinet led by the Minister of the Navy and the Colonies Chasseloup-Laubat.
In 1864, all the French territories in southern Vietnam were declared to be the new French colony of Cochinchina. In 1866, France started the exploration of the Mekong river, with the objective of reaching the riches of China, under Ernest Doudart de Lagrée and Francis Garnier. They reached the Yunnan, discovering that the Mekong was not navigable as far as China. They found out instead that the Song-Koï river in Tonkin would be a good alternative.[24]
In 1867 the provinces of
Protectorate over Annam and Tonkin (1883)
In 1873, Francis Garnier was put in charge of an expedition to Tonkin, with the mission of protecting French interests there, following the troubles encountered by the French trader Jean Dupuis.[24] Garnier disembarked in Hanoi on 3 November 1873, but negotiations were not forthcoming. On November 20, Garnier made an assault of the Hanoi citadelle, and pacified the delta, with nine officers, 175 men and two gunboats.[24] The Black Flags resisted the French intrusion, entering into a guerrilla campaign that led to the killing of Garnier on 21 December 1873.[24]
In March 1882, Captain
Following a failed ultimatum, on 18–19 August 1883, Courbet bombarded the forts of the capital of
Tonkin Campaign (1883–85) and Sino-French War (1884–85)
The next objective of the French was to take full control of the
The
China, the traditional overlord of Vietnam, kept contesting French influence in the area and was supporting Annam as well as the Black Flags on its territory at the frontier with Tonkin.
French Indochina (1887–1954)
French Indochina was officially formed in October 1887 from
The
France stayed in Indochina during World War II, tolerated by the Japanese Army.[30]
France |
North Vietnam |
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France |
South Vietnam |
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Indochina war and Vietnamese independence (1954)
Vietnam obtained independence following the
The events of 1954 marked the end of French involvement in the region, and the beginnings of serious U.S. commitment. Tensions between North and South Vietnam alongside the US led to the Vietnam War.
On 11 October 1972,
Post war relations (1973–present)
France recognized North Vietnam and established diplomatic relations on 12 April 1973.[32]
In 1990, François Mitterrand became the first French President to visit Vietnam in order to increase cooperation between France and its former colony. Since then, France has continued to maintain close relations with Vietnam, due to the historical connections between the two nations and Vietnam's presence in the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.
Resident diplomatic missions
- France has an embassy in Hanoi and a consulate-general in Ho Chi Minh City.[33]
- Vietnam has an embassy in Paris.[34]
-
Embassy of France in Hanoi
-
Embassy of Vietnam in Paris
See also
References
Citations
- ^ Les Missions Etrangeres, p.25
- ^ Les Missions Etrangères, p.25. Original French: "Nous avons tout sujet de craindre qu'il n'arrive a l'Eglise d'Annam ce qu'il arrive à l'Eglise du Japon, car ces rois, tant du Tonkin que de la Cochinchine sont très puissants et accoutumés à la guerre... Il faut que le Saint-Siège, de son propre mouvement, donne des pasteurs à ces regions orientales ou les chrétiens se multiplient d'une manière merveilleuse, de peur que, faute d'évêques, ces hommes ne meurent sans les sacrements et avec un manifeste peril de damnation."
- ^ Tạ, p.99
- ^ Les Missions Etrangeres, p.54
- ^ a b Les Missions Etrangeres, p.55
- ^ a b Chapuis, A History, p.172
- ^ a b c Kamm, p. 86.
- ^ Chapuis, A History, p.175
- ^ Chapuis, A History, p. 173-179
- ^ Chapuis, A History, p. 190
- ^ a b c d e f Chapuis, The Last Emperors, p. 4
- ^ a b McLeod, p.27
- ^ Honey, p. 43: "In 1840 he sent an embassy led by the mandarin Ton That Tuong to France offering the French the monopoly of European trade with Vietnam, in return for an undertaken to defend the country in the event of an attack."
- ^ Tucker, p.27
- ^ Chapuis, A History, p.194
- ^ a b Tucker, p.28
- ^ Chapuis, The Last Emperors, p.5 Quote: Two years later, in 1847, Lefebvre was again captured when he returned to Vietnam. This time Cecille sent captain Lapierre to Da Nang. Whether Lapierre was aware or not that Lefebvre had already been freed and on his way back to Singapore, the French first dismantled masts of some Vietnamese ships. Later on April 14, 1847, in only one hour, the French sank the last five bronze-plated vessels in the bay of Da Nang.
- ^ a b c Tucker, p.29
- ^ Chapuis, A History, p.195
- ^ a b Chapuis, The Last Emperors, p.49
- ^ Goldstein, p.95
- ^ Randier, p.380
- ^ Tran & Reid, p.207.
- ^ a b c d e Randier, p.381
- ^ a b Brecher & Wilkenfeld, p.179
- ^ a b c Randier, p.382
- ^ Sondhaus, p.75: "Rear Admiral Courbet blockaded Huế in August 1883 and directed an assault on its citadel, forcing the capitulation of the emperor of Annam"
- ^ Chapuis, The Last Emperors p.66
- ^ a b Randier, p.383
- ^ NAMBA, Chizuru, Français et Japonais en Indochine (1940–1945), colonisation, propagande et rivalité culturelle, Éd. Karthala, Paris, 2012.
- ^ Bernard Gwertzman (12 October 1972). "France's mission in Hanoi wrecked during a U.S. raid". The New York Times. p. 1.
- ISBN 978-90-411-1553-9.
- ^ Embassy of France in Vietnam
- ^ Embassy of Vietnam in Paris
Sources
- Bernard, Hervé. Amiral Henri Rieunier, ministre de la marine – La vie extraordinaire d'un grand marin (1833–1918). Biarritz autoédition (2005).
- ISBN 978-0-472-10806-0.
- Bühler, Konrad G. State Succession and Membership in International Organizations: Legal Theories Versus Political Pragmatism. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers (2001). ISBN 90-411-1553-6.
- Chapuis, Oscar. A History of Vietnam: From Hong Bang to Tu Duc. Greenwood Publishing Group (1995). ISBN 978-0-313-29622-2.
- Chapuis, Oscar. The Last Emperors of Vietnam: From Tu Duc to Bao Dai. Greenwood Publishing Group (2000). ISBN 978-0-313-31170-3.
- Goldstein, Erik. Wars and Peace Treaties. Routledge (1992). ISBN 978-0-415-07822-1.
- ISBN 978-0-510-27305-7.
- Kamm, Henry. Dragon Ascending: Vietnam and the Vietnamese. Arcade Publishing (1996). ISBN 978-1-55970-306-2.
- Les Missions Etrangères. Trois siecles et demi d'histoire et d'aventure en Asie Editions Perrin (2008). ISBN 978-2-262-02571-7.
- McLeod, Mark W. The Vietnamese Response to French Intervention, 1862–1874. Greenwood Publishing Group (1991). ISBN 978-0-275-93562-7.
- Randier, Jean. La Royale. Editions MDV (2006). ISBN 2-35261-022-2.
- Sondhaus, Lawrence. Navies in Modern World History. Reaktion Books (2004). ISBN 978-1-86189-202-7.
- Tạ, Văn Tài. The Vietnamese Tradition of Human Rights. Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California (1989). ISBN 978-1-55729-002-1.
- Tran, Nhung Tuyet & Anthony Reid. Viet Nam: Borderless Histories. ISBN 978-0-299-21774-7.
- Tucker, Spencer C. Vietnam. ISBN 0-8131-0966-3.
Further reading
- Britto, Karl Ashoka (2004). Disorientation: France, Vietnam, and the ambivalence of interculturality. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 9622096506.