💰 Why people resented France
Heavy taxes, land lost to French firms, low pay and the French monopolies. Vietnam was also split into three parts.
The Struggle Against France for Independence, 1945-54 » Ho Chi Minh, the Vietminh and the First Indochina War
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Section A, Investigation A4, Key topic 1
- How France ruled Indochina and why many Vietnamese resented it
- How Japanese occupation weakened France and helped the Vietminh
- Ho Chi Minh's declaration of independence in 1945 and what the Vietminh wanted
- Why France came back and why that led towards war
'The Vietnam Conflict, 1945-75' is one of the five Paper 2 Section A historical investigations. Students study only one of them, so work through this option only if it is one of your chosen options.
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Unlock This CourseFrench rule in Indochina
Indochina was the name for the French colonies in South-East Asia: Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. France took control during the 1800s. The French split Vietnam into three parts with different rules: Tonkin in the north, Annam in the centre and Cochinchina in the south. This divided a people who saw themselves as one nation.
The French ran Indochina to make money for France. They set up rubber plantations, rice exports and coal mines. Vietnamese peasants paid heavy taxes, and many lost their land to French companies and rich landlords. Workers on the plantations and in the mines had hard lives and low pay. The French government also held a monopoly on salt, alcohol and opium, so ordinary people had to buy them at high prices.
Key terms:
- Colony: a country ruled by another country, which makes the rules and takes the profits.
- Monopoly: when only the government or one company is allowed to sell something, so prices stay high.
- Indochina: the French colonies of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
- Nationalism: a strong belief that a nation should rule itself, free from foreign control.
- Communist: someone who wants a society where the state owns the land and industry, with no rich ruling class.
- Vietminh: the League for the Independence of Vietnam, a nationalist movement led by Communists, founded in 1941.
- Declaration of independence: an official statement that a country is free from outside rule.
Nationalism and Ho Chi Minh
Many Vietnamese wanted the French out. Early revolts failed, and the French jailed or killed many leaders. The man who became the most important nationalist was Ho Chi Minh. He was born in 1890 and left Vietnam in 1911, spending about thirty years abroad. He lived in France, Russia and China and became a Communist. In 1930 he helped to unite Vietnamese Communist groups into the Indochinese Communist Party.
✊ What nationalists wanted
Freedom from French rule and one united Vietnam, ruled by Vietnamese people.
Japanese occupation
In 1940-41 Japan, which was fighting in China, forced the French authorities in Indochina to let its army in. For several years French officials stayed in charge of day-to-day government, but under Japanese control. This showed the Vietnamese that the French could be pushed around by an Asian power, and that French rule was not unbreakable.
Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam in 1941 and the Vietminh was set up. Its aims were to drive out both the Japanese and the French and win independence. Although Communists led it, it welcomed anyone who wanted independence, so peasants, workers and middle-class nationalists joined. Its fighters worked in the hills of the north under a young leader called Vo Nguyen Giap (you will meet his tactics in the next lesson). The Vietminh also received some help from the USA, which wanted to fight the Japanese.
In 1944-45 a terrible famine hit northern Vietnam. Rice had been taken for the occupiers' use, and transport was disrupted. Estimates of the deaths run from about one million to two million. The Vietminh opened rice stores and blamed the occupiers, which won it many more supporters.
In March 1945 Japan overthrew the French authorities and put Emperor Bao Dai in charge in name only of an independent Vietnam. In practice Japan still held the power. France had lost control and its reputation was badly damaged.
The declaration of independence, 1945
Japan surrendered in August 1945. The Vietminh seized the moment, taking over towns and cities in what is called the August Revolution. Bao Dai gave up his throne. On 2 September 1945 Ho Chi Minh stood before a huge crowd in Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi and read a declaration of independence, announcing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. He began with words from the American Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal. This was partly a message to the USA and the other Allies, hoping for their support.
The Vietminh's aims
- Independence from France (and from Japan).
- One united Vietnam, not three separate regions.
- Fairer land, lower rents and lower taxes for peasants.
The French return
France had no intention of giving up its empire. It had just been freed from German occupation in Europe and wanted its colonies back to restore its pride and wealth. After Japan's surrender, the Allies agreed that Chinese Nationalist troops would disarm the Japanese in the north and British troops would do the same in the south. The British helped French troops to retake Saigon in autumn 1945. France saw Vietnam as part of the French empire, while the Vietminh saw a free country. The two sides wanted completely different things, which led towards war. The talks and fighting that followed come in the next lesson.
Common mistakes
- Saying the Vietminh were only Communists. They were a broad nationalist movement led by Communists, and independence was the main aim.
- Mixing up the Japanese occupation (from 1940) with French rule, which lasted much longer.
- Writing about the Americans fighting the war. In this lesson the enemy is France.
Exam-style question
Describe TWO features of EITHER French rule in Indochina before 1945 OR the Vietminh in the years 1941-45. [6 marks]
Model answer
I will describe two features of French rule in Indochina. One feature was that the French ran the colony to make money for France. They set up rubber plantations, rice exports and coal mines, and many Vietnamese workers were poorly paid. The peasants paid heavy taxes, and many lost their land to French companies and landlords.
A second feature was that the French divided Vietnam into three parts, Tonkin, Annam and Cochinchina, each with different rules. This split people who thought of themselves as one nation and made nationalists angry, because they wanted a united Vietnam run by Vietnamese people. The French government also held a monopoly on salt, alcohol and opium, which kept prices high.
What lifts it to the top level: it gives two separate features, each with accurate supporting detail.
Exam tip
In a 'Describe TWO features' question, give two clearly different features and add two facts to each. One feature alone can score no more than 3 out of 6.
Recap
- France ruled Indochina to make profits, with heavy taxes and a divided Vietnam.
- The Vietminh was founded in 1941 to win independence from France and Japan.
- Japanese occupation and the 1944-45 famine weakened France and brought support to the Vietminh.
- Ho declared independence on 2 September 1945, but France returned, setting the scene for war.