France Acquires Vietnam

This series has five easy 5 minute installments. This first installment: French Army Attacks Hanoi.

Introduction
The Portuguese, who were the first to double the Cape of Good Hope, visited Vietnam, or Indo-China, in 1517. Not long afterward the Dutch established a small settlement, for trading, at Hanoi. In 1789 the French assisted the Emperor of Vietnam to extend his rule over Tonquin and Cochin-China, and from that time the French claimed what would now be called a sphere of influence in that region, but at various times it has been disputed. In 1858 a French and Spanish fleet bombarded Touron. In 1859 they captured Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), and two years later the French took the whole Province of Saigon. To this they added other provinces, and in 1862 the Treaty of Saigon, established French Cochin-China. In 1873 a French admiral, with a few troops, captured Hanoi; and in 1874 France made a commercial treaty by which she secured the delta of Red River, and her fleet then drove away the pirates that had infested those waters.

This selection is from Europe and the Far East by Sir Robert Kennaway Douglas published in 1904. For works benefiting from the latest research see the “More information” section at the bottom of these pages.

Sir Robert Kennaway Douglas (1838-1913) was a British Oriental scholar.

Time: 1882
Place: Hanoi

Garnier arrived at Hanoi November 5, 1873, and had no sooner landed than he demanded from the Governor a position for his troops where they would be safe from a surprise, and a dwelling suitable to his rank. At the same time he gave notice that he should insist on the Red River being opened to trade. The Governor naturally declined to discuss this point, which he correctly averred should be referred to Hue. However, he assigned an intrenched camp near the city as a camping- ground for Garnier’s soldiers. Garnier, on the other hand, showed an over weening desire to assume an authority that did not belong to him; and so strained were the relations between the two that the Governor deemed it necessary to issue a proclamation in which he forbade the natives to hold any communication with the French. As a counterblast to this, Garnier placarded the city with a notice contradicting the statements and arguments of the Governor, and further presented the latter with a draft of a commercial treaty which he was to accept under penalty of war. The terms were concise, and consisted of the following articles:

1. The Red River is to be open to trade from November 15, 1873.
2. It will be retained exclusively for the navigation of French and Chinese vessels.
3. The customs dues are fixed at 3 per cent, ad valorem.
4. For vessels coming from Saigon the customs-dues shall be 1.5 per cent.
5. For vessels coming from the Chinese Province of Yunnan the customs-dues shall be like-wise reduced to 1.5 per cent.

To this document the Governor made the only possible reply, namely, that he had no authority to discuss any question but the one point of the dispute with Dupuis. To this answer Gamier replied with an ultimatum, in which he declared that if the treaty were not accepted and signed by November 19th he would storm the citadel and make the Governor a prisoner. This was no idle boast, for on the morning of the 20th the two gunboats opened fire on the citadel, which was taken by the troops without the loss of a man. So rapid and unexpected was the outbreak of hostilities it seemed certain that the whole district would fall before the French arms. The city of Hungyen surrendered without a shot; and the fortress of Ninhbinh yielded with equal docility. The subsequent fall of Namdinh made Gamier master of the delta.

But it was more difficult to hold these conquests than to make them; and Garnier was alarmed at the gathering of the Vietnamese forces in the neighborhood of Hanoi. That these fears were justified soon became apparent. On December 21st an attack was made on the citadel by a large army of Vietnamese. The small force at Garnier’s disposal made it impossible to man the walls, and he determined to lead a sortie against the besiegers. At first the movement was successful; but Garnier’s impetuosity led him too far, and he was killed, gallantly leading his men. M. Balny, who led another column to the attack, shared the same fate, and the troops were driven back into the citadel in confusion.

The position of the garrisons at Hanoi and the delta towns was now well-nigh desperate; and Admiral Dupre” dispatched M. Philastre to Hanoi to come to some peaceable arrangement with the Vietnamese Government, if such were possible. After paying a visit to the capital, Philastre went to Hanoi, and as a first step ordered the evacuation of all its forts in the delta. He had already created a favorable impression on the mind of Tuduc and his ministers; and this removal of the French garrisons from the conquered fortresses had still further ingratiated him. When he broached the subject of a treaty, therefore, he found the suggestion favorably received; and on March 15, 1874, he had the satisfaction of concluding a treaty by which peace was secured for the time being. By this treaty France acknowledged ” the sovereignty of the King of Vietnam, and his entire independence in relation to any foreign Power, whatever it may be,” and engaged to give all necessary support to’ Vietnam in case of that kingdom being disturbed by foreign or domestic foes. In return, the King engaged to conform his foreign policy to that of France.

France was further to supply Vietnam with ships, men, and arms, and with military and naval instructors to drill the native troops. By Article 5, Vietnam ceded to France all territory actually occupied by her, and agreed to pay an indemnity for the expenses to which the French Government had been put. Full liberty was granted to the native Christians in the exercise of their religion; and the ports of Thinnai, Ninhnai, and the town of Hanoi were opened to trade. Consuls or agents were to be established at these ports, and escorts were to be allowed to attend them.

As a supplement to this document a commercial treaty was signed in the following August, by which it was agreed that France should put at the disposition of the Vietnamese authorities a sufficient staff to manage the custom-house, and that no other foreigner than a Frenchman should be engaged in the service.

So far as paper and ink could arrange matters, France now stood commercially as a favored nation in Tonquin; nevertheless, for more than a year not a single French ship entered Red River, while eleven English, six German, and one hundred six teen Chinese vessels availed themselves of the new privilege.

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