Question

Explain the policies followed by the French in Vietnam?

Answer 1

Hint: The colonisation of Vietnam by the French began in earnest in the 1880s and continued for six decades. The French defended their imperialism by pledging to develop underdeveloped nations through a "civilising mission." In reality, economic concerns were the driving force behind French colonialism.

Complete answer:
The focus of French colonisation was primarily on production, profit, and labour. It had a huge impact on the Vietnamese people's lives.

The following are some of the French policies in Vietnam:
- The French made Vietnam a colony and exploited its resources to feed their enterprises.
- In Vietnam, France installed a western-style administration.
- Vietnam was designated as a supplier of raw materials and a market for France's protected tariff goods.
- The fresh uncultivated land was given to local collaborators by the French, who established the Vietnamese landlord class.
- Through Vietnam, the French had maintained a close eye on China.
- The peasants were exploited by the French and their accomplices (money lenders), as the government and moneylenders took the lion's share of the harvest.
- The French had complete control over education in Vietnam, and they implemented a curriculum in schools that exalted the French and defended their dominance.
- In the public works sector, forced labour was established.

Note: The benefits of French colonisation to Vietnamese society were numerous, the most notable of which were increases in education. French missionaries, administrators, and their families established primary schools that taught both French and Vietnamese. However, these reforms were largely limited to urban areas, with little or no effort made to educate peasant farmers' children.