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The Nationalist Movement in Indochina: NBSE class 10 social science
Get here the notes/solutions/extras of NBSE Class 10 Social Science Chapter 2 Nationalist Movement in Indochina. However, the study materials should be used only for references and nothing more. The notes can be modified/changed according to needs.
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Summary
Long ago, Vietnam was an independent country with its own culture and traditions. But in the 1800s, France took control of Vietnam and made it a French colony.
The French wanted to make money from Vietnam’s resources, like rice and rubber. They forced Vietnamese farmers to grow these crops and took most of the profits. The French built railroads and ports to ship resources back to France. They made the Vietnamese do all the hard labour for low wages.
The French also tried to change Vietnamese culture and impose their own. They brought French missionaries to spread Christianity. They set up schools to teach the French language and way of life. The textbooks said French rule was good for Vietnam.
But the Vietnamese people did not accept French domination easily. Students and teachers quietly resisted in schools, like the Saigon Native Girls School where a brave girl refused to give up her seat to a French student. Outside school, religious movements like the Hoa Hao opposed French rule and preached Vietnamese traditions.
Educated young men like Phan Boi Chau started revolutionary societies to drive out the French. Chau wanted to bring back the old Vietnamese monarchy. His friend Phan Chu Trinh disagreed – he wanted a democratic Vietnam without kings. But both wanted freedom from France.
Then a great leader named Ho Chi Minh arrived on the scene. After living abroad, Ho returned to Vietnam and formed the Viet Minh to resist French rule. During World War 2, the Viet Minh fought against both the French and Japanese occupiers.
After the war ended, France tried to regain control of Vietnam. But Ho Chi Minh declared an independent Vietnam. This began an epic war between the Viet Minh and France. The Viet Minh got supplies along the famous Ho Chi Minh trail and won a big victory over France at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
Vietnam was temporarily divided into Communist North Vietnam under Ho, and South Vietnam under French rule. Elections were supposed to reunite the country, but never happened. The U.S. now stepped in to support South Vietnam, while the Communist guerrilla army Viet Cong fought on.
After years more of war, U.S. public opinion turned against the Vietnam War. In 1973, the U.S. pulled out its troops from Vietnam. In 1975, North Vietnam finally captured Saigon, capital of the South. Vietnam was reunified as an independent nation under Communist rule.
The struggle for Vietnamese independence took almost 100 years. France could not withstand the determination of people like Ho Chi Minh to be free. Vietnam showed that no matter how strong an opponent, a united people fighting for freedom will eventually prevail.
Important dates, years, and events
- 1858: The French landed in Indochina.
- 1867: Cochinchina (the South) becomes a French colony.
- 1874, January: A peace treaty was signed in Paris, ending the war with the US.
- 1887: The creation of the Indochina Union comprising Cochinchina, Annam, Tonkin, Cambodia, and Laos. French Indochina was established.
- 1888: A Scholars’ Revolt broke out against the spread of Christianity.
- 1926: A major protest erupted in the Saigon Native Girls School.
- 1930: Ho Chi Minh established the Vietnamese Communist Party.
- 1933: The Hoa Hao Movement began, founded by Huynh Phu So.
- 1939: The Hoa Hao Movement started in the Mekong Delta region.
- 1940, September: The Japanese forced the French to permit them to use Indochina as a military base.
- 1941: Huynh Phu So was released by the French but then exiled to Laos.
- 1945, August: Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by atom bombs, leading to Japan’s surrender and France regaining control of Indochina.
- 1945, September: Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Vietnam.
- 1954: The Vietminh won a decisive victory at Dien Bien Phu.
- 1954, July 22: The Geneva Conference, leading to the division of Vietnam at the 17th parallel.
- 1961: Kennedy decided to increase US military aid to South Vietnam.
- 1968, January: The Tet Offensive, a major turning point in the Vietnam War.
- 1972: President Nixon ordered nighttime bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong in December.
- 1974, January: A peace settlement was signed in Paris, ending the war with the US.
- 1975, April 30: NLF troops entered Saigon, marking the end of the Vietnam War.
- 1976, July 2: Vietnam was reunified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
Textual questions and answers
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Indochina comprises
(a) India and China (b) North and South Vietnam and China (c) India, China and Vietnam (d) The modern countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
Answer: (d) The modern countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
2. The French landed in Vietnam in the year:
(a) 1857 (b) 1856 (c) 1858 (d) 1859
Answer: (c) 1858.
3. Consider the statements given below and choose the correct
Statement I: The Hoa Hao Movement began in 1939, in Mekong delta region. Answer.
Statement II: The movement was founded by Huynh Phu So.
(a) Statement I is correct and II is incorrect (b) Statement I is incorrect and II is correct (c) Both Statements I and II are incorrect (d) Both statements (I) and (II) are correct.
Answer: (d) Both statements (I) and (II) are correct.
4. What was the theme of the given picture?
(a) To ridicule the French who followed the Vietnamese culture. (b) To ridicule the Vietnamese who had been westernised. (c) To ridicule the Vietnamese who played tennis. (d) To ridicule the French who played tennis.
Answer: (b) To ridicule the Vietnamese who had been westernised.
Very Short Answer Questions
1. When did Cochin China become a French colony?
Answer: Cochin China became a French colony in 1867.
2. Who was the founder of the Hoa Hao Movement?
Answer: The founder of the Hoa Hao Movement was Huynh Phu So.
Short Answer Questions
1. Give two reasons why the French considered it necessary to colonise Indochina.
Answer: The French considered it necessary to colonise Indochina for two main reasons:
- The colonies provided raw materials for cheap labour and ended their search for a market.
- They fulfilled the desire for glory, prestige and manpower.
2. When did Tonkin Free School start? What was its main objective?
Answer: The Tonkin Free School was started in 1907. Its main objective was to claim to turn students into “Modern” students; to be modern, the students had to follow French fashions in clothes, hair styles, etc. Learning Western ideas was not enough.
3. What was the main difference in the ideas of Phan Boi Chau and Phan Chu Trinh?
Answer: Phan Chu Trinh wanted to abolish the monarchy in order to create a base for strong national sovereignty and establish a democratic republic, heavily influenced by the writings of French philosophers like Rousseau and Montesquieu, and aimed for peaceful reform. Phan Boi Chau, on the other hand, favoured retaining the monarchy as a popular ideological symbol and wanted to drive out the French through armed resistance and restore Vietnamese independence.
Long Answer Questions
1. What actions did France take to consolidate her position in Indochina?
Answer: France took several actions to consolidate her position in Indochina, focusing on economic, military, and cultural dominance.
Economically, they developed the economies of their colonies to make profits, by building canals, draining lands in the Mekong delta, increasing rice production, and exporting rice, thereby making Vietnam the third largest exporter of rice in the world by 1931. They also improved the infrastructure to support rice cultivation by constructing rail networks and using forced and indentured Vietnamese labour for these projects, as well as for rubber plantations.
Militarily, the French faced resistance from the Vietnamese from 1887 to 1954, indicating their efforts to maintain control over the region through force.
Culturally, the French aimed to impose their culture and civilization on the Vietnamese, including the French language in education, to create an ‘Asiatic France’ supportive of European France. This imposition of culture was also evident in their efforts to destroy local culture, religions, and traditions under the guise of bringing about modern civilization.
2. “The schools became an important place for political and cultural battles in Vietnam against French colonialism.” Support the statement with examples.
Answer: The statement that schools became an important place for political and cultural battles in Vietnam against French colonialism is supported by several examples of resistance and opposition from Vietnamese teachers and students towards French educational policies and curricula. Teachers and students in lower schools quietly defied the instructions given in higher classes, followed their own curriculum, and criticised the French textbooks.
A notable act of defiance occurred in the Saigon Native Girls School in 1926, where a native girl refused to give up her seat to a local French student, leading to her expulsion. This incident escalated as other students who supported her were also expelled, resulting in government intervention and the forced reinstatement of the students. The principal, however, remained unrepentant, threatening to “crush all Vietnamese” and only leave Vietnam when there were no Vietnamese left in Cochinchina.
Moreover, students protested against the colonial government’s efforts to prevent Vietnamese from qualifying for white-collar jobs, forming political parties such as the Party of Young Annan and publishing nationalist journals like the Annanese Student.
3. Describe the events that led to the final exit of the French from Indochina.
Answer: The final exit of the French from Indochina was a result of a series of pivotal events. The struggle against French colonialism culminated under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, marked by significant episodes like the Japanese forcing the French to permit military operations from Indochina, the American and Chinese forces pushing the Japanese to retreat, and ultimately Japan’s surrender after the atomic bombings in 1945, leading to France regaining control of Indochina.
However, Vietnamese nationalists, particularly the Vietminh under Ho Chi Minh, continued their resistance, culminating in the decisive victory at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The Geneva Conference of 1954 partitioned Vietnam at the 17th parallel, with Ho Chi Minh becoming the President of North Vietnam and South Vietnam under the Bao Dai government, setting the stage for future conflicts but ending French colonial rule in the region.
Extra MCQs
1. When did Indochina gain independence?
A. 1947 B. 1945 C. 1950 D. 1935
Answer: B. 1945
2. How long did Indochina fight to achieve independence?
A. 20 years B. 25 years C. 30 years D. 35 years
Answer: C. 30 years
3. When did the French first land in Indochina?
A. 1858 B. 1887 C. 1880 D. 1900
Answer: A. 1858
4. What territories did the French acquire after fighting against China in the 1880s?
A. Cochinchina, Tonkin, and Annam B. Laos, Cambodia, Tonkin, and Annam C. Laos and Cambodia D. Cochinchina and Laos
Answer: A. Cochinchina, Tonkin, and Annam
5. In what year was French Indochina established?
A. 1880 B. 1887 C. 1890 D. 1858
Answer: B. 1887
6. Which of the following was NOT a motive for French colonization?
A. Economic domination B. Military control C. Environmental conservation D. Imposition of French culture
Answer: C. Environmental conservation
7. What did the French build to increase rice cultivation in the Mekong delta?
A. Railways B. Canals and drained lands C. Schools D. Hospitals
Answer: B. Canals and drained lands
8. By what year had Vietnam become the third largest exporter of rice in the world?
A. 1910 B. 1920 C. 1931 D. 1945
Answer: C. 1931
9. What major infrastructure project connected North Vietnam to South Vietnam and China?
A. The Mekong delta project B. The trans-Indochina railways C. The Siam-Vietnam railway D. The Phnom Penh port
Answer: B. The trans-Indochina railways
10. How was the infrastructure in Indochina mainly built?
A. Through voluntary community service B. By hiring foreign experts C. By forced labour of local workers D. Through international aid
Answer: C. By forced labour of local workers
11. What were the rice cultivation and rubber plantations in Indochina primarily used for?
A. To support local economy B. To teach agriculture techniques C. To profit the colonial rulers and a few rich Vietnamese D. For research and development
Answer: C. To profit the colonial rulers and a few rich Vietnamese
12. When did the Vietnamese start to resist French colonialism?
A. 1885 B. 1887 C. 1954 D. 1900
Answer: B. 1887
13. What was one of the primary goals of the French in Vietnam besides economic domination?
A. To promote Vietnamese culture B. To modernise Vietnamese civilisation C. To maintain traditional education systems D. To encourage local religions
Answer: B. To modernise Vietnamese civilisation
14. What problem did educating the Vietnamese pose for the French?
A. It could lead to an increase in Vietnamese cultural practices B. Educated Vietnamese might challenge French authority C. It would decrease the need for French products D. It could lead to a decrease in rice production
Answer: B. Educated Vietnamese might challenge French authority
15. What fear did the French have regarding job losses due to the education of Vietnamese?
A. French citizens might lose jobs as teachers, shopkeepers, and policemen B. Vietnamese would dominate the technological sector C. French agricultural experts would be unnecessary D. French military positions would be taken by Vietnamese
Answer: A. French citizens might lose jobs as teachers, shopkeepers, and policemen
16. What language dilemma did the French face in Vietnam?
A. Choosing between French or English B. Deciding on Vietnamese or Chinese C. Choosing between French or Vietnamese D. Deciding between English or Vietnamese
Answer: C. Choosing between French or Vietnamese
17. What was suggested to destroy the influence of Chinese culture on Vietnam?
A. Promoting English language B. Systematically destroying the traditional education system C. Encouraging self-study D. Banning all foreign languages except French
Answer: B. Systematically destroying the traditional education system
18. What did the first suggestion regarding the medium of instruction aim to achieve?
A. To promote Vietnamese culture among the French B. To make Vietnamese familiar with French culture and civilisation C. To eliminate French influence in Vietnam D. To reinforce Chinese cultural practices in Vietnam
Answer: B. To make Vietnamese familiar with French culture and civilisation
19. What reward was promised to Vietnamese proficient in French and French culture according to the second suggestion?
A. A higher position in the Vietnamese government B. Vietnamese citizenship C. French citizenship D. A scholarship to study in France
Answer: C. French citizenship
20. According to French textbooks, why was colonial rule good for Vietnam?
A. It promoted peace and order B. It encouraged intellectual work among Vietnamese C. It allowed for the preservation of Vietnamese traditions D. It supported the growth of Vietnamese culture
Answer: A. It promoted peace and order
21. How did teachers and students in lower schools react to the French education system?
A. They followed the French curriculum strictly B. They quietly defied French instructions and followed their own curriculum C. They praised the French textbooks D. They demanded more French schools
Answer: B. They quietly defied French instructions and followed their own curriculum
22. What year did the incident at the Saigon Native Girls School occur?
A. 1907 B. 1920 C. 1925 D. 1926
Answer: D. 1926
23. What percentage of Vietnamese students were deliberately failed in their High School exams?
A. 25% B. 50% C. Two-thirds D. 75%
Answer: C. Two-thirds
24. What was the Party of Young Annan focused on?
A. Promoting French culture among Vietnamese B. Fighting for higher paid jobs for Vietnamese students C. Establishing more French language schools D. Encouraging Vietnamese students to study abroad
Answer: B. Fighting for higher paid jobs for Vietnamese students
25. What did the Tonkin Free School aim to achieve with its students?
A. To make them proficient in the Vietnamese language B. To turn them into modern students by adopting French fashions and ideas C. To teach them traditional Vietnamese crafts D. To prepare them for careers in agriculture
Answer: B. To turn them into modern students by adopting French fashions and ideas
26. Which religions were followed by the Vietnamese before the introduction of Christianity by French missionaries?
A. Christianity and Islam B. Buddhism and Confucianism C. Hinduism and Buddhism D. Shintoism and Confucianism
Answer: B. Buddhism and Confucianism
27. What was the Scholars Revolt of 1868 against?
A. The establishment of French schools B. The spread of Christianity C. The French fashion trends D. The French language imposition
Answer: B. The spread of Christianity
28. Who was the founder of the Hoa Hao Movement?
A. Huynh Phu So B. Confucius C. A French missionary D. A Vietnamese royal official
Answer: A. Huynh Phu So
29. What year did the Hoa Hao Movement begin?
A. 1868 B. 1907 C. 1939 D. 1941
Answer: C. 1939
30. What was the outcome for the founder of the Hoa Hao Movement after being declared mad by the French?
A. He was executed B. He was released and exiled to Laos C. He became a French citizen D. He was forced to flee to China
Answer: B. He was released and exiled to Laos
31. What question about modernisation did Vietnamese intellectuals debate?
A. Whether modernisation required adopting Western practices exclusively B. If being modern meant discarding all traditional Vietnamese culture and language C. Whether modernisation could coexist with the continuation of Vietnamese traditions D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
32. Who provided the opposition to French domination using Confucian principles?
A. Phan Chu Trinh B. Phan Boi Chau C. Both A and B D. Neither A nor B
Answer: B. Phan Boi Chau
33. What was the primary aim of the Revolutionary Society formed by Phan Boi Chau in 1903?
A. To promote French education among Vietnamese B. To establish a democratic republic in Vietnam C. To drive out the French and re-establish the Nguyen dynasty D. To strengthen ties with China
Answer: C. To drive out the French and re-establish the Nguyen dynasty
34. Where did Phan Boi Chau live from 1905 to 1908?
A. China B. France C. Japan D. Vietnam
Answer: C. Japan
35. What was the objective of the society of Vietnamese students organized by Phan Boi Chau in Japan?
A. To integrate Vietnamese culture with Japanese practices B. To promote French colonial policies C. To think of themselves as Vietnamese and drive out the French D. To support the continuation of the monarchy in Vietnam
Answer: C. To think of themselves as Vietnamese and drive out the French
36. What was Phan Chu Trinh’s vision for Vietnam?
A. To abolish the monarchy and establish a democratic republic B. To maintain the monarchy as a symbol of national unity C. To adopt Western civilisation fully D. To promote Confucian principles exclusively
Answer: A. To abolish the monarchy and establish a democratic republic
37. Which French philosophers influenced Phan Chu Trinh’s thinking?
A. Voltaire and Descartes B. Rousseau and Montesquieu C. Diderot and Pascal D. Sartre and Camus
Answer: B. Rousseau and Montesquieu
38. How did Phan Boi Chau’s objectives change after the Chinese Revolution led by Sun Yat Sen?
A. He sought to strengthen the monarchy in Vietnam B. He aimed for the expulsion of the French and the establishment of a Vietnamese Democratic Republic C. He wanted to form an alliance with the French D. He focused solely on economic development
Answer: B. He aimed for the expulsion of the French and the establishment of a Vietnamese Democratic Republic
39. What happened to Phan Boi Chau in 1914?
A. He was celebrated as a hero in Vietnam B. He was deported to France C. He was arrested by the Chinese at the insistence of the French D. He became the head of the Vietnamese government
Answer: C. He was arrested by the Chinese at the insistence of the French
40. When did Phan Boi Chau die, and under what circumstances?
A. 1940, under house arrest B. 1926, in exile C. 1911, during a protest D. 1939, as a national leader
Answer: A. 1940, under house arrest
41. Under whose leadership did the final phase of the struggle against French colonialism in Vietnam occur?
A. Phan Boi Chau B. Phan Chu Trinh C. Ho Chi Minh D. Ngo Dinh Diem
Answer: C. Ho Chi Minh
42. What major global event greatly affected Vietnam in the 1930s, leading to increased unemployment and revolts?
A. The Great Depression B. World War I C. The Cold War D. The Second World War
Answer: A. The Great Depression
43. In which year did Ho Chi Minh establish the Vietnamese Communist Party?
A. 1920 B. 1930 C. 1940 D. 1954
Answer: B. 1930
44. What significant event occurred in September 1940 related to Japanese involvement in Indochina?
A. The Japanese surrendered. B. The Japanese forced the French to permit them to use Indochina as a military base. C. The Vietminh recaptured Hanoi from the Japanese. D. Ho Chi Minh established the Vietnamese Communist Party.
Answer: B. The Japanese forced the French to permit them to use Indochina as a military base.
45. When did Ho Chi Minh proclaim the independence of the Republic of Vietnam?
A. 1940 B. 1944 C. 1945 D. 1954
Answer: C. 1945
46. Which battle was a decisive victory for the Vietminh against the French?
A. The Battle of Hanoi B. The Battle of Saigon C. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu D. The Battle of Ngu An
Answer: C. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu
47. What was the outcome of the Geneva Conference in 1954 for Vietnam?
A. Vietnam remained a French colony. B. Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel. C. All foreign troops were withdrawn from Vietnam. D. Vietnam was reunited under the Bao Dai government.
Answer: B. Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel.
48. Who became the first President of the independent Republic of North Vietnam?
A. Bao Dai B. Ngo Dinh Diem C. Phan Boi Chau D. Ho Chi Minh
Answer: D. Ho Chi Minh
49. Which government was set up in South Vietnam after the Geneva Conference?
A. The Vietminh government B. The Communist Party of Indochina C. The Bao Dai government D. The National Liberation Front
Answer: C. The Bao Dai government
50. Who led the coup that overthrew the Bao Dai government in South Vietnam?
A. Ngo Dinh Diem B. Ho Chi Minh C. Phan Chu Trinh D. Phan Boi Chau
Answer: A. Ngo Dinh Diem
51. What was the primary function of the Ho Chi Minh Trail during the Vietnam War?
A. To transport men and materials from North to South Vietnam B. To serve as a defensive line against US attacks C. To provide a retreat path for Vietnamese forces D. To act as a border between North and South Vietnam
Answer: A. To transport men and materials from North to South Vietnam
52. From when to when did the Ho Chi Minh Trail operate, sending approximately 20,000 North Vietnamese troops south every month?
A. 1950 to 1967 B. 1960 to 1975 C. 1954 to 1968 D. 1967 to 1975
Answer: A. 1950 to 1967
53. How were the majority of supplies transported along the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
A. By helicopters B. By trucks and bicycles C. By boats along the Mekong River D. By trains
Answer: B. By trucks and bicycles
54. Why did US bombing fail to destroy the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
A. The trail was heavily fortified. B. The Vietnamese rebuilt it very quickly. C. The US never actually located the trail. D. The trail was underground.
Answer: B. The Vietnamese rebuilt it very quickly.
55. How many US soldiers were killed and wounded in Vietnam?
A. Killed: 47,244; Wounded: 303,704 B. Killed: 50,000; Wounded: 250,000 C. Killed: 40,000; Wounded: 200,000 D. Killed: 60,000; Wounded: 300,000
Answer: A. Killed: 47,244; Wounded: 303,704
56. What was Ho Chi Minh’s response to President Johnson’s offer to stop bombing in exchange for peace talks?
A. He accepted immediately. B. He rejected the offer, stating not even nuclear weapons would force them to surrender. C. He demanded complete withdrawal of US forces. D. He agreed but asked for reparations.
Answer: B. He rejected the offer, stating not even nuclear weapons would force them to surrender.
57. What was the outcome of the Tet offensive in 1968?
A. It led to a quick end to the war. B. It initiated peace talks and a halt in bombing by the US. C. It resulted in a major victory for South Vietnam. D. It had no significant impact on the war’s progress.
Answer: B. It initiated peace talks and a halt in bombing by the US.
58. When was the peace settlement signed in Paris, ending the war with the US?
A. January 1974 B. December 1972 C. April 1975 D. July 1976
Answer: A. January 1974
59. What happened to Saigon after Vietnam was reunified?
A. It remained the capital of South Vietnam. B. It was destroyed and rebuilt. C. It was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. D. It became a demilitarized zone.
Answer: C. It was renamed Ho Chi Minh City
60. When was Vietnam officially reunified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam?
A. 30 April, 1975 B. 2 July, 1976 C. January 1974 D. September 1945
Answer: B. 2 July, 1976
Extra questions and answers
1. When did Indochina gain independence and how long did it fight for it?
Answer: Indochina became an independent country in 1945, and it had to fight fiercely for nearly 30 years to achieve this.
2. When did French interests in Indochina begin, and what was the earliest Vietnamese reaction?
Answer: French interests in Indochina began in the early seventeenth century when French priests arrived as part of the Portuguese Jesuit Mission. The earliest Vietnamese reaction was to resist foreign interests, religion, and commerce.
3. What was the major French intervention in Indochina, and what territories did they acquire in the 1880s?
Answer: The major French intervention came in the mid-nineteenth century, landing in Indochina in 1858. In a war against China in the 1880s, they acquired Cochinchina, Tonkin, and Annam.
4. When was French Indochina established, and what territories did it consist of?
Answer: French Indochina was established in 1887, consisting of four protectorates: Laos, Cambodia, and two parts of Vietnam – Tonkin and Annam.
5. What were the French motives for colonization in Indochina?
Answer: The French motives for colonization were economic domination, military control, and the imposition of French culture, which included providing raw materials, cheap labor, ending their search for a market, fulfilling the desire for glory, prestige, manpower, and helping in implanting Roman Catholicism and French culture in the colonies.
6. How did the colonies benefit the mother country according to French colonial policy?
Answer: The colonies served the interests of the mother country by being acquired with the sole purpose of making profits, meaning the economy of the colonies had to be developed too, leading to a better standard of living and the ability to buy more goods, thus leading to the French making more and more profit.
7. How did the French contribute to the economic development of Indochina?
Answer: The French contributed to the economic development of Indochina by building canals, draining lands in the Mekong delta to increase cultivation, creating a vast system of irrigation works that increased rice production and export, and improving infrastructure in transport by building rail networks, including the trans-Indochina railways.
8. What was the status of Vietnam in terms of rice export by 1931 due to French colonial policies?
Answer: By 1931, Vietnam exported two-thirds of its rice production and had become the third-largest exporter of rice in the world.
9. Describe the infrastructure improvements made by the French in Indochina to aid rice cultivation.
Answer: To aid rice cultivation, the French improved infrastructure in transport by constructing the trans-Indochina railways, which joined North Vietnam to South Vietnam and China, with the final link with Yunnan in China completed by 1910. Another railway link was built between Vietnam and Siam (Thailand) via the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.
10. How was the infrastructure for rice cultivation and rubber plantations built in Indochina?
Answer: The infrastructure was built mainly by forced labor of local workers and widely used indentured Vietnamese labor.
11. Who owned the rice cultivation and rubber plantations in Indochina?
Answer: The rice cultivation and rubber plantations were owned by the French and a few rich Vietnamese.
12. What was the impact of rail and port services set up by the French in Indochina?
Answer: Rail and port services were set up to help the economy, but they only profited the colonial rulers.
13. When did the people of Vietnam start to resist colonial domination, and until when did the resistance last?
Answer: The people of Vietnam woke up to the fact of their exploitation and started to resist colonial domination from 1887 till 1954.
14. What was the French’s motive behind colonial education in Vietnam?
Answer: The French wanted to ‘civilise’ the colony of Vietnam, modernise the Vietnamese civilization based on their belief that their civilization was more advanced, even if it meant destroying local culture, religions, and traditions.
15. What problem did educating the Vietnamese pose to the French?
Answer: Educating the Vietnamese posed a problem for the French because an educated labor force may challenge their authority, question their domination, begin the struggle for freedom, and claim jobs held by French citizens in Vietnam.
16. What language dilemma did the French face in the education system in Vietnam?
Answer: Like the British in India, the French faced the dilemma of choosing between French or Vietnamese as the medium of instruction in schools to diminish Chinese cultural influence and decide how to integrate the Vietnamese into the French culture.
17. What were the two suggestions offered to solve the language instruction problem in Vietnamese schools?
Answer: Suggestion 1 proposed using French as the medium of instruction to familiarize the Vietnamese with French culture and create an ‘Asiatic France’. Suggestion 2 proposed continuing Vietnamese in lower classes and teaching French in higher classes, rewarding those proficient in French with citizenship.
18. How did the French textbooks depict colonial rule and the Vietnamese people?
Answer: French textbooks claimed colonial rule was beneficial for Vietnam, depicting the Vietnamese as backward, fit only for manual labor, incapable of self-rule, and emphasizing that French culture and rule were essential to civilize the Vietnamese.
19. How did teachers and students in lower schools respond to the instructions given in higher classes?
Answer: They quietly defied all the instructions, followed their own curriculum, and criticised the French textbooks.
20. What was one example of defiance against the French in Vietnamese schools?
Answer: The Saigon Native Girls School incident in 1926, where a native girl refused to give up her seat to a local French student, leading to expulsions and government intervention.
21. Why could very few Vietnamese study in French language schools?
Answer: Only the elite could afford them as they were expensive and constituted a very small section of the population.
22. What was the success rate for Vietnamese students in passing the High School exam?
Answer: Very low, with two-thirds of the students being deliberately failed every year, and out of 17 million, only 400 students passed the exam in 1925.
23. What was the reaction of the Principal of the Saigon Native Girls School after the seat refusal incident?
Answer: The Principal expelled the girl who refused to give up her seat, and when others supported her, they were expelled too. He was unrepentant and threatened to “crush all Vietnamese.”
24. How did students protest against the colonial government’s employment policies?
Answer: They protested against not being given higher paid jobs, formed parties to fight for their rights, and published journals supporting nationalism.
25. What was the goal of the Tonkin Free School?
Answer: To turn students into “Modern” students by following French fashions in clothes, hairstyles, etc., and learning Western ideas.
26. What were the main religions followed by the Vietnamese and what did Confucianism preach?
Answer: The Vietnamese followed Buddhism and Confucianism, with Confucianism preaching good conduct, proper social behaviour, respect for parents, and obedience of elders.
27. What was the Scholars Revolt and its outcome?
Answer: The Scholars Revolt in 1868 was against the spread of Christianity, initiated by officials of the Royal Court. It resulted in over a thousand Catholics being killed, but the French Government crushed the revolt ruthlessly.
28. Describe the Hoa Hao Movement and the French response to it.
Answer: The Hoa Hao Movement began in 1939, preached against social vices, and helped the poor. The French tried to suppress it, declared its founder, Huynh Phu So, mad and sent him to a mental asylum. Ironically, the doctor became Phu So’s follower, and the French had to release and exile him in 1941.
29. What questions did the Vietnamese face regarding modernisation?
Answer: – Did being modern mean discarding tradition, their own culture, and language?
- Did it mean rejecting all of their previous ideas and social practices?
- Did being modern mean copying the West in every way?
30. What did some Vietnamese intellectuals believe was necessary to resist Western domination?
Answer: Some of the intellectuals believed that to resist the domination of the West, Vietnamese traditions had to be strengthened.
31. Who provided opposition to French domination and was a notable leader in this effort?
Answer: Opposition to French domination was provided by Confucian scholars, one notable leader being Phan Boi Chau.
32. What was Phan Boi Chau’s background and initial actions against French colonialism?
Answer: Phan Boi Chau was a scholar from Ngu An Province, trained in Confucian tradition. In 1885, he observed French troops crushing scholar-gentry resistance, and in 1903, he formed a Revolutionary Society with Prince Cuong De as the head.
33. How did Phan Boi Chau’s stay in Japan influence his nationalist activities?
Answer: During his stay in Japan from 1905 to 1908, Phan Boi Chau met Japanese and Chinese revolutionaries, was influenced by Chinese reformer Liang Qichao, and wrote “The History of the Loss of Vietnam”, which lamented Vietnam’s loss of sovereignty and ties with China.
34. What were the differing views between Phan Boi Chau and Phan Chu Trinh regarding Vietnam’s future?
Answer: – Phan Chu Trinh wanted to abolish the monarchy to establish a democratic republic and was open to Western civilization, advocating for peaceful reform.
Phan Boi Chau favored retaining the monarchy as a symbolic figure and supported driving out the French through armed resistance to restore Vietnamese independence.
35. Describe the influence of Japan and China on Vietnamese students and Phan Boi Chau’s activities in Japan.
Answer: Phan Boi Chau organized a society of Vietnamese students in Japan, aiming to unite them as Vietnamese rather than by French colonial classifications and to inspire them with Japan’s modernization and victory over Russia. They established a branch of the “Restoration Society” in Tokyo.
36. How did Phan Boi Chau’s objectives change after being influenced by the Chinese Revolution?
Answer: After being influenced by the Chinese Revolution and Sun Yat Sen, Phan Boi Chau’s objectives changed to expelling the French, gaining independence for Vietnam, and establishing a “Vietnamese Democratic Republic”.
37. What were the consequences of Phan Boi Chau’s anti-French activities and his final years?
Answer: Phan Boi Chau was deported to China in 1908, influenced by the Chinese Revolution in 1911, and later arrested by the Chinese at the French’s insistence in 1914. Released in 1917, he spent his final years in exile, was kidnapped by the French in 1925, sentenced to hard labor for life, and died under house arrest on October 19, 1940.
38. Who led the final phase in the struggle against French colonialism in Vietnam?
Answer: The final phase in the struggle against French colonialism was led by Nguyen Van Thanh, also known as Ho Chi Minh.
39. How did the Great Depression affect Vietnam in the 1930s?
Answer: The Great Depression caused the price of rubber and rice to fall, leading to a tremendous increase in unemployment and revolts in many provinces.
40. What does Ho Chi Minh’s name mean and what was his role in the 20th century?
Answer: Ho Chi Minh’s name means “He who Enlightens”. He became one of the most influential political leaders of the 20th century, founding the Communist Party of Indochina and organizing the League for Independence of Vietnam (The Vietminh).
41. What unique blend of ideologies did Ho Chi Minh teach Vietnamese students?
Answer: Ho Chi Minh taught Vietnamese students a unique blend of Marxism-Leninism and Confucian virtues.
42. What were the consequences of the Japanese occupation of Indochina during World War II?
Answer: The Japanese forced the French to allow military operations from Indochina. Despite Japan’s control in 1945, they were forced to surrender after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by Atom Bombs, leading France to regain her colony.
43. How did the Vietminh contribute to the liberation struggle during and after World War II?
Answer: The Vietminh, organized by Ho Chi Minh, fought against both the French and the Japanese, recaptured Hanoi in September 1945, and later won a decisive victory against the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
44. What was the outcome of the Geneva Conference in 1954 for Vietnam?
Answer: The Geneva Conference divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel, making Ho Chi Minh the first President of North Vietnam and placing South Vietnam under the Bao Dai government, with elections planned for 1956 to reunite the country.
45. How did the division of Vietnam after the Geneva Conference affect the country?
Answer: The division led to a long drawn civil war, the overthrow of the Bao Dai government by Ngo Dinh Diem, and opposition by the National Liberation Front (NLF) against Diem’s dictatorial rule.
46. Describe the impact of Ngo Dinh Diem’s rule in South Vietnam.
Answer: Ngo Dinh Diem, a dictator, imprisoned or killed opponents branded as communists, kept French law banning Buddhism, promoted Christianity, and his rule was opposed by the National Liberation Front (NLF).
47. What was the significance of Ho Chi Minh’s role in the Vietnamese nationalist movement?
Answer: Ho Chi Minh was pivotal in shifting the Vietnamese nationalist movement towards communism, establishing the Communist Party of Indochina, teaching Marxism-Leninism and Confucian virtues, and leading the Vietminh in the fight against French and Japanese forces, ultimately contributing to Vietnam’s path toward independence and its division at the Geneva Conference.
48. How did the United States become involved in Vietnam post-1954?
Answer: The events of 1954, including the Geneva Conference and the division of Vietnam, ended French colonial rule but initiated the serious involvement of the USA in South Vietnam, leading to the Vietnam War.
49. What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail and its significance during the Vietnam War?
Answer: The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a network of footpaths and roads used to transport men and materials from North to South Vietnam. It was crucial for the Vietnamese victory, showing their effective use of limited resources against the USA. The trail had hospitals and support bases, and despite US bombing, it was quickly rebuilt by the Vietnamese.
50. How did the Vietnamese manage to keep the Ho Chi Minh Trail operational?
Answer: The trail was kept operational through the efforts of porters, many of whom were women, carrying supplies on their backs and bicycles. The trail moved through Laos and Cambodia, with its branches leading to South Vietnam, and was quickly rebuilt after US bombings.
51. What were the logistics involved in the supply chain of the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
Answer: Supplies along the Ho Chi Minh Trail were carried by trucks, bicycles, and mainly by porters who could carry significant weights. The trail also featured hospitals and support bases to assist the movement of about 20,000 North Vietnamese troops south every month from 1950 till 1967.
52. How did the USA’s military and technological superiority affect the outcome of the Vietnam War?
Answer: Despite the USA’s military superiority, advanced technology, and continuous medical supply, they lost 47,244 soldiers and 303,704 were wounded, with nearly 23,014 being 100 per cent disabled, highlighting the limitations of technological advantage in guerilla warfare.
53. What was Ho Chi Minh’s response to President Johnson’s offer to stop bombing in 1967?
Answer: Ho Chi Minh replied that not even nuclear weapons would force them to surrender after a long and violent struggle for independence, highlighting the Vietnamese resolve and determination to continue fighting.
54. What was the outcome of the Tet offensive in 1968?
Answer: The Tet offensive was a communist attack on five major cities, including a penetration into Saigon, aiming to start an uprising among the South Vietnamese. It shook US forces and led President Johnson to call for peace talks and halt the bombing.
55. Describe the events leading to the end of the Vietnam War.
Answer: The war ended with President Nixon ordering night time bombing on Hanoi and Haiphong in 1972, which led the Vietnamese to ask for peace. A peace settlement was signed in Paris in January 1974, ending the war with the US. The communists captured Saigon on April 30, 1975, leading to the reunification of Vietnam as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2, 1976, with Saigon renamed to Ho Chi Minh City.
56. What were the casualties suffered by the US in the Vietnam War?
Answer: The US lost 47,244 soldiers, 303,704 were wounded, and out of the wounded, nearly 23,014 were 100 per cent disabled.
57. How did the Vietnam War conclude, and what were the significant changes in Vietnam post-war?
Answer: The Vietnam War concluded with a peace settlement signed in Paris in January 1974, ending the war with the US. The communists later captured Saigon, leading to the reunification of Vietnam as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976, with Saigon renamed to Ho Chi Minh City.
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