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PART C: FRENCH RE-OCCUPATION AFTER, Turquoise - Coggle Diagram
PART C: FRENCH RE-OCCUPATION AFTER
Power vacuum + Vietnamese declaration of independence in 1945
points
● Towards the end of the Japanese Occupation, when defeat was imminent, the Japanese sought to prevent the colonial powers from regaining control over their colonies.
o The Japanese overthrew the French colonial administration and arrested the French officials based in Vietnam.
o In 1945, Japanese-French co-operation ended. The French had allied themselves with Britain and the United States to fight the Japanese.
o The Japanese then played upon the feelings of the Vietnamese nationalists to end French rule in Vietnam.
o The Japanese restored Bao Dai as Emperor of Vietnam and established a puppet government of Japan 🡪 Bao Dai was unable to rule Vietnam effectively.
● When the Japanese surrendered, there was a power vacuum.
● This created a window of opportunity for Ho Chi Minh to lead the Vietnamese in the August Revolution and formally declare independence.
After the surrender of the Japanese, the Vietnamese nationalist groups attempted to obtain power in Vietnam through organising demonstrations and uprisings before the French reestablished control.
From 16 August 1945, Vietnamese nationalists began to organise themselves and planned for a revolution.
Rallies and demonstrations were held to win the support of the Vietnamese.
The National Committee for the Liberation of Vietnam was set up to plan for a new government.
On 19 August 1945, Ho Chi Minh led the Viet Minh in a rebellion against French colonial rule in Vietnam.
The Viet Minh and their supporters participated in widespread demonstrations against the French colonial administration.
Even though the Japanese had surrendered, the French administrators remained imprisoned and could not regain control of Vietnam immediately.
The Vietnamese nationalists were thus able to take over control of public buildings in various cities throughout Vietnam.
After establishing power in Hanoi, the Viet Minh moved on to do so in other parts of Vietnam.
On 25 August 1945, the Viet Minh reached Hue, where Bao Dai's power was based 🡪 Bao Dai abdicated and transferred power to the Viet Minh. Ho Chi Minh convinced Bao dai to abdicate and become an adviser to Ho Chi Minh's Democratic Republic of Vietnam. (Side note of what happened to Bao Dai?: When the French returned, Bao Dai was exiled to Hong kong, but they later pursuaded him to return in 1949 to serve as Head of State. However, he was later succeeded by Ngo Dinh Diem as president of South Vietnam and sought exile in France.)
● On 2 September 1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
This was a major victory for the Viet Minh and the people of Vietnam, as they had finally gained freedom from both French colonial rule and Japanese occupation.
● However, in 1946, the French returned to Vietnam and the First Indochina War (Vietnamese fought against French re-occupation after the end of WW2) between the Vietnamese communists and the French colonial forces began.
French re-occupation of Vietnam
Post-war arrangements
● It was agreed at the Potsdam Conference held from July to August 1945 that the Japanese troops in Vietnam would be disarmed.
● Re-occupation of Vietnam would be modelled upon what was done in Korea 🡪 Vietnam would be divided into two zones of occupation.
North Vietnam: occupied by Nationalist China in the hope that the region would not fall under communist influence
South Vietnam: entrusted to Britain.
Subsequently, Vietnam would be returned to the status of a French colony.
Allied support for French re-occupation
● France appealed to both Britain and the USA to provide economic support and military aid in its campaign to re-establish French colonial rule in Vietnam.
● Britain was actively involved in helping to re-establish the authority of the European colonial powers in Southeast Asia 🡪 It believed that the restoration of French control over Vietnam would boost the post-war economic recovery of France.
● On 13 September 1945, after the Japanese surrendered and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was declared, British forces arrived in Saigon, South Vietnam to help facilitate French re-occupation.
● The USA initially did not provide much support for French re-occupation.
The USA supported the Viet Minh against the Japanese Occupation and was committed to the Atlantic Charter.
American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt opposed the restoration of French colonial rule over Vietnam. Instead, Roosevelt pushed for the establishment of a trusteeship arrangement(A dependent country, administered by another country under the supervision of UN, or administration of the territory by a country or countries so commissioned by the UN) as agreed in the Atlantic Charter.
● Roosevelt died in April 1945 and was succeeded by Harry Truman, who was less concerned with the ideals of self-determination and independence of colonies, and more concerned with maintaining good relations with Britain and France to bring about economic recovery in Europe.
● Thus, Truman rejected Ho Chi Minh's calls for the USA to recognise the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
Weakened French position
● World War II had taken a huge toll on the French, in terms of loss of lives, destruction of buildings and economic devastation 🡪 greatly weakened the French, and their ability to re-establish control over Vietnam.
● France's priority was to repair their economy and deal with the devastation at home.
● It also sought to regain control of its colonies.
● France had to rely on economic and military support from the Allied Powers in order to carry out its aim of re-occupying Vietnam.
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