Colonization of Cochinchina
Encyclopedia
The French conquest of Cochinchina
– which was the European name for the southern part
of Vietnam
– occurred in two phases between 1858 and 1867.
, the French government of Napoleon III, with the help of Spanish and Filipino troops arriving from the Philippines
(which was a Spanish colony at the time), decided to take over the southern part of Vietnam.
French Cochinchina opened three major ports for essentially unrestricted French trade and allowed French navy ships free passage to Cambodia
. Although French Cochinchina also gave French missionaries free rein, it did not stop hostilities between the Vietnamese and the Christian missionaries and their Vietnamese converts.
(Tourane). On 18 February 1859, they conquered Saigon and three southern Vietnamese provinces: Biên Hòa
, Gia Định and Đinh Tường; on 13 April 1862, the Vietnamese monarchic government was forced to cede those territories to France as part of the Treaty of Saigon
.
, Hà Tiên
and Vĩnh Long
were added to French controlled territory. In 1874, all the French territories in southern Vietnam were declared to be the new French colony of Cochinchina.
Cochinchina
Cochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam whose principal city is Saigon. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1954. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bộ...
– which was the European name for the southern part
Southern Vietnam
For the former country, see South VietnamSouthern Vietnam is one of the three regions within Vietnam .The largest city in the South is Ho Chi Minh City, the nation's largest city....
of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
– occurred in two phases between 1858 and 1867.
Historical background
Following the Second Opium WarSecond Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
, the French government of Napoleon III, with the help of Spanish and Filipino troops arriving from the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
(which was a Spanish colony at the time), decided to take over the southern part of Vietnam.
First phase of colonialization
Napoleon III was instrumental in establishing the stronger French presence in the region. In 1858, the emperor approved a naval operation under Rigault de Genouilly, initially said to provide security for French Catholic missionaries there. The operation escalated, and by 1861, it had turned into an invasion. By 1862, hostilities ceased and in the following negotiations Vietnam was forced to cede three provinces to the French. This eventually became French Cochinchina.French Cochinchina opened three major ports for essentially unrestricted French trade and allowed French navy ships free passage to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. Although French Cochinchina also gave French missionaries free rein, it did not stop hostilities between the Vietnamese and the Christian missionaries and their Vietnamese converts.
Timeline of the first phase
On September 1, 1858, France occupied Đà NẵngDa Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
(Tourane). On 18 February 1859, they conquered Saigon and three southern Vietnamese provinces: Biên Hòa
Bien Hoa
Biên Hòa is a city in Dong Nai province, Vietnam, about east of Ho Chi Minh City , to which Bien Hoa is linked by Vietnam Highway 1.- Demographics :In 1989 the estimated population was over 300,000. In 2005, the population wss 541,495...
, Gia Định and Đinh Tường; on 13 April 1862, the Vietnamese monarchic government was forced to cede those territories to France as part of the Treaty of Saigon
Treaty of Saigon
The Treaty of Saigon was signed on June 5, 1862, between representatives of the French Empire and the last precolonial emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty, Emperor Tự Đức. Based on the terms of the accord, Tự Đức ceded Saigon, the island of Poulo Condor and three southern provinces of what was to become...
.
Timeline of the second phase
In 1867, French authorities claimed that Emperor Tự Đức was not abiding by the treaty and that he was secretly supporting Vietnamese guerrillas who were trying to drive the French out of the three provinces. They used this to justify another attack to gain three more provinces. The provinces of Châu ĐốcChau Doc
Châu Đốc is a district and town in An Giang Province, bordering Cambodia, in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 112,155. The district covers an area of 100 km²....
, Hà Tiên
Hà Tiên
Hà Tiên or Ha Tien is a town in Kien Giang Province, Tay Nam Bo of Vietnam. Area: 8,851.5 ha, population : 39,957. The town borders Cambodia to the west....
and Vĩnh Long
Vinh Long
Vĩnh Long is the capital of the Vinh Long province in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The name was spelled 永隆 in the former Hán Tự writing system....
were added to French controlled territory. In 1874, all the French territories in southern Vietnam were declared to be the new French colony of Cochinchina.