HISTORY- INDO CHINA NOTES

CHAPTER-1
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDO-CHINA

(CLASS NOTES AND QUESTIONS CAN NOT BE SUBSTITUTED WITH

ANYTHING)

IMPORTANT TERMS/ PERSONALITIES:

1. INDO-CHINA: It is a small peninsula in South-East Asia. It consists
of
Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
2. NATIONALISM: It is the feeling of oneness among the people of a country.
3. COLONY: It is a country which is ruled by another powerful country.
4. TRANS INDO-CHINA RAILWAY: This railway network was built by the French. It
connected northern and southern parts of Vietnam with China and Thailand. It was
completed in 1910.
5. PAUL BERNARD: He was a famous writer and a policy maker. He wanted the French
to take steps to develop Vietnam.
6. INDENTURED LABOUR: It means contract labour, employed in the plantations of
Vietnam. Employers had the power to punish and jail the workers.
7. CIVILISING MISSION [OR] WHITE MANS BURDEN]: Europeans believed that they
belonged to superior civilisation. They wanted to spread western civilisation in Asia and
Africa. Colonialism was used for this purpose.
8. ASIATIC FRANCE: The French wanted to create a westernised colony in Vietnam.
They took steps to educate Vietnamese for this purpose.
9. TONKIN FREE SCHOOL: It was started in 1907 to provide western education.
Science, hygiene and French were taught along with the other subjects. The school
encouraged students to adopt western style of living. Students had to cut their hair
short.
10 COCHIN CHINA: The southern part of Vietnam was called Cochin China.
10. PARTY OF YOUNG ANNAN: In 1920s the students of Vietnam formed a political party
called the Party of Young Annan. They published a journal called Annanese student.
11. SEWERS: They are underground drainage channels meant for taking sewage water
away.
12. CONFUCIANISM: It is a Chinese religion founded by Confucius. It gives importance to
good conduct and relationships.
13. SCHOLARS REVOLT: It was an armed revolt led by the officers of the Kings Court. It
was against the spread of Christianity and the French rule.
14. SYNCRETIC RELIGION: It is a combination of many religious beliefs and local
traditions.
15. HOA HAO MOVEMENT: It was a religious movement started by Huynh Phu So in
1939. He performed miracles and helped the poor. He opposed child marriages, useless
 expenditure, gambling and the use of liquor. The French called him mad [MAD BONZE]
and sent him to a mental hospital. Later he was sent out of Vietnam.
16. PHAN BOI CHAU: He was a Vietnamese nationalist. He formed the revolutionary
society in 1903. He wrote a book titled The History Of The Loss Of Vietnam. He
wanted to overthrow the French rule with the help of the Monarchy.
17. PHAN CHU TRINH: He was a Vietnamese nationalist. He was against Monarchy. He
wanted to establish a Modern Democratic Republic. He supported the French ideas of
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
18. CONCENTRATION CAMPS: They were the jails meant for those who opposed the
French rule. The prisoners were made to do a lot of hard work.
19. PRINCE CHONG DE: He belonged to the Vietnamese royal family which had no
power. He became the head of the Revolutionary Society founded by Phan Boi Chau.
20. LIANG QICHAO: He was a Chinese reformer. His thoughts and ideas influenced Phan
Boi chau.
21. GO EAST MOVEMENT: Nearly 300 students of Vietnam went to Japan to get modern
education. Their real aim was to overthrow the French rule with the help of Japan. They
set up Restoration Society in Tokyo.
22. SUN YAT SEN: He was a Chinese nationalist. In 1911, he overthrew the Chinese
monarchy and established a republic.
23. THE GREAT DEPRESSION: It started in 1930 in USA. It is a situation in which the
production was more than the demand. Therefore goods remained unsold and factories
closed down. People lost their jobs.
24. ELECTRICAL FUSES OF VIETNAM: Vietnamese provinces of Nghe An and Ha Trinh
were called Electrical Fuses. They were the first provinces to start revolts.
25. VIET CONG SAN DANG [VIET CONG]: It was the communist party of Vietnam
founded by Ho Chi Minh in 1930.
26. VIETMINH: The league for the independence of Vietnam was formed by Ho Chi Minh
to fight for freedom. It was a peoples army. It fought against the Japanese invaders. It
defeated French in the battle of Dien Bien Phu.
27. BATTLE OF DIEN BIEN PHU: It was a battle fought between the French and the
Vietminh in 1954. The French were defeated in this battle.
28. GENEVA CONFERENCE OF 1954: It was organised by the U.N. It was decided to
divide Vietnam into two parts. The North under Communist rule and South under Bao
Dai[Puppet of the U.S.A]
29. NGO DINH DIEN: He overthrew Bao Dais government in South Vietnam and
established a dictatorial government. He killed or imprisoned all those who opposed
him. He allowed Christianity and banned Buddhism.
30. NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT [NLF]: NLF was formed by the people of South
Vietnam. They wanted to overthrow the American supported government and unite with
North Vietnam. It fought against the American forces along with the North Vietnamese
troops.
31. COMMUNISM: It is scientific socialism. It is an ideology based on human equality. It
supports a workers government.
32. DOMINO EFFECT: USA believed that if Vietnam becomes a communist country it
would have some effect on the neighbouring countries too and they would all become
 communist. The policy of domino effect grew out of USAs fear for the spread of
communism.
33. TRUNG SISTERS: They were two Vietnamese women who fought against the
Chinese domination. Phan Boi Chau wrote a play based on their lives. When they lost
the war, they killed themselves. The Vietnamese people considered the Trung sisters
as great patriots.
34. HO CHI MINHS TRAIL: It was a network of roads and footpaths which connected
North Vietnam with South Vietnam.
35. NHAT LINH: She was a famous Vietnamese novelist. She wrote a novel in which a girl
refuses a forced marriage and goes with her lover who is a nationalist worker.
36. TRIEU AU: She organized an army to fight against the Chinese. She lived in the forest
and led the war. She killed herself when she lost the war.
37. NGUYEN THI XUAN: She was a Vietnamese women soldier. She shot down an
American jet with just 20 bullets.
38. COLONS: The French citizens settled in Vietnam were called Colons.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1.Examine the influence of china on Vietnamese culture and life.
Vietnam was under the shadow of Chinese empire.
(i) Vietnam followed the Chinese system of government and Chinese culture.
(ii) Chinese language was the language of the educated Vietnamese people. They
followed Chinese system of education.
(iii) Confucianism, a Chinese religion had many followers in Vietnam.
(iv) Vietnam was connected to Maritime silk route.
2.How did the French establish their colonial domination over
Vietnam?

The French troops reached Vietnam in 1858. They defeated china in a war and
got control over Tonkin and Annam. In 1887, the French Indo-China was formed.
3.Why did France and the other European powers think that the colonies were
necessary? Or Examine the importance of colonies for the European
imperialist powers.
Colonies were necessary due to the following reasons:
(i) They were rich in natural resources. So, they provided raw materials to European
industries.
(ii) Europeans could use colonies as markets to sell their finished goods.
(iii) Europeans wanted to spread western culture in the colonies.
4.How did nationalism develop in Vietnam?
Following factors led to rise of nationalism:-
(i) Economic exploitation of Vietnam by the French.
(ii) The French tried to destroy Vietnamese culture and traditions.
(iii) The French introduced modern education in Vietnam. The students and teachers
played a major role in creating nationalism.
(IV) Religious movements of Vietnam opposed the French rule because the
French promoted Christianity.
5.What were the development projects undertaken by France in Vietnam?
(i) The French built irrigation canals. They drained Mekong delta and encouraged rice
cultivation.
(ii) They built roads and railway lines. For example:- Trans Indo-China railway route.
(iii) Rubber plantation was introduced in Vietnam.
(iv) Land reform measures were undertaken.
(IV) Modern education was introduced.
6.Why did the French build canals and drainage systems in Vietnam?
The French built canals and drainage system in order to develop rice cultivation
in Vietnam. Surplus rice could be exported to Europe. This export trade was highly
profitable to the French.
7.Why did the French build roads and railway network in Vietnam?
(i) Roads and railways were needed for the fast movement of the army.
(ii) They were needed to transport raw materials from the interior parts of
Vietnam to the port cities.

8.Why did the imperialist powers like France decide to take steps to develop the
colonies? Or why did Paul Bernard ask the French to take steps to develop
Vietnam?
According to Paul Bernard, colonies were acquired with the aim of making
profits. If colonies were developed, the standard of living of the people would improve.
The people would demand more and more foreign goods. So, the French can sell more
goods and get more profits
9. Name the factors which prevented economic growth in Vietnam.
According to Paul Bernard, following were the barriers to economic growth in
Vietnam:-
(i) Huge population size.
(ii) Low agricultural productivity.
(iii) Indebtedness among the peasants.
10. How did the development programmes undertaken by the French indirectly help
the Vietnamese people?
(i) Development works like canal construction provided employment to many people.
(ii) Agricultural production increased. Farmers got surplus output to export.
(iii) Education brought modern ideas to Vietnam.
(iv) Standard of living of the people improved.
11. What were the drawbacks of the development programmes undertaken by the
French in Vietnam?
(i) The French did not take any steps to industrialise Vietnam.
(ii) Indentured workers life was miserable.
(iii) Land reforms did not create employment.
(iv) Education was limited to upper class people.
12. Examine the nature of the colonial economy of Vietnam?
(i) Economy of Vietnam during the colonial period was based on rice cultivation and
rubber plantations. These were owned by the French and the Vietnamese landlords.
(ii) Industrialization did not take place.
(iii) Landlordism continued to exist.
(iv) Standard of living of the people was poor.
13. Why did the French introduce modern education in Vietnam?
The French introduced modern education:-
(i) to spread western culture and civilization.
(ii) to get educated workers for low-paid jobs.
(iii) to make the Vietnamese , their loyal supporters.
14. What was the nature of the dilemma that the French faced in the area of imparting
education to Vietnamese? Or There were two broad opinions on the new
education policy introduced by the French in Vietnam. Examine.
The French wanted to civilise the people of Vietnam. They were also in the need
of an educated labour force. So, they decided to introduce modern education.
At the same time, the French had a fear that the education would create
the following problems:-
(i) Educated people may oppose colonial domination.
(ii) The colons feared that, they would lose their jobs to the educated
Vietnamese.
15. What was the controversy about the language to be used in Vietnam? How was it
resolved? Or what were the two broad opinions regarding the medium of
education in Vietnam?
Some people argued that the French should be used as the medium of
education. It would help in spreading western culture and civilisation.
Some others argued that Vietnamese should be the medium in the lower
classes and French in the higher classes. Those who learn French and adopt French
culture could be given French citizenship. Finally, the rich were allowed to study in
French schools and poor in the Vietnamese schools.
16. Only one-third of the students in Vietnam would pass in the school leaving
examinations-Explain.
The colons had a fear that the educated Vietnamese would take away their jobs.
So, the government followed a policy of deliberately failing the students in school
leaving examinations. So, only one-third of the students could pass.
17. What was the attitude of the Vietnamese towards the French educational policy?
(i) The Vietnamese people had a fear that the French education would destroy their
culture and traditions.
(ii) They were against the policy of deliberately failing the students.
(iii) Education was limited to rich people.
(iv) School textbooks glorified French rule and culture and degraded
Vietnamese culture.
18. What were the drawbacks of the educational system introduced by the French in
Vietnam?
(i) The government followed the policy of deliberately failing the students.
(ii) Education was limited to the rich people.
(III) The textbooks glorified the French rule and culture and degraded Vietnamese
culture.
 19. What were the drawbacks of the school textbooks introduced by the French in
Vietnam? Or how did the French make use of the educational system and
textbooks to degrade the Vietnamese culture and spread their culture?
(i) The school textbooks glorified French culture and supported French rule.
(ii) The Vietnamese were shown as primitive and backward people.
(iii) The Vietnamese could do only manual labour not intellectual labour.
(iv) The children were made to believe that only French rule could provide peace to
Vietnam.
(v) The schools forced the students to give up Vietnamese lifestyle and follow
French lifestyle.
20. The battle against French colonial education became a part of the larger battle
against colonialisation-Explain. Or Education was one of the spheres of
everyday life in which political battle against colonialism was fought- Explain.
[Or] How did the teachers and students of Vietnam resist the French colonial
rule?
(i) Teachers and students did not follow the curriculum blindly. They opposed it openly.
(ii) Students organised a movement against the Saigon Native Girls schools which
expelled a student.
(iii) They formed political parties like Party of Young Annan and published a
journal called Annanese Student.
21. The government made the Saigon Native Girls school to take back the students
it had expelled- Explain.
In Saigon Native Girls School, a Vietnamese girl sitting in the first bench was
asked to go to the back bench in order to allow a colon girl to occupy the firs bench. She
was expelled from the school when she refused to obey. The students who opposed this
action were also expelled. This led to large scale protests. So, the government asked
the school to take back the students.
22. Rats were most common in the modern newly built areas of Hanoi- Explain. Or
why was the newly built city of Hanoi infected by rats and plague?
The French part of the city of Hanoi was beautiful with all modern facilities. The
native part was unclean without sanitation facilities. The dirty water from the old city
joined the river. The sewers of modern city became a breeding ground of rats. The rats
entered the French houses through sewage pipes and spread plague.
23. What was the rat hunt? What were its results? Or why and how were the
Vietnamese used in the rat hunt?
The modern city of Hanoi was affected by plague. It was spread by the rats
which lived in sewers. So, rats had to be killed. Vietnamese were employed to kill the
rats. The workers started collective bargaining. Some of them cut the tail to show as
proof and released the rats. Some of them reared rats to earn money.
24. What role did religion play during nationalist movement in Vietnam?
(i) The French effort to destroy the religious believes and traditions of Vietnam created
anti-French feelings.
(ii) Scholars revolt was organised by the French.
(iii) Hoa Hao movement encouraged anti-french feelings among the people.
(iv) Political parties got the support of the religious groups in the struggle for freedom.
 25. Explain the contradictory relationship which the religious groups of Vietnam had
with mainstream nationalism.
(i) Political parties got the support of the religious groups. However, they did not support
the activities of the religious groups.
(ii) Political parties had no control over the religious groups.
26. What ideas did Phan Boi Chau and Phan Chu Trinh share in common? What did
they differ in?[ Or] What were Phan Chu Trinhs objectives? How were his ideas
different from those of Phan Boi Chau? [Or ] How did Vietnamese differ on the
question of modernisation and nationalism?
Vietnamese nationalists like Phan Boi Chau and Phan Chu Trinh wanted
Vietnam to be independent and modern. However, they differed on the following issues:
PHAN BOI CHAU PHAN CHU TRINH

He accepted monarchy. He wished to overthrow monarchy.

He did not want to revolt against monarchy.
He wanted to get the help of monarchy to oppose
French rule.
He supported Vietnamese culture and opposed
western ideas.
He wanted to establish a constitutional monarchy.
He planned an uprising against monarchy.
He did not want to get the help of monarchy.
He supported modern ideas like liberty, fraternity and
equality.
He wanted to establish a republic.

27. Early Vietnamese nationalists had close relationship with Japan and china-
explain by giving examples.
(i) Japan became a modern nation. So, Vietnamese considered it as a model. The people
who escaped from french police took refuge in Japan.
(ii) Many students went to Japan in the name of education, but their real aim was to get
Japans support for freedom struggle.
(iii) They set up restoration society in Japan.
(iv) Sun Yat Sens movement ,which overthrew monarchy in China, inspired Vietnamese
nationalists.
28. How did the great depression of 1930 affect Vietnam?
(i) Great depression led to a fall in the prices of rice and rubber. This affected the farmers
badly.
(ii) Export earnings of Vietnam decreased sharply.
(iii) Unemployment and poverty became severe.
(iv) It led to many revolts in villages.
29. Examine the role played by Ho Chi Minh in the Vietnamese struggle for freedom.
[Or] Present a brief profile of Ho Chi Minh.
Ho Chi Minh was the greatest leader of the Vietnamese freedom struggle. He:
(i) united the nationalist groups and formed the Indo-Chinese communist party.
(ii) became the president of North Vietnam and introduced many socialist policies.
(iii) formed a peoples army called Vietminh to fight against foreign powers.
(iv) led the communists and the struggle for freedom for 40 years.
(v) organised his people for their heroic struggle against American troops.
30. Explain any four challenges faced by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
(i) The french troops tried to re-establish their control over Vietnam. So, the new republic
had to fight a war.
(ii) Vietnam was divided into two parts in the Geneva Conference.
(iii) The U.S.A entered into the Vietnamese war. So, the new republic had to fight against
the most powerful country of the world.
(iv) Use of chemical weapons and destruction of towns and villages by the
American forces made the peoples life miserable.
31. Why was he National Liberation Front (NLF) set up? or Examine the events that
turned Vietnam into a war zone after 1954.
Bao Dais government in South Vietnam was overthrown by Ngo Dinh
Diem. He set up an oppressive and dictatorial government. Anyone who opposed him
was called a communist and jailed. He allowed Christianity and banned Buddhism. So,
the people turned against him. They formed the NLF and started a war against his
government with the support of North Vietnam.
32. Explain the causes of U.S involvement in the war in Vietnam. What effect this
involvement had on the life within U.S.A itself? Or Why did the American policy
makers decide to interfere in the Vietnamese war? How did the people of America
respond to it?
The U.S.A decided to interfere in Vietnamese war because:
(i) America was strongly against communist movement. They had a fear that the victory
of communists of Vietnam would lead to the spread of communism in Asia.
(ii) The U.S.A policy makers underestimated the strength of the Vietnamese nationalists.
They expected a quick victory.
Effects of life within U.S.A
(i) American people opposed their countys involvement in the war.
(ii) Only non-graduates had to join the army. So, many poor men had to go to Vietnam.
(iii) Many Americans were killed and many were wounded. So, their relatives turned
against the government.
(iv) Many books were written and films were made to show the sufferings of the American
troops.
33. How did the U.S media and films respond to Americas involvement in
Vietnamese war?
U.S media and films were divided over the issue of U.S involvement in
Vietnamese war. Some movies like Green Berets directed by John Wayne supported
the war. Some other movies like Apocalypse Now, directed by John Ford Coppola
opposed the war and showed its bad effects.
34. What do you mean by Ho Chi Minhs Trail? Examine its importance.
Ho Chi Minhs Trail was a network of roads and footpaths. Most of the trail
was in Laos and Cambodia. It was used by the Vietnamese in their war against the U.S
forces.
(i) It was used to transport goods and people from North Vietnam to South Vietnam.
(ii) It was used for the quick movement of forces from one war front to the other.
(iii) It was used to supply food, arms and ammunition to the soldiers.
(iv) It had support bases and hospitals along the way.
35. What was the role of women in anti-imperialist struggle in Vietnam?
(i) Plays, novels and paintings were made about the heroic women of the past such as
Trung sisters and Trieu Au in order to create patriotism among the people.
(ii) Women joined the army and fought bravely against the American troops. They
succeeded in shooting down war planes.
(iii) They were dedicated workers. They carried rifle on their back and worked in the field.
(iv) They were involved in nursing the injured, constructing underground rooms and
tunnels.
(v) They worked as helpers in Ho Chi Minhs Trail. They carried goods.
36. How did the war in Vietnam come to an end? Or why did U.S.A decide to
withdraw from Vietnam?
(i) Common people of the U.S.A opposed their countrys involvement in the war. Movies
and media showed the miseries of the American soldiers.
(ii) American forces suffered heavy damages. Many were killed in the war.
(iii) World opinion turned against the U.S. many writers and thinkers supported Vietnam.
(iv) A peace agreement was signed in January 1974 and the war ended when
Saigon was freed.