Vietnam: History and Politics
By Huyen Nguyen,
University of Griffiths, 8/10/2012


What is Vietnam for you?
Your objectives for learning about Vietnam?


Country overview: touring Vietnam


Country
Overview: Geodemographical
Introduction
Important facts:
- S shaped, 3200km
coastal, diverse
topography and
climate (Tropical)
- UNFPA (2010) 89 mil,
projected 111.7 mil in
2050, ranking 14th in
the world. S = 330000
km2.
- 10 countries, 300 mil
of people depend on
the Sea: 5/10 of the
main marine roads
through or related to
East Sea (south china

sea). Chinese source:
313 billion of oil
barrels yet exploited,
only after Arab Saudi
(unverified).
Compared with
Norway: 5
mil/385000 km2 and
Queensland
4.5/1850000 km2.


Objectives of the lecture (3 hours)
• Part I: History; Part II: Political System;
• Quiz
• Objectives:
– Overview of Vietnam
– Main historical features as foundation for
understanding the political system.
– Introduction to political system and some issues
regarding accountability, central-local relations.


PART I: HISTORY


Part I
The origins of Vietnam
According to Justin Corfield 2008 The
History of Vietnam Greenwood Santa

Barbara, USA.

• History mostly recorded by the
Chinese and the French. Vietnamese
themselves have written history until
later around 11th century.
• Archeology mostly by the French –
human remains since Paleolithic era c.
10000 BCE.
• Dating from:
– 9000-7000 BCE Hoa Binh Culture (stone)
to Bac Son period until 3000 BCE
– 2500-1500 BCE Phung Nguyen culture
(agri bronze) to Dong Son period until
600 BCE – bronze drum as national
symbol.
– Then the semi-legendary Hung Kings

• Links: to southern China but also links
in form of customs with South East
Asians. Of Viet-Muong blend ethnically
and culturally.


Part I
The origins of Vietnam
4000 years for
Vietnamese people,
dating from the
legendary creation of

the first kingdom…
Roughly 2000 years in
written history…



• During reign of Chinese
Emperor Chin Shih Huang Di, a
commander Trieu Da –
Blending in ethnic and also
culture – Chinese assimilation Southern China and Au Lac
program yet nationalism
into a separate Southern Viet
remained…
(Nam Viet) with the capital at
Guangzhou, until 111 BCE
under Han Emperor Wu Ti.
• Nationalist uprisings by the
Trung sisters (40 AD) and until
938 with Ngo Quyen’s
successful independent strive.
Part I
1000 years
under China


Part I: Medieval Vietnam
Ngo Quyen set up 1st dynasty. Feudal
Vietnam: Ngo – Dinh – Le – Ly – Tran –
Le – Nguyen until 1958 when French

came and 1945 independence and
modern Vietnamese state

• Wars: to defend itself from
Northern empire and also to
expand to the south. Victory
made kings.
–
–
–
–
–
–

Ngo Quyen and Bach Dang battle,
Dinh Tien Hoang and the unification,
Ly Thuong Kiet with Nam Quoc Son Ha so-called Vietnam’s first
declaration of independence,
Tran – 3 times defeating Mongols,
Le – retrieving the country back from the Chinese Ming and
Nguyen – against the Chinese Qing and the French.

• Peace = intervals of 200-400
years: rebuild, rewrite, lawmaking (not until Le dynasty in
15th century – Hong Duc law
code), trade and develop.
• Nguyen dynasty: adoption of
Chinese style court organization,
Nationalism on with Ao Dai and
so on…



History of Vietnam

Adapted from table from
Wikipedia,
/>ory_of_Vietnam

2879–258Hồng Bàng Dynasty
257–207Thục Dynasty – AN DUONG VUONG
207–111Triệu Dynasty – controversial
111–391st Chinese domination
40–43Trưng Sisters
43–5442nd Chinese domination
544–602Early Lý Dynasty
602–9383rd Chinese domination
939–967Ngô Dynasty
968–980Đinh Dynasty
980–1009Early Lê Dynasty
1009–1225Later Lý Dynasty
1225–1400Trần Dynasty
1400–1407Hồ Dynasty
1407–14274th Chinese domination
1428–1527Later Lê Dynasty
1527–1592Mạc Dynasty
1533–1788Restored Lê Dynasty
1545–1787• Trịnh Lords
1558–1777• Nguyễn Lords
1778–1802Tây Sơn Dynasty
1802–1945Nguyễn Dynasty

1858–1945• French imperialism
from 1945Republic

Ming (Chinese)


Medieval Vietnam –
Illustration 1: Hong Duc
Law Code
- Comprehensive: penal code, civil
code, marriage-family,
administrative and so on.
- 722: Learn 200 from Tang and 17
Ming laws, 178 general while more
than 300 rest not from China.
- Gender sensitive: inheritance –
same for male and female,
protecting the female.
- More details especially in marriage
relations – sourced by French and
South Vietnam.
- Lenient, attention to local customs
and special circumstances…
- Not as comprehensive and well
categorized as the Gia Long law
code but contains Vietnam’s own
legal ideas.


Medieval Vietnam –

Illustration 2: Hanoi
Citadel
Continuous 13 centuries as centre of power


•

Part I
Medieval Vietnam

Political economy: changing from feudal lords to
centralized hierarchical bureaucracy (mature under
Nguyen dynasty)
– Feudal lords – estate like, prominent in Tran and early Le
dynasty, each lord has his own estate, army, peasants as
nearly serfs.
– Centralized hierarchical bureaucracy: examinations to
become mandarins. Villages as grassroots units of
production and security: dividing land among its members,
individual household production and tax collection => King’s
laws stop at village gate, connoting a typical central-local
relationship. See also David Marr 2004.
– To the south against Champa : Vietnam now in an S-shape.

Centralized hierarchical feudalist
bureaucracy with King’s laws
stopping at village gates
Education came first, limited
trade and cultural exchanges


•

Society:
– Religions and beliefs: blend of Buddism, Taoism and
Confucianism; Christianity came from the West much later.
•
•
•

Buddism: life is suffering because of desire, striving for no more
desire to end suffering.
Worship of ancestors,
Confucianism: social behavior, duty, hierarchy

– Education comes first, but mostly social-political aspects and
little technical aspects although great crafts. Ethics most
valued and trading scorned as low.
– Village – agricultural customs and practices – water
puppetry, Quan Ho folksongs as e.g.

•

Trade and cultural exchanges: Faifo (Centre), Pho Hien
(North):
– Pho Hien: North – Chinese, Netherlands, British traders and
so on… since 15 and peaked in 17th, 18th century.


Part I
Vietnam encountered

the West
The invention of written Vietnamese
through the use of Latin to record
spoken Vietnam.
French got a connection point with
Vietnam in late 18th century

• First Europeans to arrive in Vietnam
were Portuguese sailors in 1516. In
1527 Dominican missionaries and 1535
Faifo (now Hoi An) as trading post
(Japanese community there until 1637
when Japaneses were banned from
contact with outside)
• Alexander de Rhodes 1591-1660 French
missionary – dictionary of Portuguese –
Latin – Vietnamese. Using latin to
record spoken Vietnamese.
• Pigneau de Behaine supporting the
founder king of Nguyen dynasty in his
struggle to claim the throne. 1787
treaty with French to get soldiers but
later French so busy with European
conflicts. However, the treaty was cited
when French finally sent troops to
invade in 1858.


Part I
Vietnam encountered

the West (cont.)
Suspicion..
Cession of land to the French from
1858…
Full control of French over Indochina
since 1887…

• Gia Long – first king of Nguyen dynasty: set
up his court following Chinese style,
Confucianism, Chinese philosophy and legal
approach (less on local customs), suspicious
of French towards the end of his reign
(1780-1887)
• Minh Mang – chosen for being suspicious of
the French, consolidated centralized
bureaucracy with 31 provinces under
governor or governor general, restricting
trader numbers and missionaries. Louis
XVIII, however, requested French be allowed
to trade in Vietnam.
• Tu Duc came to throne when Nguyen
dynasty become weak. In 1858 French ships
came and took Tourane port city (Da Nang),
marking the start of French domination. Tu
Duc ceded land and Vietnam was
independent until 1887 when French
deposed King Ham Nghi and placed the
court under their control.



Vietnam encountering the
West – illustration:
Tourane battle

3000 French and
Portugese vs. 2500
and 2000
reinforcement
Vietnamese
Nguyen Tri Phuong:
guerrila tactics
5 months: De
Genouilly lamented
that it was not easy as
thought…


Part I
French domination
(1887-1945)
Differentiated colonialization
Ineffective bureaucracy…
Wealth to France and little improvements
for Vietnam

•

•

•


•

•

French Indochina: Cochinchina (Saigon Vietnam) as
colony (direct administration) + 4 protectorates
(indirect rule) of Annam (central Vietnam), Tonkin
(northern Vietnam), Laos and Cambodia.
All under governor general with headquarter in
Cochinchina and resident superieur in capitals of 4
protectorates. A system of civil service was developed:
French on top, then VN bureaucrats and Vietnamese
educated as minor officials.
French bureaucracy? Tax payers paid for supporting
administration while French companies found huge
fortunes from rubber and factories in Indochina. 1937:
4654 French civil servants/23 million of people of
Indochina while same number of Britons over India of
352 mil (1931).
Wealth to France from 1930 with establishment of
factories: 100000 workers in textile and mines and so
on. Both workers and peasants poorly paid and
suffering
Little improvements brought to Vietnam’s society by
the French: by 1939, only 15% of school-age people to
school, 4/5 population illiterate, 2 doctor per 100000
people while 25 in Philippines and 67 in Japan =>
poverty was added by diseases (malaria, cholera..)



French in Vietnam:
illustration – Les Proces de
Colonisation Francaise
12 chapters and annex: Blood
taxation, poisoning the local
people, governors,mandarins,
civilizers, corruption,
exploitation, justice, making
local people uneducated, the
church, local females, the
slaves have been awaken,
annex: a call to Vietnamese
youth.
Pg 43: 1000 villages – 1500
alcohol and drug agents, only
10 schools, 23-24 million of
alcohol per year for 12 mil of
local people including women
and kids – monopolies to
enrich the French
administration.


Part I
Nationalist Movements
against French by 1945
Traditional ideology failed…
Communism succeeded…
WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT WESTERN

IMPRINT ON VIETNAMESE SOCIETY?

• Ton That Thuyet, Phan Dinh Phung, Hoang
Hoa Tham and many others: uprisings with
traditional ideology but failed.
• Phan Boi Chau looked to Japan, taking
Vietnamese to Japan to learn.
• Phan Chu Trinh went to France, started with
renovations of education and life-style.
• Nguyen Thai Hoc set up a nationalist party
modeled after Chinese Kuomintang.
• Ngo Dinh Kha head of Hue Academy,
Christian, admired French culture but hated
French colonists. His son later became first
president of South Vietnam.
• Ho Chi Minh also from Central Vietnam,
travelled to the West, adopted Communism
and succeeded => first president of the
modern state of Vietnam (1945).


Part I
Independence came with
the Wars
The birth of the modern state of
Vietnam: The DRV
First and second Indochina Wars…

• 1945: independence – citing
both French and American – The

Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
• 1946-1954: first Indochinese war
Vietnam vs. French, only ending
upon Dien Bien Phu victory of
the DRV. Communist Party
consolidated its rule and style.
• 1954-1975: Geneva Accord not
respected with South Vietnam
came under American influence,
American intervention (19651973) and final victory of the
North in 1975.
• End of the 20th cent’s longest int.
conflict


Independence came with
wars: illustration No. 1 1st Indochina war
-

-

-

Dien Bien Phu
Geneva Conference 1954 – China,
USSR, Vietnam Democratic
Republic vs. France, US and UK..
Result: partition of Vietnam, 2
years after general election for
unification.

North Vietnam: socialist
South Vietnam: US intervention –
Diem as president


Independence came with
wars: illustration No. 2 –
2nd Indochina war
From 1959 – Rally against Diem-Nhu’s
regime
1963 – Diem-Nhu assasinated
1965: Tonkin incident - US
bombardment of North Vietnam; US
sending troops into Vietnam
1968: Uprising in Saigon
1973: US to withdraw troops from
Saigon
1975: South Vietnam fell. Reunification


Part I
Legacies of the two wars
“Numbers can never capture the tears,
anxieties, and repeated losses…”(Kolko
1997, Vietnam: Anatomy of a Peace)

• Destruction of habitat by
munitions and defoliants 1/5
S jungles, 1/3 mangrove
forests, rice crops.

Destruction of infras.
• 7 million S Vietnamese
displaced, >3 mil dead, many
mil invalid, Agent Orange
victims (Kolko 1997:2)
• Distorted and drained
economy, relying on aids.