CBSE Class 10 History The Nationalist Movement In Indo China Worksheet

Question. Who was given the name the ‘Mad Bonze’ by the French?
(a) Phan Boi Chau
(b) Nguyen Anh
(c) Huynh Phu So
(d) Kennedy

Answer : C

Question. What were the French citizens living in Vietnam called?
(a) Junkers
(b) Colons
(c) French
(d) Vietnamese

Answer : B

Question. Who was Paul Bernard?
(a) A writer and policy-maker
(b) A philosopher
(c) A politician
(d) A diplomat

Answer : D

Question. The French colonial economy in Vietnam was primarily based on what?
(a) Rice cultivation
(b) Rubber plantation
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of the above

Answer : C

Question. When did Ho Chi Minh form the Vietnamese Communist Party?
(a) 1931
(b) 1930
(c) 1932
(d) 1934

Answer : B

Question. The Tonkin Free School was started in Vietnam in 1907. It provided
(a) Western-style education to Vietnamese
(b) Basic education to Vietnamese
(c) Health education to Vietnamese
(d) Moral education to Vietnamese

Answer : A

Question. When was the Tonkin Free School started?
(a) 1907
(b) 1905
(c) 1908
(d) 1906

Answer : A

Question. Who was the founder of Hoa Hao movement?
(a) Phan Boi Chau
(b) Ngo Nguyen Anh
(c) Huynh Pho So
(d) Bao Dai.

Answer : C

Question. Who wrote the book ‘The History of the Loss of Vietnam’?
(a) Phan Boi Chau
(b) Phan Chu Trinh
(c) Huynh Phu So
(d) Bao Dai

Answer : A

Question. Who were Indentured labours?
(a) Bonded labours
(b) Labours who were widely used for the plantations
(c) Labours who resided in particular place for more than 5 years
(d) None of the above

Answer : B

Question. What happened in Hanoi in 1903?
(a) It was attacked by Vietnamese.
(b) It was defeated in a war.
(c) It was struck by bubonic plague.
(d) None of the above.

Answer : C

Question. Who overthrew the Bao Dai regime?
(a) Sun-Yat-Sen
(b) Nguyen Anh
(c) Phan Boi Chau
(d) Ngo Diem

Answer : D

Question. When did the Cochinchina (the South) become a French colony?
(a) 1864
(b) 1865
(c) 1867
(d) 1866

Answer : A

Question. Which one of the following countries is not associated with Indo-China?
(a) Thailand
(b) Vietnam
(c) Laos
(d) Cambodia

Answer : A

Question. The elites in Vietnam were influenced by which of the following cultures?
(a) Chinese culture
(b) French culture
(c) British culture
(d) Indian culture

Answer : A

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS :

Question. What was the most visible form of French control over Vietnam?
Answer : The most visible form of French control over Vietnam was military and economic domination.

Question. The French policy makers saw education as one way to civilise the people of Vietnam. But, in order to educate them, they had to resolve a dilemma. What was the dilemma?
Answer : The French policy makers feared that education might create problems. Once educated, the Vietnamese may begin to question colonial domination.

Question. What was the colonial economy in Vietnam based on?
Answer : The colonial economy in Vietnam was based on rice cultivation and rubber plantation owned by the French and a small Vietnamese elite.

Question. Give one reason why the French policy makers wanted to educate the people of Vietnam.
Answer : Education was seen as one way to civilise the people of Vietnam.

Question. How was the maritime silk route useful for Vietnam? 
Answer : The maritime silk route was useful for Vietnam as it brought in goods, people and ideas.

Question. What happened in the Saigon Native Girls School in 1926?
Or
What do you know about Saigon Native Girls School incident?
Answer : A major protest erupted in this school against the French colonial government. A girl who refused to go to the back seat was expelled from the school.

Question. Why did the United States of America intervene in the Vietnam war against the French?
Answer : The United States of America intervened in the Vietnam war against the French to check the growth of communist power.

Question. When did French troop land in Vietnam and when was French Indo-China formed?
Answer : French troops landed in Vietnam in 1858 and in 1887, French Indo-China was formed.

Question. What did the French do to coutner the Chinese influence on The Vietnamese?
Answer : The French systematically dismantled the traditional educational system and established French schools for the Vietnamese.

Question. What status did women enjoy in the traditional society of Vietnam?
Answer : They enjoyed greater equality than in China particularly among the lower classes. But they had only limited freedom to determine their future and played no role in public life.

Question. Phan Boi Chan’s The History of the Loss of Vietnam focused on two connected themes. What are they?
Answer : (i) The loss of sovereignty of Vietnam.
(ii) The severing of ties with China.

Question. Who became the chairman of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam?
Answer : Ho Chi Minh became the chairman of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Question. Paul Bernard suggested that there were several barriers to economic growth in Vietnam. Name them.
Answer : (i) High population levels
(ii) low agricultural productivity
(iii) extensive indebtedness amongst the peasants.

Question. What was the fear of Vietnamese intellectuals?
Answer : They feared that Vietnam was losing not only control over its territory but also its very identity, its own culture and customs were being devalued and the people were developing a master-slave mentality.

Question. Where did the Hoa Hao movement become very popular?
Answer : This movement became very popular in the fertile Mekong delta area.

Question. Why did the French consider the colonies to be essential?
Answer : To the French colonies were essential as they supplied natural resources and other essential goods.

Question. What was the idea of a ‘civilising mission’?
Answer : The idea of a ‘civilising mission’ was to:
(i) bring modern civilisation to the Vietnamese,
(ii) destroy local cultures, religions and traditions, and
(iii) educate the ‘native’ to civilise them.

Question. What do you know about Vietnam’s religious beliefs?
Answer : Vietnam’s religious beliefs were a mixture of Buddhism, Confucianism and local practices.

Question. How did the French try to strengthen their control over Vietnam?
Answer : The French tried to strengthen their control over Vietnam by changing the values and perceptions of Vietnamese.

Question. How did the employer exploit the indentured labourers?
Answer : The employers could bring criminal charges against labourers and punish and jail them for non-fulfillment of contracts.

Question. Name the modern countries which are parts of Indo-China.
Answer : Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Question. Which movement was started in Vietnam in 1868 against the spread of Christianity?
Answer : The Scholars’ Revolt was started against the spread of Christianity.

Question. Describe the French part of Hanoi.
Answer : The French part of Hanoi was built as a beautiful and clean city with wide avenues and a well-laid-out sewer system.

Question. How were the Vietnamese represented in the school textbooks?
Answer : The Vietnamese were represented as primitive and backward, capable of manual labour but not of intellectual reflection. They could work in the fields but not rule themselves.

Question. Name countries with which early Vietnamese nationalists had a close relationship.
Answer : Japan and China.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS :

Question. Explain any three steps taken by the French to achieve their aim to exploit the natural resource of Vietnam. 
Answer : (i) The French built canals and drained lands in the Mekong delta to increase cultivation. The vast system of irrigation works—canals and earthworks—built with forced labour, increased rice production and allowed the export of rice to the international market.
(ii) Then they started infrastructure projects to help transport goods for trade, move military garrisons and control the entire region.
(iii) Construction of a Trans-Indo-China rail network that would link the northern and southern parts of Vietnam and China was begun.

Question. Give a brief description of the ‘Scholars’ Revolt’.
Answer : (i) The Scholars’ Revolt occurred in 1868.
(ii) This revolt was led by officials at the imperial court.
(iii) These officials were angered by the spread of Catholicism and French power in Vietnam.
(iv) They led a general uprising in Ngu Au and Ha Tien provinces where over a thousand Catholics were killed.
(v) Catholic missionaries had been active in winning converts since the early seventeenth century and by the middle of the eighteenth century had converted some 300,000.
(vi) The French crushed the movement. But this uprising was in no way less important. It inspired other patriots to rise up against the colonial power.

Question. Describe infrastructural projects which were developed by the French in Vietnam.
Answer : The French wanted to exploit the natural resources of Vietnam. For this, it took several measures:
(i) The French started building canals and draining lands in the Mekong delta area to increase cultivation. The vast system of irrigation works (canals and earthworks) increased the production of rice.
(ii) This was followed by infrastructure projects to help transport goods for trade, move military garrisons and control the entire region. Construction of a Trans-Indo-China rail network that would link the northern and southern parts of Vietnam and China was begun.
(iii) The French also owned the rubber plantations. They set up rail and port facilities to service this sector.

Question. How were the Vietnamese represented in school textbooks?
Or
How did school textbooks glorify the French and justify colonial rule in Vietnam?
Answer : In the school textbooks, the Vietnamese were represented as primitive and backward people. They were capable of only manual labour. They did not have intellect. They could work hard in the fields but could not rule themselves. They could not do any creative work. School children were told that only French rule could establish peace in Vietnam.

Question. What was ‘Go East Movement’? Write a brief note on it.
Or
Explain the reasons for the popularity of ‘Go East Movement’. 
Answer : In the first decade of the twentieth century a ‘Go East Movement’ became popular. In 1907-08 some 300 Vietnamese students went to Japan to acquire modern education with intentions to drive out the French from Vietnam and overthrow the puppet emperor to re-establish the Nguyen dynasty that had been deposed by the French. Vietnamese students established a branch of the Restoration Society in Tokyo to attain the same objective but after 1908, the Japanese Ministry of Interior clamped down on them. As a result, many students were exiled and sent back to China and Thailand.

Question. Who was Paul Bernard? Why did he believe in developing the economy of the colonies?
Or
Describe the views of Paul Bernard on the question of development of the colonies. Mention any three barriers which were a hurdle in improving the economies of Vietnam. 
Answer : Paul Bernard was a great writer and policy-maker. He strongly believed that the economy of the colonies needed to be developed. He argued that the purpose of gaining control over colonies was to make profits. If the economy was developed and the standard of living of the people improved, they would be able to buy more goods. As a result, the market would expand which would lead to better profits for French business.
The three barriers which were a hurdle in improving the economy of Vietnam:
(i) High population levels
(ii) Low agricultural productivity
(iii) Extensive indebtedness amongst the peasants.

Question. What were the causes for the defeat of the French forces in the battle of Dien Bien Phu?
Or
What strategies were formulated by Vietnamese to win over the French forces?
What was its outcome? 
Answer : At Dien Bien Phu the French forces were smartly handled by the Vietminh forces led by General Vo Nguyen Giap. The French Commander, Navarre, faced several problems in the battle.
(i) The valley where French garrisons were located flooded in the monsoon.
(ii) The area was covered with bushes, making it difficult for the troops and tanks to move, or trace the Vietminh anti-aircraft guns hidden in the jungle.
(iii) Supplies and reinforcements could not reach the French garrison.
(iv) The wounded French soldiers could not be taken to the hospitals.
(v) The French airstrip became incompetent because of continuous missiles fire.
But the Vietminh were quite well acquainted with the places around and they successfully surrounded the French garrisons in the valley below, digging trenches and tunnels to move without being detected.
This led to the defeat of the French forces in the battle of Dien Bien Phu and it soon became a very important symbol of struggle. It gave confidence to Vietminh of their capabilities. The stories of the battle were retold in villages and cities to inspire other people also.

Question. How did 1903 plague in Hanoi arouse the nationalist feelings among the Vietnamese? 
Answer : (i) Apart from education, deteriorating health and hygiene in the country also agitated Vietnamese and inspired the nationalist feelings among them.
(ii) The French set about to create a modern Vietnam.
(iii) For this they decided to rebuild Hanoi. They used modern technological skills to build a new and modern city.
(iv) In 1903, the modern part of Hanoi was struck by bubonic plague.
(v) It happened because the French part of Hanoi was built into a beautiful and clean city with wide streets and a well-laid-out sewer system, while the ‘native quarter’ was not provided with any modern facilities.
(vi) The waste and rubbish was drained straight out into the river and during heavy rains or floods it would overflow into the streets.
(vii) The sewers served as a medium of transfer of rats into the city.
This led to the origin of the plague. The discrimination and negligence of French towards Vietnamese health and hygiene agitated their minds and encouraged them to unite against the French colonial rule.

Question. Describe the major protest erupted in Saigon Native Girls School in 1926, in Vietnam. 
Answer : (i) In 1926, a major protest erupted in the Saigon Native Girls School. A Vietnamese girl sitting in one of the front seats was asked to move to the back of the class and allow a local French student to occupy the front bench.
(ii) When the Vietnamese girl refused, the principal, also a colon, expelled her. At this the angry students protested. But they too were expelled, leading to a further spread of open protests.
(iii) Seeing the situation out of control, the government forced the school to take the students back. The principal reluctantly agreed.

Question. How did US entry into the war adversely affect both the Vietnamese and the Americans? 
Answer : US entry into the war adversely affected both Vietnamese and the Americans.
Effects on Vietnamese
(i) Incalculable damage was done to Vietnam as a result of the heavy bombings by the American troops.
(ii) The widespread attacks and use of chemical weapons—Napalm, Agent Orange, and phosphorous bombs destroyed many villages and ruined jungles.
(iii) Civilians died in large numbers.
Effects on Americans
(i) The anger spread in the low working class youth for giving their compulsory service in the armed forces. They were drafted for the war because the privileged elite were exempted from it.
(ii) The US media and films played a major role in both supporting and criticising the war. Films like John Wayne’s Green Berets (1968) supported the war while films like John Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979) revealed the moral confusion that the war had caused in the US.

Question. What were the differences of opinions between the two groups in Vietnam regarding the introduction of French Education System?
Or
Explain the two opinions on the question of the use of the French language as the medium of instruction in the French school established for the Vietnamese in Vietnam. 
Or
There were two broad opinions on the new education policy introduced by the French in Vietnam’. Discuss. 
Answer : (i) One group emphasised the need to use the French language as the medium of instruction. By learning the language, they felt, the Vietnamese would be introduced to the culture and civilisation of France. This would help create an ‘Asiatic France solidly tied to European France’. The educated people in Vietnam would respect French sentiments and ideals, see the superiority of French culture and work for the French.
(ii) Other group was opposed to French being the only medium of instruction. They suggested that Vietnamese be taught in lower classes and French in the higher classes. The few who learnt French and acquired French culture were to be rewarded with French citizenship.

Question. State any three steps that were take by the Token Free School to westerise the Vietnamese. 
Answer : (i) The Tonkin Free School was started in 1907.
(ii) It provided a Western style education. Subjects like science, hygiene and French were taught.
(iii) By the 1920s, students started forming various political parties, like the Party of Young Annan, and published several nationalist journals such as the Annanese Student.

Question. Why was conflict started in Vietnam against French colonisers in all areas of life? Explain. 
Answer : (i) The colonisation of Vietnam by the French brought the people of the country into conflict with the colonisers in all areas of life.
(ii) The French after landing in Vietnam in 1858 began to establish military and economic control over the country.
(iii) The colonial economy in Vietnam was primarily based on rice cultivation and rubber plantations owned by the French and a small Vietnamese elite. Rail and port facilities were set up to service this sector. 
(iv) Indentured Vietnamese labour was widely used in the rubber plantations.
(v) The French did nothing to industrialise the economy of Vietnam. In rural areas landlordism spread and the standard of living declined.
(vi) School textbooks glorified the French and justified colonial rule. The Vietnamese were represented as primitive and backward, capable of manual labour but not of intellectual reflection.
(vii) In the field of religion too the conflict started against the French. Several religious movements were initiated in Vietnam because they were hostile to the western presence.

Question. What were the three steps taken by the French to solve the problem of plague in Vietnam?
Answer : The three steps taken to solve the problem of plague in Vietnam are given below:
(i) Rat hunt was started in 1902. The French hired Vietnamese workers and paid them for each rat they caught.
(ii) Bounty programme was started. Those who did the dirty work of entering sewers could negotiate a bounty. The bounty was paid when a tail was given as a proof that a rat had been killed.
(iii) Clearing of the large sewers on a regular basis as they had become an ideal and protected breeding ground for rats.

Question. What was the dilemma that the French had regarding imparting education to Vietnamese? 
Answer : French colonisation adopted the idea of a ‘civilising mission’. They wanted to educate the ‘native’ to civilise them. They were also doing so because they required educated local labour force. But they feared that education might create the following problems.
(i) Educated Vietnamese may question colonial domination.
(ii) French citizens living in Vietnam (called colons) also developed fear of losing their jobs as teachers, shopkeepers, policemen to the educated Vietnamese.
So they opposed policies that would give the Vietnamese full access to French education.

Question. Why do some historians consider the war in Vietnam more brutal than the Second World War? 
Answer : The entry of the US into the war proved devastating both for the Vietnamese and the Americans. This phase of struggle with the US from 1965 to 1972 was too brutal. Thousands of US troops arrived equipped with heavy weapons and tanks and backed by the most powerful bombers of the time, i.e. B52s. The widespread attacks and the use of chemical weapons like Napalm, Agent Orange, and phosphorous bombs destroyed many villages and decimated jungles. Thousands of soldiers lost their lives. Countless civilians met the same fate.
The tonnage of bombs, including chemical arms, used by the US in Vietnam exceeds that was used throughout the Second World War. This is the reason why some historians consider this war more brutal than the Second World War.

Question. Name the most influential book of Phan Boi Chan. Write about the two themes related to this book. 
Answer : Phan’s most influential book is The History of the Loss of Vietnam.
The book focuses on two connected themes:
(i) The loss of sovereignty, and
(ii) The severing of ties with China — ties that bound the elites of the two countries within a shared culture.

Question. The Great Depression of the 1930s had a profound impact on Vietnam. Explain.
Or
What was the impact of the Great Depression of 1930s on Vietnam?)
Answer : The impact of the Great Depression of 1930s on Vietnam is given below:
(i) The prices of rubber and rice fell, leading to rising rural debts, unemployment and rural uprisings; such as in the provinces of Nghe An and Ha Jinh.
(ii) These provinces were among the poorest, had an old radical tradition, and have been called the ‘electrical fuses’ of Vietnam—when the system was under pressure they were the first to blow.
(iii) The French put these uprisings down with great seventy, even using planes to bomb demonstrators.

Question. Why did the French policy makers want to educate the people of Vietnam?
Explain.
Answer : (i) Civilising Mission: The French claimed that they were bringing modern civilisation to the Vietnamese. They took for granted that Europe had developed the most advanced civilisation. So, it became the duty of the Europeans to introduce modern ideas to the colony even if it meant destroying local cultures, religions and traditions.
(ii) To Counter the Chinese Influence: Chinese culture dominated Vietnam. The cities in Vietnam were powerfully influenced by Chinese culture. To consolidate their power, the French had to counter this Chinese influence. So, they systematically dismantled the traditional educational system and established French schools for the Vietnamese.
(iii) To Create An Asiatic France: The French wanted to educate the people of Vietnam to create an Asiatic France which would solidly tied to European France. They thought that the educated people in Vietnam would respect French sentiments and ideals, see the superiority of French culture, and work for the French.

Question. Describe any three steps taken by the French to develop agriculture in Vietnam.
Or
Explain any three steps taken by the French to develop cultivation in the Mekong Delta.
Answer : The French government took several steps to develop agriculture in Vietnam.
Three among them are given below:
(i) A network of canals was built. Drawing of lands in the Mekong delta was started in order to increase cultivation.
(ii) The vast system of irrigation works canals and earthworks—built mainly with forced labour, increased rice production and allowed the export of rice to the international market.
(iii) The area under rice cultivation went up from 274000 hectares in 1873 to 1.1 million hectares in 1900 and 2.2 million in 1930.
(iv) Vietnam exported 2/3rd of its rice production to the international market.
(v) Vietnam became the third largest exporter of rice in the world.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS :

Question. Discuss the contribution of Ho Chi Minh in Vietnamese nationalist struggle.
Answer : The Great Depression of the 1930s had a deep impact on Vietnam.
(i) The prices of rubber and rice fell. This led to rising rural debts, unemployment and rural uprising in the poorest provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh. However, the French suppressed these uprisings with great severity. It used planes to bomb demonstrators.
(ii) In February 1930, Ho Chi Minh brought together competing nationalist groups to establish the Vietnamese Communist (Vietnamese Cong San Dang) Party. It was later renamed the Indo-Chinese Communist Party.
(iii) Ho Chi Minh was inspired by the militant demonstrations of the European Communist parties.
(iv) In 1940, Japan occupied Vietnam, as part of its imperial drive to control Southeast Asia. The nationalists now had to fight against the Japanese as well as the French. The League for the Independence of Vietnam (Vietnam Doc Lap Dong Minh), which came to be known as the Vietminh fought the Japanese occupation and recaptured Hanoi in September 1945.
(v) The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was formed and Ho Chi Minh was made the Chairman.

Question. Explain under which circumstances Vietnam got divided into the North and South Vietnam.
Answer : The French wanted to destroy local cultures, religions and traditions as they believed they were outdated and prevented modern development. They wanted to educate the ‘native’ to civilise them. They adopted the idea of a ‘civilising mission’. Like the British in India, the French also wanted to bring modern civilisation to the Vietnamese. This they also did because they required educated local labour force. But they feared that education might create problems.
(i) Educated Vietnamese may question colonial domination.
(ii) French citizens living in Vietnam (called colons) also developed fear of losing their jobs as teachers, shopkeepers, policemen when Vietnamese would be educated. So they opposed policies that would give the Vietnamese full access to French education.
Therefore, France took several measures in the field of education.
(i) The French systematically dismantled the traditional educational system and established French schools for the Vietnamese. This required the change of language. At last it was decided to teach Vietnamese in lower classes and French in the higher classes. By doing so they wanted to introduce the culture and civilisation of France to the Vietnamese. They thought that the educated people in Vietnam would respect French sentiments and ideals and would accept the superiority of French culture and would work for the French.
(ii) It was announced that those who would learn French and accept French culture would be rewarded with French citizenship. But only few elite Vietnamese could enroll in the schools, and only a few could pass the school-leaving examination because French people deliberately failed the students, mainly in the final year, so as to stop them from getting better-paid jobs. As many as two-thirds of the students failed and in 1925, out of 17 million population less than 400 passed the examination.
(iii) School textbooks glorified the French and justified colonial rule and represented the Vietnamese as primitive and backward, capable of manual labour only. School children were taught that only French rule could ensure peace in Vietnam.
Many Vietnamese teachers and students opposed it. They did not blindly follow the curriculum and the teachers started modifying the text and criticising what was stated about Vietnamese. A major protest exploded in 1926 in the Saigon Native Girls School, when a Vietnamese girl sitting in one of the front seats was asked to vacate the seat for a local French student and when she refused, she was expelled from the school. To this, the students protested and then they too were expelled. Thus open protests started. To control the situation the students were taken back. By the 1920s, students started forming various political parties, like the Party of Young Annan, and published several nationalist journals such as the Annanese Student. Thus, schools became an important place for political and cultural battles.

Question. Analyse the role of women in the Vietnamese struggle for independence.
Answer : The following were the causes of the US involvement in the war in Vietnam:
(i) The US policy planners got afraid of the victory of the Ho Chi Minh government. They formed an opinion that this government would start a domino effect, i.e. Communist governments would be established in other countries in the area. The US could not tolerate the spread of Communism and decided to intervene decisively.
(ii) France had to face great humiliation in Vietnam. America, therefore, wanted to crush this country forever in order to save the prestige of the capitalist countries like France.
(iii) America did not want the unification of Vietnam and South Vietnam gladdened America. But when the heads of the two parts (North Vietnam and South Vietnam) tried to unify them the US could not tolerate. It sent troops and arms in Vietnam to crush its power.
But US entry into the war proved costly to the Vietnamese as well as the Americans.
Effects of involvements on life within the US
(i) Even though the US had advanced technology and good medical supplies, casualties were high.
(ii) Several people became critical of the US government for getting involved in a war that they saw as indefensible.
(iii) When the youth were drafted for the war, the anger spread. Compulsory service in the armed forces was waived for university graduates. This meant that many of those sent to fight belonged to working-class families.

Question. How did the French rule come to end?
Answer : (i) After the Vietminh recaptured Hanoi from Japan in 1945, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was formed of which Ho Chi Minh became the Chairman.
(ii) The new republic faced several challenges. The French tried to regain control by using the emperor, Bao Dai, as their puppet.
(iii) The war began again between the Vietminh and the French. This war continued for eight years.
(iv) In the beginning of the war the Vietminh were forced to retreat to the hills. But finally the French were defeated in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu.
(v) The Vietminh annihilated and captured more than 16,000 soldiers of the French Expeditionary corps.
(vi) The entire commanding staff, including a general, 16 colonels and 1,749 officers, were taken prisoner.
(vii) After the French defeat, peace negotiations were held in Geneva in which the Vietnamese were persuaded to accept the division of the country.
(viii) North and South Vietnam were split. Ho Chi Minh and the Communists took power in the North Vietnam while Bao Dai’s regime was put in power in the South Vietnam.

Question. What was the ‘civilising mission’ of the French? What were their actual intentions behind educating the Vietnamese? How did it lead to the rise of the nationalist feelings amongst the Vietnamese? 
Answer : The French wanted to destroy local cultures, religions and traditions as they believed they were outdated and prevented modern development. They wanted to educate the ‘native’ to civilise them. They adopted the idea of a ‘civilising mission’. Like the British in India, the French also wanted to bring modern civilisation to the Vietnamese. This they also did because they required educated local labour force. But they feared that education might create problems.
(i) Educated Vietnamese may question colonial domination.
(ii) French citizens living in Vietnam (called colons) also developed fear of losing their jobs as teachers, shopkeepers, policemen when Vietnamese would be educated. So they opposed policies that would give the Vietnamese full access to French education.
Therefore, France took several measures in the field of education.
(i) The French systematically dismantled the traditional educational system and established French schools for the Vietnamese. This required the change of language. At last it was decided to teach Vietnamese in lower classes and French in the higher classes. By doing so they wanted to introduce the culture and civilisation of France to the Vietnamese. They thought that the educated people in Vietnam would respect French sentiments and ideals and would accept the superiority of French culture and would work for the French.
(ii) It was announced that those who would learn French and accept French culture would be rewarded with French citizenship. But only few elite Vietnamese could enroll in the schools, and only a few could pass the school-leaving examination because French people deliberately failed the students, mainly in the final year, so as to stop them from getting better-paid jobs. As many as two-thirds of the students failed and in 1925, out of 17 million population less than 400 passed the examination.
(iii) School textbooks glorified the French and justified colonial rule and represented the Vietnamese as primitive and backward, capable of manual labour only. School children were taught that only French rule could ensure peace in Vietnam.
Many Vietnamese teachers and students opposed it. They did not blindly follow the curriculum and the teachers started modifying the text and criticising what was stated about Vietnamese. A major protest exploded in 1926 in the Saigon Native Girls School, when a Vietnamese girl sitting in one of the front seats was asked to vacate the seat for a local French student and when she refused, she was expelled from the school. To this, the students protested and then they too were expelled. Thus open protests started. To control the situation the students were taken back. By the 1920s, students started forming various political parties, like the Party of Young Annan, and published several nationalist journals such as the Annanese Student. Thus, schools became an important place for political and cultural battles.

Question. Give any four features of the Ho Chi Minh trail in the Vietnamese war against the U.S. 
Answer : (i) The Ho Chi Minh trail had great significance in the Vietnamese war against the US. It symbolises how the Vietnamese used their limited resources to great advantage.
(ii) The trail, an immense network of footpaths and roads, was used to transport men and materials from the north to the south.
(iii) The trail was improved from the late 1950s, and from 1967 about 20,000 North Vietnamese troops came south each month on this trail
(iv) The trail had support bases and hospitals along the way. In some parts supplies were transported in trucks but mostly they were carried by porters.
(v) Most of the trail was outside Vietnam in neighbouring Laos, and Cambodia with branch lines extending into South Vietnam.

Question. Explain the causes of the US involvement in the war in Vietnam. What effect did this involvement have on life within the US itself?
Answer : The following were the causes of the US involvement in the war in Vietnam:
(i) The US policy planners got afraid of the victory of the Ho Chi Minh government. They formed an opinion that this government would start a domino effect, i.e. Communist governments would be established in other countries in the area. The US could not tolerate the spread of Communism and decided to intervene decisively.
(ii) France had to face great humiliation in Vietnam. America, therefore, wanted to crush this country forever in order to save the prestige of the capitalist countries like France.
(iii) America did not want the unification of Vietnam and South Vietnam gladdened America. But when the heads of the two parts (North Vietnam and South Vietnam) tried to unify them the US could not tolerate. It sent troops and arms in Vietnam to crush its power.
But US entry into the war proved costly to the Vietnamese as well as the Americans.
Effects of involvements on life within the US
(i) Even though the US had advanced technology and good medical supplies, casualties were high.
(ii) Several people became critical of the US government for getting involved in a war that they saw as indefensible.
(iii) When the youth were drafted for the war, the anger spread. Compulsory service in the armed forces was waived for university graduates. This meant that many of those sent to fight belonged to working-class families.

Question. Describe the major problems in the field of education for the French in Vietnam. 
Answer : French citizens living in Vietnam called colons feared that they might lose their jobs to the educated Vietnamese. So, they opposed policies that would give the Vietnamese full access to French education.
There was another problem for the French in the sphere of education. The elites in Vietnam were powerfully influenced by Chinese culture. To consolidate their power, the French had to counter this Chinese influence. So, they systematically dismantled educational system and established French schools for the Vietnamese. But this was not easy. Chinese, the language used by the elites so far, had to be replaced with Vietnamese or French.
There were two opinions in this regard. Some were in favour of the French language as the medium of instruction. Others were opposed to French being the only medium of instruction. They suggested that Vietnamese be taught in lower classes and French in the higher classes.
But this was opposed when introduced in schools. As the numbers of Vietnamese teachers increased in the lower classes, it became difficult to control what was actually taught. While teaching, vietnamese teachers quietly modified the text and criticised what was stated.

Question. Give an account of Huynh Phu So’s role in arousing the anti-imperialist feelings among the Vietnamese.
Answer : a) French colonisation was driven by the idea of a ‘civilising mission’. Like the British in India, the French claimed that they were bringing modern civilisation to the Vietnamese. The French wanted to destroy local cultures, religions and traditions as they believed they were outdated and prevented modern development. So they wanted to educate the ‘native’ to civilise them. This they also did because they required educated local labour force.
(b) (i) Huynh Phu So was a Buddhist religious scholar. He was a native of the Mekong delta area.
(ii) He was the founder of a movement called the Hoa Hao Movement, started in 1939 in the fertile Mekong delta area.
(iii) The movement drew on religious ideas popular in anti-French uprisings of the nineteenth century.
(iv) Phu So performed miracles and helped the poor. He opposed the sale of child brides, gambling and the use of alcohol and opium.
(v) The French tried to suppress the movement.
(vi) They declared Phu So mad, called him the Mad Bonze, and put him in a mental asylum.
(vii) The French authorities exiled him to Laos and sent many of his followers to concentration camps.

Question. Explain any four challenges faced by the ‘New Republic of Vietnam’.
Or
“The division of Vietnam set in motion a series of events that turned the country into a battlefield.” Support the statement. 
Answer : The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was formed under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. The new republic faced a number of problems.
(i) The French tried to regain their control taking help of the emperor, Bao Dai, their puppet. They became successful in forcing Vietminh to retreat to the hills.
(ii) The Supreme French Commander of the French armies, General Henry Navarre had declared confidently in 1953 that they would soon be victorious. But this did not happen.
(iii) On 7 May 1954, the Vietminh destroyed and captured more than 16,000 soldiers of the French Expeditionary Corps.
(iv) The entire commanding staff, including a general, 16 colonels and 1,749 officers were made prisoners.
(v) The Vietnamese were persuaded to accept the division of the country. North and South were split. Ho Chi Minh and the Communists took power in the north while Bao Dai’s regime was put in power in the south.
(vi) This division set in motion a series of events that turned Vietnam into a battlefield bringing death and destruction to its people and the environment. 
(vii) The Bao Dai regime was soon overthrown by a coup led by Ngo Diah Diem. Diem built a repressive and authoritarian government. Anyone who opposed him was called a communist and was failed and killed.
(viii) Diem’s dictatorial regime came to be opposed by a broad opposition united under the banner of the National Liberation Front (NLF).
(ix) With the help of the Ho Chi Minh government in the north the NLF fought for the unification of the country. The US watched this alliance with fear. Worried about communists gaining power, it decided to intervene decisively, sending in troops and arms.

Question. Explain the steps taken by the French in the field of education in Vietnam. What was their motive behind this? 
Answer : French citizens living in Vietnam called colons feared that they might lose their jobs to the educated Vietnamese. So, they opposed policies that would give the Vietnamese full access to French education.
There was another problem for the French in the sphere of education. The elites in Vietnam were powerfully influenced by Chinese culture. To consolidate their power, the French had to counter this Chinese influence. So, they systematically dismantled educational system and established French schools for the Vietnamese. But this was not easy. Chinese, the language used by the elites so far, had to be replaced with Vietnamese or French.
There were two opinions in this regard. Some were in favour of the French language as the medium of instruction. Others were opposed to French being the only medium of instruction. They suggested that Vietnamese be taught in lower classes and French in the higher classes.
But this was opposed when introduced in schools. As the numbers of Vietnamese teachers increased in the lower classes, it became difficult to control what was actually taught. While teaching, vietnamese teachers quietly modified the text and criticised what was stated.

Question. Why was a new education policy introduced by the French in Vietnam? What were the limitations or drawbacks of the new education policy introduced by the French in Vietnam? 
Answer : French citizens living in Vietnam called colons feared that they might lose their jobs to the educated Vietnamese. So, they opposed policies that would give the Vietnamese full access to French education.
There was another problem for the French in the sphere of education. The elites in Vietnam were powerfully influenced by Chinese culture. To consolidate their power, the French had to counter this Chinese influence. So, they systematically dismantled educational system and established French schools for the Vietnamese. But this was not easy. Chinese, the language used by the elites so far, had to be replaced with Vietnamese or French.
There were two opinions in this regard. Some were in favour of the French language as the medium of instruction. Others were opposed to French being the only medium of instruction. They suggested that Vietnamese be taught in lower classes and French in the higher classes.
But this was opposed when introduced in schools. As the numbers of Vietnamese teachers increased in the lower classes, it became difficult to control what was actually taught. While teaching, vietnamese teachers quietly modified the text and criticised what was stated.

Question. Who was Phan Chu Trinh? How did he help in the modernisation of Vietnam?
Or
Explain any four ideas of Phan Chu Trinh. 
Answer : Phan Chu Trinh was a great nationalist of Vietnam. He was dead against the French rule in his country and wanted to liberate it from the foreign grip. The Four ideas of Phan Chu Trinh:
(i) Against Monarchy to Promote Popular Right: Phan Chu Trinh believed in overthrowing the monarchy to promote popular rights. He thought that monarchy would only suppress the right of the people. Therefore, he wanted to establish a democratic republic which alone could bring smile on the face of the Vietnamese.
(ii) Western Civilisation: Phan Chu Trinh did not want a complete rejection of western civilisation. He was of the opinion that the Vietnamese would absorb the good points of the western culture and reject the bad ones.
(iii) Development of Democratic Ideals: Phan Chu Trinh always favoured the democratic ideals of the west. He appreciated the revolutionary ideals that became popular during the French Revolution but at the same time he blamed the French for not following those great ideals.

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS :

Question. The Ho Chi Minh Trail played a significant role in the war that the Vietnamese fought against the US. This trail was an immense network of footpaths and roads, which was used to transport men and materials from the north to the south of Vietnam.
Give three values which are associated with this trail.
Answer : (i) Patriotism
(ii) Nationalism
(iii) Team-work/Unity

Question. Explain the role of women in the anti-imperial struggle in Vietnam.
Or
Evaluate the role of Vietnamese women during 1960s war period and after the war in peace time.
Answer : (i) Women in as rebels: Women in Vietnam traditionally enjoyed greater equality in comparison to that in China. They had only limited freedom to determine their future. They enjoyed no public life. But with the growth of nationalist movement the status of women improved. Writers and political thinkers began idealising women who rebelled against social norms. This rebellion against social conventions marked the arrival of the new woman in Vietnamese society. A play was written by the nationalist Phan Boi Chau in 1913 on the lives of the Trung Sisters who had fought against Chinese domination in 39-43 CE. In this play he depicted these sisters as patriots fighting to save the Vietnamese nation from the Chinese. They were also depicted in paintings, plays and novels as representing the strong will and the deep patriotism of the Vietnamese.
(ii) Women as warriors/fighter: In the 1960s, women were presented as brave fighters by magazines and journals. They were portrayed as young, brave and dedicated. Nguyen Thi Xuan was reputed to have shot down a jet with just twenty bullets.
(iii) Women as workers: Women were also represented as workers. They were shown with a rifle in one hand and a hammer in the other. They helped in nursing the wounded, constructing underground rooms and tunnels and fighting the enemy. Between 1965 and 1975, of the 17,000 youth worked on the trail, 70 to 80 per cent were women.
(iv) Women in times of peace: By the 1970s, as peace talks began to get under way and the end of the war seemed near, women were no longer represented as warriors. Now the image of women as worker begins to predominate. They were shown working in agricultural cooperatives, factions and production units, rather than as fighters.
Comparison between the role of women in the anti imperials struggle in Vietnam and that in the nationalist struggle in India—
(a) Similarly in India during the launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement women participated in it on a large-scale.
(b) During Gandhiji’s salt march, thousands of women came out of their homes to listen to him.
(c) They participated in protest marches and manufactured salt.
(d) They picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops. Many went to jail.
(e) They began to see service to the nation as a sacred duty of women.

Question. Many Vietnamese women responded and joined the resistance movement. They acted not only as warriors but also as workers. They helped in nursing the wounded, constructing underground rooms and tunnels and fighting the enemy. Which values do these women reflected?
Answer : Vietnamese women provide to be great fighters. They reflected the following values:
(i) Incredible bravery
(ii) Nationalism
(iii) Sacrifice
(iv) Selfless work
(v) Nursing spirit.

Write in Brief :

Question. Explain the following:
(a) Only one-third of the students in Vietnam would pass the school-leaving examinations.
(b) The French began building canals and draining lands in the Mekong delta.
(c) The government made the Saigon Native Girls School take back the students it had expelled.
(d) Rats were most common in the modern, newly built areas of Hanoi.
Answer : (a) It was announced by the French that those who would learn French and accept French culture would be rewarded with French citizenship. However, only a few elite Vietnamese could enroll in the schools, and only a few among those admitted ultimately passed the school-leaving examinations. This was largely because of a deliberate policy of failing students, mainly in the final year, so as to stop them from getting better-paid jobs. Usually, as many as two-third of the students failed and in 1925, out of population of 17 million, less than 400 passed the examination. School textbooks glorified the French and justified colonial rule and represented the Vietnamese as primitive and backward, capable of manual labour only. School children were taught that only French rule could ensure peace in Vietnam.
(b) For the constant supply of natural resources and other essential goods colonies used to annex other countries and the custom was followed by French also. The French in order to expand its territories began building canals and draining lands in the Mekong delta to increase cultivation. The vast system of irrigation works—canals and earthworks—built with forced labour, increased the production of rice and allowed the export of rice to the international market. The area under rice cultivation went up from 274,000 hectares in 1873 to 1.1 million hectares in 1900 and 2.2 million in 1930. By 1931, Vietnam became the third largest exporter of rice in the world. 
(c) A major protest began in 1926 in the Saigon Native Girls School, when a Vietnamese girl sitting in one of the front seats was asked to vacate the seat for a local French student and when she refused, she was expelled from the school. When angry students protested, they too were expelled. Now open protests started. To control the situation the students were taken back. By the 1920s, students started forming various political parties, like the Party of Young Annan, and published several nationalist journals such as the Annanese Student. Schools thus became an important place for political and cultural battles. The battle against French colonial education system became part of the larger battle against colonialism and for independence.
(d) Apart from education, deteriorating health and hygiene in the country also agitated Vietnamese and inspired the nationalist feelings among them. When the French set about creating a modern Vietnam, they decided to rebuild Hanoi using modern engineering skills. In 1903, the modern part of Hanoi was struck by bubonic plague. It happened because:
(i) The French part of Hanoi was built as a beautiful and clean city with wide streets and a well-laid-out sewer system, while the ‘native quarter’ was not provided with any modern facilities.
(ii) The waste and rubbish was drained straight out into the river and during heavy rains or floods it would overflow into the streets.
(iii) Thus, what was installed to create a hygienic environment in the French city became the cause of the plague. The large sewers in the modern part of the city, a symbol of modernity, were an ideal breeding ground for rats.
(iv) The sewers served as a medium of transfer of rats into the city. A rat hunt was started in 1902. Many Vietnamese workers were hired and paid for each rat they caught. The bounty was paid when a tail was given as proof that a rat had been killed. So the rat-catchers took to just clipping the tails and releasing the rats, so that the process could be repeated, over and over again. Defeated by the resistance of the weak, the French were forced to stop the bounty programme as it did not help to stop the rat invasion. In a way, the rat menace marks the limits of the French power.

Question. Describe the ideas behind the Tonkin Free School. To what extent was it a typical example of colonial ideas in Vietnam?
Answer : (i) The Tonkin Free School was started in 1907.
(ii) It provided a Western style education. Subjects like science, hygiene and French were taught.
(iii) At the same time it was necessary to look modern. Hence, the school encouraged the adoption of Western styles such as having a short haircut (it was a tradition in Vietnam to keep long hair).
(iv) Many Vietnamese teachers and students opposed it. They did not blindly follow the curriculum and the teachers started modifying the text and criticising what was stated about Vietnamese.
(v) By the 1920s, students started forming various political parties, like the Party of Young Annan, and published several nationalist journals such as the Annanese Student.
(vi) Schools thus became an important place for political and cultural battles.
(vii) The battle against French colonial education became part of the larger battle against colonialism and for independence.

Question. Write a note on:
(a) What was meant by the ‘civilising mission’ of the colonisers?
(b) Huynh Phu So
Answer : (a) French colonisation was driven by the idea of a ‘civilising mission’. Like the British in India, the French claimed that they were bringing modern civilisation to the Vietnamese. The French wanted to destroy local cultures, religions and traditions as they believed they were outdated and prevented modern development. So they wanted to educate the ‘native’ to civilise them. This they also did because they required educated local labour force.
(b) (i) Huynh Phu So was a Buddhist religious scholar. He was a native of the Mekong delta area.
(ii) He was the founder of a movement called the Hoa Hao Movement, started in 1939 in the fertile Mekong delta area.
(iii) The movement drew on religious ideas popular in anti-French uprisings of the nineteenth century.
(iv) Phu So performed miracles and helped the poor. He opposed the sale of child brides, gambling and the use of alcohol and opium.
(v) The French tried to suppress the movement.
(vi) They declared Phu So mad, called him the Mad Bonze, and put him in a mental asylum.
(vii) The French authorities exiled him to Laos and sent many of his followers to concentration camps.

Discuss :

Question. What was the role of religious groups in the development of anti-colonial feeling in Vietnam?
Answer : Religion played an important role in uniting Vietnamese against colonial control. Vietnam’s religious beliefs were a mixture of Buddhism, Confucianism and local practices.
The French missionaries introduced Christianity and tried to convert Vietnamese to Christianity. This gave rise some religious groups in Vietnam which aroused anti-colonical feeling in the country.
(a) The Scholars Revolt:
(i) Started in 1868 was led by officials at the imperial court.
(ii) These officials were angered by the spread of Catholicism and French Power.
(iii) They led a general uprising in Ngu An and Ha Tien provinces where over a thousand Catholics were killed.
(iv) The French successfully crushed the movement but this uprising inspired other patriots to rise up against them.
(b) Hoa Hao Movement:
(i) Another movement called the Hoa Hao movement, started in 1939 in the fertile Mekong delta area.
(ii) It drew on religious ideas popular in anti-French uprisings of the nineteenth century. Its founder was Huynh Phu So. He opposed the sale of child brides, gambling and the use of alcohol and opium.
(iii) The French tried to suppress the movement inspired by Huynh Phu So. They declared him mad. But when in 1941, even the French doctors declared that he was sane, the French authorities exiled him to Laos.
(iv) These movements were of great significance in arousing anti-colonial sentiments in Vietnam.

Question. Write an evaluation of the Vietnamese war against the US from the point of
(a) A porter on the Ho Chi Minh trail.
(b) A woman soldier.
Answer : (a) Ho Chi Minh trail was an important link to understand the real nature of war between Vietnam and the US. As a porter on that trail I felt proud because it was the matter of great honour. With a very limited resource the Vietnamese could resist against the US forces. This trail was an immense network of footpaths and roads. It was used to transport men and materials from the north to the south. It had also support bases and hospitals. In some parts supplies were transported in trucks but mostly we, the porters, did these jobs. We used to carry about 25 kilos on our backs or about 70 kilos on our bicycles. The trail was bombed regularly by the US forces in order to disrupt supplies but we were so prompt that we could rebuild the damage very quickly. It was our confidence and devotion to our nation that made us do so and we could fight such a super power.
(b) During US-Vietnam War I was a part of a women troop of Vietnam. We worked selflessly and fought to save our nation. As casualty in the war increased many women joined the struggle. Our prime duty was not only as a fighter but we also nursed the wounded, constructed underground rooms and tunnels. We did everything with complete devotion for the nation.

Question. With reference to what you have read in this chapter, discuss the influence of China on Vietnam’s culture and life.
Answer : Though Vietnam gained formal independence in 1945, before India, but it took three decades to attain the Republic. Nationalism in Indo-China developed in a colonial environment. Indo-China comprises the modern countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Its early history shows many different groups of people living in this area under the shadow of powerful empire of China. Even when an independent country was established in what is now northern and central Vietnam, its rulers kept on maintaining the Chinese system of government as well as Chinese culture.
Vietnam was well linked to the maritime silk route. The maritime silk route made an important contribution in exchange of goods, people and ideas.

Question. What was the role of women in the anti-imperial struggle in Vietnam? Compare this with the role of women in the nationalist struggle in India. 
Answer : (i) Women in as rebels: Women in Vietnam traditionally enjoyed greater equality in comparison to that in China. They had only limited freedom to determine their future. They enjoyed no public life. But with the growth of nationalist movement the status of women improved. Writers and political thinkers began idealising women who rebelled against social norms. This rebellion against social conventions marked the arrival of the new woman in Vietnamese society. A play was written by the nationalist Phan Boi Chau in 1913 on the lives of the Trung Sisters who had fought against Chinese domination in 39-43 CE. In this play he depicted these sisters as patriots fighting to save the Vietnamese nation from the Chinese. They were also depicted in paintings, plays and novels as representing the strong will and the deep patriotism of the Vietnamese.
(ii) Women as warriors/fighter: In the 1960s, women were presented as brave fighters by magazines and journals. They were portrayed as young, brave and dedicated. Nguyen Thi Xuan was reputed to have shot down a jet with just twenty bullets.
(iii) Women as workers: Women were also represented as workers. They were shown with a rifle in one hand and a hammer in the other. They helped in nursing the wounded, constructing underground rooms and tunnels and fighting the enemy. Between 1965 and 1975, of the 17,000 youth worked on the trail, 70 to 80 per cent were women.
(iv) Women in times of peace: By the 1970s, as peace talks began to get under way and the end of the war seemed near, women were no longer represented as warriors. Now the image of women as worker begins to predominate. They were shown working in agricultural cooperatives, factions and production units, rather than as fighters.
Comparison between the role of women in the anti imperials struggle in Vietnam and that in the nationalist struggle in India—
(a) Similarly in India during the launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement women participated in it on a large-scale.
(b) During Gandhiji’s salt march, thousands of women came out of their homes to listen to him.
(c) They participated in protest marches and manufactured salt.
(d) They picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops. Many went to jail.
(e) They began to see service to the nation as a sacred duty of women.

Question. Explain the causes of the US involvement in the war in Vietnam. What effect did this involvement have on life within the US itself?
Answer : The following were the causes of the US involvement in the war in Vietnam:
(i) The US policy planners got afraid of the victory of the Ho Chi Minh government. They formed an opinion that this government would start a domino effect, i.e. Communist governments would be established in other countries in the area. The US could not tolerate the spread of Communism and decided to intervene decisively.
(ii) France had to face great humiliation in Vietnam. America, therefore, wanted to crush this country forever in order to save the prestige of the capitalist countries like France.
(iii) America did not want the unification of Vietnam and South Vietnam gladdened America. But when the heads of the two parts (North Vietnam and South Vietnam) tried to unify them the US could not tolerate. It sent troops and arms in Vietnam to crush its power.
But US entry into the war proved costly to the Vietnamese as well as the Americans.
Effects of involvements on life within the US
(i) Even though the US had advanced technology and good medical supplies, casualties were high.
(ii) Several people became critical of the US government for getting involved in a war that they saw as indefensible.
(iii) When the youth were drafted for the war, the anger spread. Compulsory service in the armed forces was waived for university graduates. This meant that many of those sent to fight belonged to working-class families.