Since the 1880s, in order to obtain economic benefits from overseas colonies and make up for the huge indemnity paid to Germany in the Franco-Prussian War, the French accelerated the pace of invading and occupying Annan.
On March 15, 1874, the French colonial authorities signed an agreement with Annan
The Franco-Vietnamese Alliance Treaty stipulated that the French had sovereignty and legal jurisdiction over the areas they occupied, and that France had the right to establish embassies and station troops at every treaty port.
From France's perspective, the signing of this treaty means that France has established a protection system in Beiqi, Vietnam.
On April 19, 1875, the French Navy and Colonial Minister Mont
Tanak sent a letter to Foreign Minister Degas, talking about this treaty: "Our current intervention is to prepare for the protectorate system. In the future, the protectorate system must be clear
The land was established and recognized. The Annan Kingdom was now extremely weak, and it also admitted that it could no longer make its subjects obey its orders, so it had to accept
The protection of a great power. The rights we have gained in Cochin China do not allow any other power besides ourselves to exert influence on Emperor Su De.
We have paid a great deal to lay the foundations of French rule in this country, and therefore we
We should continue our cause without making any rash advances or deviating from our goals, especially if we cannot turn back and undo all our previous efforts."
What Montanac said revealed the French government's true policy towards Annan.
After 1874, the Governor of Cochin China, in accordance with the provisions of the treaty,
Continuously stationed diplomats and colonial troops in Hai Duong, Hanoi, Tay Son and other provinces in northern Annam, and then used a small number of garrisons to gradually evacuate the local ruling power of the Annan government and secretly gain control of the northern Annam region.
The French's aggressive actions gradually made the Annan government wary.
In order to prevent the further expansion of French colonial power, the Annan government was forced to respond by sending tribute teams to the mainland, reaffirming the vassal relationship between the Manchus and Annan, and imploring the Manchu and Qing courts to send troops to assist France when it invaded the Annan region.
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Internally, Huang Yao, Nguyen Zheng, Pei Yin Nian and other close officials were sent to serve as governors of various provinces in the northern region, weakening the influence of pro-French puppet officials in the northern region.
In addition, after officials from the Annan court heard the news that Han in South America had repelled the British expeditionary force, they unanimously believed that Han had strong military strength and could win over the Nanyang Army, which was also part of Han's armed forces, and share the military power of the French colonial army in the northern provinces.
threaten.
Therefore, with the tacit approval and covert support of the Annan government, the Nanyang Army rejected the French's request to set up embassies and send troops to Quang Ninh and Lang Son provinces.
Due to the Vietnamese government's overt or covert resistance and the seemingly powerful military strength of the Manchu Qing court,
Du Pere, the Governor of Cochinchina, felt that it was difficult to implement the relevant provisions of the 1874 Treaty. In order to temporarily alleviate the anti-French sentiments of the Vietnamese government, in 1876 he sent a letter to the Naval and Colonial Minister Chuanlison, suggesting that France withdraw from the 1874 Treaty. These suggestions included
"The French government assured the Vietnamese government that it did not harbor any thoughts of conquest; it agreed not to establish garrisons in Quang Ninh and Lang Son provinces controlled by the Nanyang Army;
Repeal provisions that prevent the Annan government from changing its current diplomatic relations with foreign countries;
France can only maintain the following points: sovereignty over the six provinces of Cochin China;
Open foreign trade to the ports of Tokyo; give preferential treatment to Christians. Later, Duperre also advocated that France should not interfere with Vietnam's customary payment of tribute to China, although this was a violation of the 1874 treaty.
Dupere, the Governor of Cochinchina, advocated temporary compromise and concessions, which brought a few years of precious stability to the northern Annan region. However, in 1879, the French political situation changed dramatically.
It came to an end with the resignation of the president, and the republican cabinet of Cambida and Juffelli took over.
These were two governments that enthusiastically advocated colonial expansion. They replaced the colonial minister of the Navy with the more aggressive Guberli. Shortly after taking office, this man was determined to turn his predecessor's paper plan to expand the invasion of Beizhe into reality.
action.
On October 1, 1879, Guberly replaced the conservative Du Pere and appointed Lu Mei as the governor of Cochin China. He also proposed to Luo Feng a specific plan to invade Beiqi: "In this way, an attack must be carried out
Expedition. And according to the information I received, this expedition will not only conquer Tokyo, but also stay there.
In a few years, 3,000 marines or other troops, 3,000 Annan troops, and 12 gunboats, with these means of action, our goal can be achieved."
Under the guidance of the aggressive strategy of the new cabinet president, the French colonial authorities repeatedly threatened the Annan government with force to fulfill the 1874 treaty and allowed the Governor-General of Cochin China to increase the number of troops stationed in the northern provinces.
Faced with the threat from the French, the Annan government used its vassal relationship with the Manchus as a cover, claiming that Annan was a vassal state of the Manchus. If France wanted to increase the number of troops stationed in the northern provinces, it could only seek the consent of the Manchus.
, the Annan government could not go beyond the Manchu and Qing government and agree to their demands alone.
The Annan government's perfunctory reply did not satisfy the French. While the French government ordered the minister to China to negotiate with the Manchu government on Annan's garrison issue, the Governor-General of Cochin China sent multiple groups of armed personnel to blatantly spy on Annan in the name of an expedition.
The situation of military garrison in the northern provinces, and in order to force the Annan government to submit,
At the end of 1880, the Governor of Cochin China, Lu Mei, called the Minister of Navy and Colonial Affairs Clue, proposing to use a local war to defeat the military forces in northern Annan and clear the way for France to fully control Annan.
Lu Mei's combat plan has been recognized and supported by the other party. However, considering that France is not yet ready to fully invade the Annan region, Navy and Colonial Minister Clue reminded Lu Mei that the scale of the war must be controlled within a certain range and must not evolve.
A total war between France and Annan and the Manchus.
With Clue's approval, the Governor-General of Cochinchina quickly prepared a battle plan, and then all that was left was to find a suitable excuse to implement it.
If you want to incriminate someone, there is no excuse for it, and excuses to create conflicts are quickly found.
On February 17, 1881, Lu Mui reported to the French government the incident in Quang Ninh Province where French nationals were blocked by soldiers of the Nanyang Legion, saying: I received two letters from Mr. French Consul in Hanoi today at the same time, concerning two
French Mr. Gudin and Mr. Verreroia were on an inspection tour in Halong City.
They held passports issued by the consulate and originally planned to go to Hongji Coal Mine for inspection as scholars. It didn’t take long for the two-resident inspectors to interrupt their trip because in January
After being insulted when leaving Baohe on the 8th, they were attacked again at a small castle about 40 miles away from the Hongji Coal Mine. A Malayan hired by them was shot in the thigh.
They were forced to return to the provincial capital, but had to retreat again in the face of the aggressive attitude of the Chinese soldiers. A Chinese army of several hundred people had just arrived. The two Frenchmen had no boatman and no Annan authorities.
Under the protection situation, there is no choice but to keep
Retreat to the confluence of the Blackwater River. According to the latest news, they are preparing to go upstream from another river."
Then, in order to expand the incident, Lu Mei applied to the French government to send a mining engineer inspection team, including more than 20 people including Professor Fisch and Engineer Salassi.
In early February, under the protection of the French colonial army, they once again made strong demands to inspect the Hongji Coal Mine. However, they were rejected by the Nanyang Army...
Hong Kei Coal Mine is located in the capital of Quang Ninh Province and produces high-quality anthracite coal. The coal seam is thick and the topsoil is thin, which is conducive to open-pit mining. The mining area is more than 100 kilometers long and 15-20 kilometers wide, with a coal reserve of 2.25 billion tons. It is the most important coal base in Southeast Asia.
, the production and proven reserves account for about 90% of Annan’s country.
In 1870, the Nanyang Army Corps discovered the area where the Hongji Coal Mine was located, and carried out full-scale mining in 1872. Except for a small part of the mined anthracite coal, which was transported back to the mainland for use, most of it was transported to the southern region of the mainland, Thailand and other regions.
In 1874, in order to dispel the French's idea of seizing the Hongji Coal Mine, the Han Dynasty successively introduced Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, the United States, Spain and other Western countries with influence in the Pacific region to become shareholders.
After Britain, Germany, the United States and other countries took shares, the mining volume of Hongji Coal Mine increased significantly. The high-quality anthracite mined every year was distributed to further areas through the colonies of Britain, the United States, Spain, the Netherlands and other countries. After several years of operation,
Later, the Hongji Coal Mine alone brought considerable financial revenue to the Han government.
Hongji Coal Mine is equipped with complete commercial and military docks nearby. Its superior geographical location and huge economic benefits have long made the French covet it. For this reason, on February 15, 1881, the French government used the conflict as an excuse to send a letter
The Vietnamese government coerced the Vietnamese government to expel the Nanyang Army to ensure the safety of the French.
After the French government's unreasonable demands were euphemistically rejected by the Annan government, Lu Mei decided to let the colonial authorities send troops to resolve the dispute.
He handed over this task to Colonel Li Weiye, the new commander of the Cochinchina Naval Squadron, and Major Wei Yi, the commander of the black African colonial army.
Li Weiye was born in 1827 and entered the French Naval School in 1843. After graduation, he served in the French Navy and participated in the expedition to Mexico, but made no military achievements.
He was promoted based on seniority only, and was awarded the rank of colonel when he was in his 50s. He also knew that his military career was coming to an end and it was time to prepare to retire. While serving in the Navy, he also engaged in literary creation, published a collection of poems, and published many novels
, and also performed plays. In 1881, Li Weiye was appointed commander of the Cochinchina Naval Squadron. This was a concurrent
It was the unenviable position of duty, to guard the Indochina coast from Singapore to the Hainan Strait, and the river navigation between Cochin China and Cambodia. This was
It's quite boring work, and Europeans are not very adaptable to the local climate. So, in
Li Weiye had been rejected by two colonels before, but Li Weiye accepted it without hesitation and arrived in Annan one year earlier than in history according to Lu Mei's urgent order.
Major Wei was originally a low-level officer stationed in the French Congo colony. Since 1875, the French government has successively recruited black soldiers from Chad, Senegal, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Niger, French Congo and other colonies to go to Annan in Indochina.
, Cambodia, and Laos. To adapt to the hot weather there.
By the beginning of 1881, the number of black colonial troops in Indochina had reached more than 1,000, accounting for about 20% of the total French colonial army (the French colonial army was composed of whites, Annamites, and blacks, with whites only occupying a part. The main force was
An army of servants composed of Annamites.).
The French are more tolerant towards black people than Britain, Germany, Belgium and other countries. In order to facilitate governance in Africa, France vigorously promotes assimilation policies. Politically, the French destroyed the original chieftaincy system and instead appointed governors according to the French system.
To rule; culturally, French was regarded as a necessary condition for further education, and the learning of French was encouraged in the colonies. In order to win over the upper class of African tribes, colonial elites were also actively encouraged to obtain French citizenship, and a small number of elite blacks were allowed to live in the native land.
The Great Revolution of 1789 spread the ideas of democracy, freedom, and tolerance, and caused some French people with philanthropic ideas to bring these ideas to Africa. Therefore, among the black colonial troops in Annan, although whites were still the mainstream as officers, the number of officers was not high.
In order to encourage black people to advance, some black people with outstanding performance are still able to serve as low-level officers.
In 1880, Major Wei was able to serve as the commander of the black colonial army because he was appreciated by the governor. Facing the upcoming war, Major Wei had full confidence in his soldiers.
"Lieutenant Bryant, I order you to serve as the commander of the forward force. After the Governor's combat mission is issued, immediately lead your company and march in the direction of Halong according to the combat plan. Wait until Colonel Li Weiye's army captures Hanoi and Haiphong.
Finally, your troops must occupy the town of Mylet within two days and block the connection between Cam Phuc and Halong."
"Understood, Commander, the soldiers under my command are warriors from various tribes in the Congo (French Congo). I promise to beat those yellow-skinned monkeys so that they dare not look back."
A tall black officer grinned widely, showing his white teeth.
"I believe in the courage of the soldiers of the African Legion of the Republic. However, this military operation is of vital importance. You must restrain your troops and try to provoke as little as possible the small town of Annan on the way to avoid delaying the combat mission."
Troops in the colonies of European countries generally have loose military discipline. Most of the black troops under the French colonial army have not yet escaped from their primitive and ignorant state. Military discipline and rules are much worse than those of the white colonial army. Black African troops arrived in Indochina.
After that, there were no fewer than thirty killings and rapes targeting local villages and towns, which were deeply hated by the people of Annan.
If the French colonists were not worried about intensifying the conflict with the Annan government, causing armed resistance from the Annan people, and restraining the black soldiers, their destructive power would be even greater.
"Don't worry, Commander, my company will not take the initiative to provoke Annan villages before the combat mission is completed."