After the Hanoi Civil War, two different opinions emerged within the French government and military on how to deal with China. Some people, led by the new Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Jouferry, advocated the expansion of the Annan incident and tended to continue to
Mainland Europe dispatched troops to support the colonial government of Cochin China.
Some soldiers, led by the naval admiral General Ling Miller, believed that the results of the Battle of Hanoi showed that the Nanyang Army had a combat effectiveness that was not inferior to that of the Cochin China Colonial Army. The Nanyang Army was equipped with sophisticated muskets, artillery, and abundant strategic material reserves.
Its main force numbers up to 10,000 people. If the French army makes a comeback, the Nanyang Army will still be France's biggest enemy in occupying Annan.
Miller and other naval admirals made suggestions to the French government, advocating that the plan to annex Annan be completed in two steps.
First, it dispatched about three to four thousand French troops to support Saigon and stabilize French rule in the Nanban area. At the same time, in the negotiations with the Han side, it showed its sincerity in compromising, agreed to some of the conditions proposed by the Han side, and used Nanban.
Some small islands in the Pacific region were exchanged for the northern area of Annam occupied by the Nanyang Army, thereby solving the biggest obstacle to the French colonial government's occupation of the entire territory of Annam in a peaceful way.
Secondly, after reaching an agreement with the Han Dynasty, they gradually expanded their influence to the Hue court, supported the pro-French ministers, and selected some of the Annan clans that could be used as puppets to prepare for the support of the Cochin China colonial army at the right time.
He replaced Emperor Su De and became the new king of Annan.
The propositions of Miller and other naval admirals were not recognized by Cabinet Prime Minister Juffrey, and several senior naval admirals were criticized by officials within the government for this reason, and even lost the opportunity to lead troops to support Annan.
On April 7, Rufeili, in his capacity as Foreign Minister, conveyed to Han the three conditions for an armistice between the two sides:
1. France and Annan are diplomatic countries. The two countries have formal trade regulations and customs rules. The Chinese side forcibly interfered in the relations between France and Annan, and ordered the Chinese army to attack the Cochinchina army. It was provocation first, and it should be to France.
The government paid compensation and apologized, and returned the customs taxes, expatriate assets and other property and materials that the Chinese Legion had privately withheld.
Second, France cooperates closely with Annan, and the Annan government has essentially accepted the protection of the French government. According to the current situation, the Han Dynasty cannot restrict or block France's right to protect Vietnam.
Third, the Han Dynasty evacuated the Chinese troops stationed in Annan,
The Hongji coal mine and other mineral resource areas will be placed under the jurisdiction of the Cochin China government. As a reciprocal condition, the French government is willing to negotiate with the Chinese government to resolve the issue of sovereignty over French Polynesia and the Congo.
The French intended to use the form of a treaty to complete the annexation of the entire territory of Annan in one fell swoop. In the peace treaty, they attributed the responsibility for launching the war to the Han side, denying the justice of the Nanyang Army in resisting the invasion of the French colonial army, and continued to be superstitious to the French army.
He used force to carry out further fraud and extortion policies against the Han government.
In order to achieve the above goals, the French cabinet ordered Major General Lisby, commander of the China Sea Squadron, to lead the main force of his fleet to the Annan Sea to conduct maritime deterrence against the Nanyang Army and assist the French Expeditionary Force in its offensive operations in the northern Annan region.
In early May, the French expeditionary fleet arrived in Annam. According to the instructions of the French government, the three giants, Commander of the expeditionary force Gu Phi, Commander of the Chinese Navy Fleet Lisby, and Commander of the Nanban garrison Bohu, met in Saigon, where the colonial governor's palace of Cochin China was located, to discuss how to proceed.
Military plan to capture Annan.
Nanban commander Po Hu believed: “Hue is the source of conflict and struggle, from where (all) orders to continue fighting in the Beiban area and requests for assistance from the Nanyang Army were issued.
Once the Hue government is defeated and the resistance in northern Annam loses its leadership, the Annan people's will to resist will quickly disappear. As for the Nanyang Army, after Annan surrenders and loses the support of the Annan government, it will lose the motivation to continue to resist.
."
The three giants of the colonial government of Cochin China exchanged views on resolving the Annan issue, and then reached a consensus and decided
Implement a two-pronged attack plan,
That is, Lisby led 7 ships and 1,000 French marines to attack Hue, and Bo Hu led more than 2,000 French soldiers, 600 Algerian soldiers, and 1,700 Annan indigenous soldiers to attack the Nanyang Army and Bei Ban areas defended by Huang Zuoyan.
Learning from Li Weiye's lesson of underestimating the enemy and annihilating his entire army, Bo Hua continuously sent small groups of troops to test the Nanyang Army's troop deployment before launching attacks on the provinces occupied by the Nanyang Army.
For example, on May 4th, French soldiers sailed three armed ships, one three-mast and two half-mast, into Ruixiangshe under the jurisdiction of Shanxi Province. Two small gunboats of the Nanyang Army were stationed there, and they boarded
An artillery bombardment was launched immediately. The gunboat had a displacement of only 150 tons and a small gun position of only 100 kilograms. It fired five shells in a row, hitting the bow plate of the three-masted ship and injuring three French soldiers. The remaining ships fled in panic.
On the 9th, another steamer with three masts and three masts sailed straight towards Shanxi.
Danfengkou is under the jurisdiction of the province. The people of Annam were panicked. Many people were afraid of the harm caused by the French army and moved with their families to Hanoi and other areas.
On the 10th, two corporate ships sailed, intending to invade Shanxi
The provincial capital. The Chinese army intercepted Shangchishe, and their ships turned back when they reached Zuofeng.
In the early morning of May 15th, the detective agency sent out a team from Nanban to invade. There were only 500 of them. Most of them were brave warriors and religious people, and there were very few legal soldiers. The Chinese army sent four companies out to ambush them in different directions, and used a strong force to
They rushed to meet the decoy first, then led three companies of more than 500 people to attack them head-on, annihilating 400 of the enemy, and leaving the rest fleeing in confusion.
After several such trials, Bo Hua had some understanding of the Nanyang Legion's defense and combat capabilities.
On May 18, Pau reported to the French government the situation of the Nanyang Army's defensive positions: "The enemy's southern defense line starts from Hanoi Province, passes through Hung Yen Province, Thai Binh Province, and Hai Phong City as an arc-shaped defense line, and the northern defense line starts from Thai Nguyen Province
To Bac Kan Province and Lang Son Province. In Hanoi and Haiphong, there are many military fortresses surrounded by trenches and separation walls. Fortresses are set up along the coast and along the river, which can bombard gunboats traveling along the river.
The road condition from Ninh Binh to Hanoi is excellent and completely passable. The road from Nanning to Hanoi is passable although it is a little worse. The road condition of other roads is poor, but it is not impassable..." Bo Hua believes
The troops he currently has in his hands are not enough to ensure victory in the battle, and it will take some time to prepare. However, Guba, who was excited by revenge, was dissatisfied with his behavior. He pointed out to Bo Hua: "We are hesitant.
This attitude of remaining inactive behind stockades and trenches for so long did great damage to our prestige, already severely damaged by the unfortunate events in Hanoi; any delay in advancing would be regarded by our enemies as a sign of weakness.
In order to restore the reputation and image of the Governor-General of Cochin China in Europe."
Due to such pressure, Bo Hua had no choice but to promise to resume the offensive in the northern part of Annan immediately after the second batch of 1,700 African colonial corps with nearby support arrived in Annan.
