The Cochinchina Campaign

Capture of Saigon

Indochina, composed of modern day Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, became the center of French imperialism in the Far East. For more than half a century, they subjugated the local people for economic benefits. The conquest that led eventually to the creation of the French Indochina began in the middle of the 19th century. The French first displayed their might through the conclusion of the issue concerning a missionary and the bombardment of the major port city of Touraneor modern day Da Nang in 1847. A decade later, they launch a campaign in southern Vietnam, then known as Cochinchina, that sowed the seeds of the French in Vietnam, leading the path towards the formation of the French Indochina.

French Conquest of Indochina

The extent of French Indochina (Yellow)

France was one of the greatest powers in the world. Along with its European rivals, it acquired a huge empire that comprised territories from the Africa to Asia. In the region of Southeast Asia, France became a major player in its politics during the 19th century. In competition with Great Britain, it exerted a lot of effort in order to acquire lands as much as possible. At the end, France managed to obtain the region known as Indochina. And for the countries, of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, it was a start of a half a century of colonization and exploitation.