10th Class Social Science The Nationalist Movement in Indo-China The Nationalist Movement In Indo-China - Content Outline

The Nationalist Movement in Indo-China

CONTENT OUTLINE

The region in South East Asia comprising Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam was known as Indo-China. Indo-China, like any other countries of Asia, was the Victim of colonisation.

            Countries of Indo-China, specially Vietnam, had close relations with China and were influenced by Chinese culture. Later in 19^th century Vietnam was colonised by the French who extended military and economic control over Vietnam.

            France began to interfere in the day to day life of Vietnam, forced French educational system on Vietnamese people and exploited the resources of Vietnam. Vietnamese people were subjected to the interests of France. Naturally there was resistance of the Vietnamese to the cultural invasion by the French, which also strengthened Vietnamese resistance against imperialist domination,                    

            After the Second World War Vietnam came under a new type of leadership under Ho Chi Minh who founded the Communist Party in Vietnam. He organised communist army and drove away the French in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. With the popular support, Ho Chi Minh fought against the US sponsored Ngo Dinh Diem regime. The armed intervention by US and the prolonged war of 15 years has no parallel in history. The unprecedented heroism and courage displayed by the Vietnamese against the mightiest military power of the world and the final US withdrawal in 1975 has proved the power of nationalist struggle. Vietnamese women played an important role in this struggle. The effect of the war on US as well as Vietnam was disastrous. The history of Vietnamese struggle against the US will be written in golden letters in the history of the world.