By Bảo Ngọc
Trace the internal struggles and foreign pressures that led to the French colonization of Vietnam. In this episode, Ngọc analyzes the rise of the Nguyễn Dynasty under Gia Long and the administrative reforms of Minh Mạng, which brought the country to its largest territorial size. You will examine the complex pragmatics surrounding the court's subsequent isolationist policies, the tension between traditional Confucian order (trật tự Nho giáo) and Western contact, and the socioeconomic stagnation under Tự Đức. The lesson details the military imbalance during the 1858 French invasion of Đà Nẵng and explores how the court's conservative choices prevented the nation from adapting to a rapidly industrializing world.
Part of Vietnamese History: From Origins to the Modern Era