Page 47 - All About History 48 - 2017 UK

Time Traveller’s Handbook
FRENCHINDOCHINA

WHOTOBEFRIEND WHOTOAVOID
The educated young French administrators
TheFrenchhavebeeneducatingt There are more French bur
young Vietnamese for many years inVietnamthanBritishin
– it isallpartofthegrandplanto despite India’s population
make Vietnam more French. The being 15 times larger. The
youngandwealthygotoFranceto French are encouraging
study, then return and fill clerical a ‘traditional’ culture of
positionsincolonialadministration class divide and strict land
However, they often serve under ownershipthatexploitsan
French men far less educated and controlsthecommonpeop
it impossible to ascend higher. This Although economically the
frustrationhasencouragedaradica system works, this has plu
spirit, and although they currently Vietnam into a kind of
little power, they are using what th time warp. The French
havetofightFrenchrule,suchasb administration has
joining anti-French businesses. effectively infantilised
Duetotheimmenseinfluence the Vietnamese, making
they will one day wield, it would it impossible for them to
be wise to get close to these enterpoliticsorencourage
disenchanted youths. anykindofsocialchange.
Vietnamese or not, you sho
Extra tip: distance yourself from this
OneyoungmanfrustratedbyFrenchruleisHoChiMinh.He political repression, else ge
hasgonefrombeingemployedonashipanddoingmenialwork with the same brush. FIG.04
in Paristoleadingthepetitionforself-determinationforthe
Vietnamese at the Paris Peace Conference. Ho Chi Minh will be a
crucialfriendtohaveintheindependencemovementtocome.

These three skills will help you survive
in this rapidly developing region
Political nous
Construction
The French have recently created
Labour migration in and out
aVietnameseconsultativebody
of Indochinaismassive.Itisn’t
and added locals to their Colonial
glamorous, but there is always work
Council. This is the perfect
available for labourers, especially
opportunity for those with
thoseabletohelpwiththe
political skills and acumen to
construction of railroads.
start making a difference.

Writing
Print publications
are becoming
increasingly popular
in Indochina – not
only in the form
fmagazinesand
chnical handbooks,
butalsonovels
and especially
newspapers.
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