French In Vietnam

French in Vietnam

When the French came to Vietnam, they changed a lot of things. They started schools where kids could learn in French and Vietnamese, and even made a big university in Hanoi. Some lucky students got to study in France. But, these schools were mostly in cities, and kids in the countryside, like farmers' children, didn't get much education. The schools also taught a lot about French culture, making it seem better than Vietnamese culture. The French also changed how cities looked, tearing down old buildings and temples.

Politically, the French were not very organized in Vietnam. They didn’t have a clear plan and just wanted to make sure they could make money from the country. Many different governors came and went, each with their own ideas. This led to a lot of them just doing what they wanted, which wasn’t always good for the people living there.

Economically, the French were mostly interested in making money. They changed Vietnam’s way of farming so they could sell things like rice and rubber to other countries. Many Vietnamese had to work for the French instead of for themselves, often under bad conditions. The French also made the Vietnamese pay a lot of taxes, which made life even harder.

Dutch Colonial Era

Between 1680 and 1800, a company from the Netherlands controlled a lot of spice production in Indonesia. They made the local people grow spices and food, almost like they were slaves. If people didn’t do what the Dutch wanted, they were often treated very badly.

Some groups in Indonesia, like the warrior tribes on Java island, fought against the Dutch but didn’t fully beat them until 1830. The Dutch only grew rice there, so if they lost control, only their food supply would be affected, not the spice trade. Dutch settlers didn’t treat the Indonesian people well, thinking they were better than them.

The Dutch East India Company got rich in Europe but spent so much trying to control Indonesia that it went bankrupt in 1800. Later, the Dutch government took over and was more successful in controlling the islands. They made a lot of money by growing crops like spices, sugar, and coffee that could be sold in Europe for a high price. But, this focus on certain crops led to food shortages and disease for many people in Indonesia.

To help with shipping and make more money, the Dutch built a lot of infrastructure like roads, ports, and bridges. They also made some improvements in education and healthcare. These projects helped the Indonesian people a little and set the stage for growth after they became independent.