How Did Imperialism Affect Vietnam

Imperialism has had a hand in changing the history of many countries that, otherwise, may very well be different now if it wasn’t for imperialism. Imperialism dates back to the late 1800’s. Imperialism is when a country or large power, usually for its own benefit, tries to extend its influence and power into other countries. Many times, imperialism had a negative effect on the country that was being affected by it, and caused the people to revolt, or resist the ruling power. Such was the case with the French ruling power in Vietnam, eventually causing a revolt and a war. Other examples of imperialism include Belgium in Congo, and Britain in India. Imperialism has had many long-lasting effects even showing in modern times, such as Congo and

While the French were occupying Vietnam in the 1900’s, they had many policies and laws in place to give the native people less rights and freedom. The Vietnamese had little to no influence on politics while the French ruled, and generally weren’t allowed to vote or interfere with political matters. This quote shows how the Vietnamese felt about the French ruling politics in Vietnam: “They have acted contrary to the ideals of humanity and justice. In the Field of politics, they have deprived our people of every democratic liberty” (Ho Chi Minh). The French occupation of Vietnam also caused many economic problems. During the French rule, many people in Vietnam were poor and starving because of the economy. French influence on Vietnam has caused Vietnam to become a poor, impoverished country even in modern

The Belgium government delegated rule of the country to King Leopold II in 1865. Under the Rule of Leopold, the people of Belgium suffered greatly, and the country as a whole was weakened because of it. King Leopold used forced labor and torture to stimulate trade and commerce for The Congo. This quote shows the effect that Belgium and King Leopold had on the Congo: “Working conditions in the Congo Free State were so brutal, taxes so high, and abuses so many that four to eight million Africans died under Leopold’s personal rule” (Bentley 540). The Belgium government allowing King Leopold to rule The Congo ended up severely weakening the Congo, and is even shown today as The Congo has a diminished economy, and the whole country is in a state of turmoil. Belgium rule of the Congo differs from India and Vietnam because Belgium paid less attention to it and rather than taking a more direct approach to ruling it, they delegated the rule to King Leopold. It is similar to India and Vietnam in the fact that imperialism had many negative effects on it, and ended up hurting more than