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From: Charles Keith
Date: Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 12:46 PM
Hi everyone,
I just bumped into a letter from the French Bishop of Hue, written during WWI, in which he writes that it would be a shame if France had to resort to Japanese assistance to quell the uprisings that he felt sure the departure of French colonial troops for the metropole (and recruitment/conscription among the Vietnamese) would provoke. Does anyone to what degree the French colonial administration ever considered such a thing, or any other forms of direct international assistance at other moments of internal instability between the conquest of Tonkin and the First Indochina War? Just curious, because I hadn't heard/thought of this before.
Best,
Charles Keith
Michigan State University
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From: Balazs Szalontai
Date: 2009/1/19
Not to my knowledge. The only case of French involvement in any sort of international military collaboration for the suppression of an armed anti-colonial resistance movement which readily comes to my mind occurred in the 1920s when the French helped the Spanish military to defeat the Riffian guerrillas led by Abd el-Krim. But it is true that the Japanese government, after French complaints, expelled Phan Boi Chau in 1909. This manifestation of Japanese cooperativeness, combined with Japan's meager military participation in WW I, may have played a role in inspiring the bishop's letter.
All the best,
Balazs Szalontai
Mongolia International University
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From: Tobias RETTIG
Date: Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 10:01 PM
Dear Charles,
When did the Bishop of Hue write this?
The Singapore Mutiny in 1915 was put down with considerable support of
Japan (and also Russia, if not mistaken).
Could the Bishop have had this event in mind?
Best,
Tobias
Tobias Rettig
School of Social Sciences
SMU
Singapore
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From: Charles Keith
Date: Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 10:21 AM
Hi Tobias (and list) - the bishop wrote the letter on March 12, 1915, just about a month after the Singapore Mutiny. Your explanation seems quite persuasive to me. Thanks!
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From: Marc J. Gilbert
Date: Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 6:48 PM
You may wish to write the Heather Streets at Washington State University
who I believe she is writing about this event...
Marc
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