Father of France

Chapter 162 They are patriots
“Comrade Ho Chi Minh, France is not sincere.” Vo Nguyen Giap sighed softly, but seeing the dark look on Ho Chi Minh’s face, he nodded and said, “I understand that war will bring great harm to our people.”

Undeniably, the Viet Minh were still in a position of being outnumbered and outmatched by the French, and they preferred to avoid fighting if possible, although this might sound somewhat like a capitulationist stance.

At this time, Saigon, the political core of French Indochina, was filled with joy, and General Tassanliu held a grand welcoming ceremony to greet the representatives of Cambodia and Laos.

Prince Souphanouvong, representing the Lao royal family, and Prince Sihanouk, representing the Cambodian royal family, were both invited, demonstrating their sincere hospitality.

Both princes have lived or studied in France, so they both speak French and there will certainly be no problem communicating with each other.

Both men were well aware of the purpose of General Dassanio's invitation on behalf of French Indochina, but they also decided to seize the opportunity.

The two princes viewed Vietnam much like Vietnam viewed the great Eastern power. The French, however inhuman, were far away, while the Vietnamese were right before their eyes.

Even if the two princes have progressive ideas and can follow the trend and no longer cling to the royal family, no matter how progressive they are, they cannot make their own country disappear.

Ho Chi Minh felt that compared to the great Eastern power, the French were all kind and benevolent.

Similarly, in the eyes of Prince Suphanuvong and Prince Sihanouk, replacing the great Eastern power with Vietnam would also be valid.

The two men who entered the Governor's Palace soon met General Dashanliu, whose secretary handed Prince Sihanouk a gold-edged document. Outside the window, the lotus pond rippled with countless waves in the tropical rain.

“Your Majesty,” General Tashanliu’s voice was dry and formal, “the French Republic recognizes the autonomy of the Kingdom of Cambodia within its existing territory. We will maintain cultural ties and economic cooperation, just as…”

"Like divorced couples sharing custody of their children?" Prince Sihanouk interrupted with a smile, gently opening and closing his peacock feather fan.

"Because Cambodia and Laos currently lack the capacity for self-defense, Paris will retain military advisors at this stage to help Laos and Cambodia build up their own military capabilities to protect themselves," General Dassanliu cleared his throat, explaining the necessity for France to do so from a practical standpoint.

"Ah!" Prince Sufanu Von made a surprised expression, but immediately waved his hand with a smile, "Like a guest leaving behind a hat after leaving? Sure, as long as the hat doesn't become an invisible owner."

"We are not trying to sow discord; in fact, there is precedent. Indonesian leader Sukarno has declared that he will inherit all the Dutch East Indies, and even British Malaya."

Koman then spoke up, reminding them, "I think the two princes should understand what will happen if the Viet Minh also has this idea? In fact, it's safe to say they definitely do. The two princes, the Cambodians, and the Laotians will all face this."

Koeman didn't want to drag Sukarno down, but that's the fact. It has nothing to do with the fact that French troops are also present in Java. It's just a matter of fact.

These words definitely struck a chord with Prince Sophanuvong and Prince Sihanouk, though neither of them would admit it, as relations with Vietnam were still very important.

Provisional autonomous agreements between France and Laos, and between France and Cambodia, were signed immediately, with provisions including France’s formal recognition of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Laos as autonomous territories.

This means that both countries have the autonomy to handle their internal affairs, including establishing their own governments, parliaments, and executive bodies.

The two countries agreed to join the French-led "French Federation" as autonomous member states. This federation aimed to replace the old colonial empire, and its members were theoretically equal.

Given that the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Laos lack independent capabilities, France temporarily retains control over the defense and foreign affairs of both countries. Core sovereign functions, such as command of the armed forces and signing of foreign treaties, remain under French control.

In economic and educational matters, the franc is explicitly recognized as the foreign exchange reserve currency of the autonomous territories, the central role of French in the education system will not change, and over time, France will recognize the complete independence of the Kingdom of Laos and the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The document also identifies key areas including: cultural heritage, healthcare, agriculture, education, and the promotion of French.

After the agreement was signed, General Dashanliu conveyed the news to Paris that Laos and Cambodia had been upgraded to autonomous dominions, and the news was immediately reported in major French newspapers.

For France, being able to first separate Cambodia and Laos during negotiations with the Viet Minh would help it gain an advantageous position in the negotiations.

Even the French Communist Party leader, Torres, had nothing to say about this. There was nothing wrong with upholding the autonomous status of Laos and Cambodia. You can't just oppose it because Ta Sanliu is a hardliner, can you?
At that time in Saigon, no one knew more about one thing than Corman: building a national army.

This had already been proven by the French First Army and the Catholic armed plans in Vietnam, so naturally the task of helping Cambodia and Laos build their armies fell to him. "Wang Nengchu, oh, he's in Saigon again." Coman tilted his neck, holding the microphone between his fingers, while his other hand kept nudging the disruptive Ava Gardner.

Perhaps due to the hot weather in Saigon, Eva Gardner became increasingly unconcerned about her image indoors, wandering around naked except for a men's shirt draped over her shoulders. She was a far cry from her previous reserved demeanor.

Now, taking advantage of a phone call, he's riding on the back of a glorious French soldier—it's utterly outrageous!

"Sir, are you listening? Should I arrange for County Magistrate Wang to wait?" Lefebvre suggested after waiting for a while without receiving a response.

“Let’s meet in the evening,” Koman replied quickly, then put the microphone back down and met Ava Gardner’s eyes, which held a natural air of indifference, mockery, and nonchalance.

Before he met Ava Gardner, he always thought it was an adjective, but now he realized that some women do indeed naturally have that kind of gaze.

Koman turned around and pinned the femme fatale down, and very appropriately uttered a domineering CEO quote, "You started this fire, so you have to put it out."

"Where did you learn such strange talk?" Ava Gardner couldn't help but laugh out loud, her laughter as bright as the sun, as she looked at the man on top of her.

Koman was simultaneously in charge of the construction of four or five armed groups, including two kingdoms and several ethnic groups, with the Highland peoples being counted as one of them.

The highland ethnic groups of Vietnam refer to the ethnic groups living in the Truong Son Mountains in central Vietnam. These ethnic groups, such as Gia Lai, Ye Di, Ba Na, and Mu Nong, have a combined population of over one million.

They belong to the group that remained after the "abolition of the native chieftain system and its replacement with centrally appointed officials" policy. The "abolition of the native chieftain system and its replacement with centrally appointed officials" policy was actually enforced in Vietnam slightly later than in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The "slightly later" refers to the similarity of the process. When Vietnam first implemented the policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials, the major power in the East was the Ming Dynasty, while Vietnam was under the Le Dynasty.

During this period, the Ming Dynasty's methods were not particularly swift and decisive compared to the Qing Dynasty, and the Le Dynasty was naturally not as forceful either.

However, during the Qing Dynasty, although Emperor Yongzheng was not a particularly warlike emperor, it varied depending on the region. When Ortai served as the governor-general of three provinces, he became less lenient in implementing the policy of replacing native chieftains with appointed officials.

So the Nguyen Dynasty followed suit and naturally became less polite, finding various pretexts such as chieftains having no heirs, committing crimes, or rebelling to directly abolish their positions and territories, and establish prefectures, counties, and districts managed by officials appointed by the central government. Any resistance was met with military suppression.

The process of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials also included a cultural assimilation method called "shaving the head and changing clothes," which forcibly implemented Vietnamese clothing, hair-shaving, language and writing, and tax and corvée systems in an attempt to fundamentally eliminate cultural differences.

That's why when Ngo Dinh Diem's ​​elder brother talked to Koman about changing their hairstyle and clothing, Koman looked hesitant and reluctant to speak. That's what Vietnam does, and they're criticizing others.
The reason why the highland peoples of central Nguyen still exist is that the Nguyen Dynasty implemented the policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials during the Daoguang era. Just as the Nguyen Dynasty was making progress on the path to becoming a regional power by strengthening central authority through this policy, the French tricolor flag appeared on the sea.

If the Nguyen Dynasty hadn't implemented the policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials almost a century later, coinciding with the policies of its northern neighbors, the Truong Son mountain range wouldn't have presented a significant geographical obstacle. These ethnic groups wouldn't have been able to remain, let alone stay near a major central city like Hue.

But they did leave behind a legacy, and since they did, Corman must spread the symbolism of the French flag: liberty, equality, and fraternity.

"Judge Koman, we have already discussed it and decided to relocate to the southern part of the Kingdom of Laos." Wang Nengchu had obviously brought the collective decision of the various Miao villages with him this time. Last time, he did not know that Koman's military rank was only captain, which was not very high.

This time, Wang Nengchu learned the answer, but he also learned that Koman was actually the presiding judge of a military court, currently responsible for formulating the armed plans for French Indochina, so he changed his title to "presiding judge".

“That’s good. I’m busy right now. The Catholic militant movement is still ongoing. Contact us when you arrive,” Koman said to Wang Nengchu.

“We oppose the Viet Minh just like the Catholics; they can’t be valued just because they are.” Wang Nengchu felt he should demonstrate his worth at this point.

Koeman raised an eyebrow. Was Wang Nengchu questioning him? But ignorance is bliss. If this were in China, Koeman would definitely make the other party know what the iron fist of imperialism is.

“We had already reached an agreement with the Catholic Church, and they are patriotic.”

Koman leaned back tactically. “What are their identities, and what are yours? They are Catholics, and I try to treat them all equally, but the Catholic population obviously deserves more special attention. Besides, the Miao people haven’t even migrated yet, so isn’t it too early to worry? We have to take things one step at a time.”

(End of this chapter)