Phuong Huong Bay V. II

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. – Thich Nhat Hanh

It is hard to imagine that the present Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang (“VNQDD”) is the same party that was originally conceived as a revolutionary party. The present incarnation is a world away from their original goal to:

The aim and general line of the party is to make a national revolution, to use military force to overthrow the feudal colonial system, to set up a democratic republic of Vietnam. At the same time we will help all oppressed nationalities in the work of struggling to achieve independence, in particular such neighboring countries as Laos and Cambodia.

The seeds of change followed the abortive uprising at Yen Bai and the subsequent reprisals by the French authorities. Those members that were not captured by the Surete fled into Yunnan and a once centralised disciplined organisation was riven by internal bickering which threatened to consign the party into irrelevance. It was here that the demoralised members of the VNQDD first encountered the remnants of Vietnamese Restoration League.

It was fortuidous for Vietnamese independence that at a time of weakness a patriot of the standing of Phan Boi Chau [1]emerged to unite the disparate nationalist groups into a single political entity. Perhaps if the Yen Bai uprising had not failed as clearly, the leadership cadre of the VNQDD would not have been as receptive to a change in approach or if the Indochinese Communist Party member Nguyen Ai Quoc had not been killed by a motor vehicle in Hong Kong then the history of Vietnam may have been significantly different. In what has become known as the Gejiu pact the VNQDD absorbed the remnants of the Vietnamese Restoration League and installed Phan Boi Chau as their leader.

Although he advocated restoring independence for Vietnam Phan Boi Chau believed that this could only be achieved by uniting and educating the nha que[2]. As the Vietnamese peasants remained politically unaware, respected institutions such as the monarchy would be utilised as a tool to broaden their support base. The decision to create a political base within the peasantry was to prove instrumental in the later success of the VNQDD. Although the VNQDD had been defeated conventionally by the French, they slowly began to rebuild their networks focused at the village level. Other organisations such as the Vietnamese – Chinese business society were created to finance their revolutionary activities.

Their success at rebuilding their support base is illustrated in the biography ‘Hanoi adieu’ by a former French army officer of his first encounter with a VNQDD supporter in 1940.

The sounds of the prisoners’ truck jarred me out of my trancelike state. It seemed to take an age for the vehicle to enter the quarry and come to a halt. Guards jumped out and began to open the back door. Suddenly someone shouted, one of the prisoners: ‘Down with Imperialism! Independence for Vietnam!’ I looked across as the men were marched to the marks I had set. They turned to face us – and my heart missed a beat. It couldn’t be. How could it be? I peered at the man and knew I had been right. It was Nguyen Nga, my friend.

Author's notes:

[1] Author of a ‘History of the Loss of Vietnam,’ founder of the Vietnamese Restoration and ‘Visit to the East’ societies

[2] Peasant, traditionally used in a perjorative way.
 
An army for the revolution

Remember, the storm is a good opportunity for the pine and the cypress to show their strength and their stability – Anon.


An army of independence was originally conceived by the Vietnamese Restoration League with standing orders constituted, rates of pay established and a training plan drafted. However they lacked men, material and an opportunity to seize.

Although the age of the military governor was drawing to a close in Nationalist China, their various armies still required a constant supply of manpower. An agreement was reached with the governor of Yunnan, Long Yun, to establish an infantry company comprised of Vietnamese volunteers. Although the company would be under his operational control, they would be subject to their internal code of discipline. Officers would have the opportunity to train at the military academy in Yunnan and for a privileged few the military academy in Nanjing. The costs of maintenance would be borne equally between the military of Yunnan and shadowy Vietnamese – Chinese business associations. This marked the emergence of the military’s involvement with the business community and allegations of crony capitalism.

The ‘old dragon[1]’ was receptive to the idea of a Vietnamese unit as the Vietnamese provided him with a willing supply of soldiers that were both loyal and effective in battle. Surprisingly the French authorities provided tacit support for the concept, as it removed potential trouble makers from Indochina. Long Yun summarised his position with this quote that provoked much mirth over the dining table, ‘The Vietnamese give me soldiers and the French provide me subsidies for using them as such.’

However, the VNQDD did not establish an embryonic army for the sole benefit of a military Governor. They seized an opportunity to create a cadre of experienced soldiers to await the chance to liberate Vietnam from the French.

That opportunity was presented during the occupation of Vietnam in 1940 by the Japanese Empire. Recognising their chance, the VNQDD established a small liberated zone in an isolated part of Northern Vietnam. The French were powerless to stop them, the Imperial Japanese Army did not care, but for the Vietnamese this was their first breath of freedom in fifty three years.

Author's notes:

[1] A term of affection for the Military Governor of Yunnan.
 
This TL will be rebooted once I thrash out my first version of the TL. I have ordered a couple of different books, as I had problems finding suitable protagonists for both sides.
 
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