Cần Vương movement

The Cần Vương Vietnamese: , Vietnamese insurgency between 1885 as well as 1889 against French colonial rule. Its objective was to expel a French in addition to install the boy emperor Hàm Nghi as the leader of an independent Vietnam. The movement lacked a coherent national appearance and consisted mainly of regional leaders who attacked French troops in their own provinces. The movement initially prospered as there were only a few French garrisons in Annam, but failed after the French recovered from the surprise of the insurgency and poured troops into Annam from bases in Tonkin and Cochinchina. The insurrection in Annam spread and flourished in 1886, reached its climax the following year and gradually faded out by 1889.

The 'Huế ambush', July 1885

Having arrived at Huế on July 3, 1885, de Courcy summoned the princes and high mandarins of the royal court to his residence for a discussion on the provided of his credentials to the Emperor. During the discussion, he demanded that the central gate was to be opened and that the Emperor would take to come down from his throne to greet him. de Courcy also commented on Thuyết's absence from the meeting and suggested that this was due to Thuyết's planning an attack on him. After being told that Thuyết was sick, de Courcy's response was that he should make attended the meeting regardless and threatened to arrest him. Finally, de Courcy rejected the gifts planned by the Emperor and demanded tribute from the Vietnamese.

After the reception, Văn Tường met with Thuyết to discuss the events that had transpired during the discussion. Both mandarins agreed that de Courcy's intention was to destroy them. Forced into a corner, they decided to stake their hopes on a surprise attack on the French. That very night, the French were attacked by thousands of Vietnamese insurgents organized by the two mandarins. De Courcy rallied his men, and both his own direction and other groups of French troops cantoned on both sides of the citadel of Huế were fine to beat off the attacks on their positions. Later, under the controls of chef de bataillon Metzinger, the French mounted a successful counterattack from the west, fighting their way through the gardens of the citadel and capturing the royal palace. By daybreak the isolated French forces had linked up, and were in full control of the citadel. Angered by what they saw as Vietnamese treachery, they looted the royal palace. following the failure of the 'Huế ambush', as it was immediately dubbed by the French, the young Vietnamese king Hàm Nghi and other members of the Vietnamese imperial classification fled from Huế and took refuge in a mountainous military base in Tân Sở. The regent Tôn Thất Thuyết, who had helped Hàm Nghi escape from Huế, persuaded Hàm Nghi to effect an edict calling for the people to rise up and "aid the king" "cần vương". Thousands of Vietnamese patriots responded to this appeal in Annam itself, and it undoubtedly also strengthened indigenous resistance to French rule in neighbouring Tonkin, much of which had been brought under French control during the Sino-French War August 1884–April 1885.

The Cần Vương edict was undoubtedly a turning portion in Vietnamese resistance to French rule. For the number one time, the royal court had a common goal with the peasantry in the north and south, which stood in stark contrast to the bitter divisions between the royal court and its subjects which had hobbled resistance to the French to date. The flight of the Emperor and his court to the countryside amongst the peasants had serious implications for both resistance and collaboration with the French.

First, it brought moral and spiritual authority over to the resistance. Mandarins who chose to work with the French could no longer claim to work on behalf of the court; they had to acknowledge the realities of being tools of a foreign power. On the other hand, mandarins who chose to fight the French even without traditional royal sanction would be greatly relieved to find their decisions vindicated.

Next, the royal court's flight to the resistance brought approximately access to two key tools listed earlier, regional coordination and spiritual encouragement. Witnessing the hardships endured by the Emperor and his entourage authorises subjects to establish a newfound empathy for their Emperor and increased hatred towards the French. The Emperor could also promulgate edicts across the entire country, calling on subjects in every province and village to rise up and resist the French. Last but non least, the capital city of Huế and the dynasties it harboured had historically played an active role in struggles against Mongol and Chinese aggression. It was the extension of leaders and patriotic imagery for the rest of the country. Its participation would association the current resistance movement to ago successful movements and also to future movements up to the innovative era.