Before French colonization, Vietnam maintained a decentralized political system, where village leaders held authority, and the emperor’s role was often symbolic. This governance model had withstood external influences for centuries, particularly from China. However, French colonial rule systematically dismantled indigenous political structures, imposing a centralized administration that reduced the autonomy of local leaders and forced Vietnamese officials into subordinate roles (Digital History, n.d.). The introduction of the Napoleonic Code further displaced traditional Vietnamese legal systems, reinforcing colonial control rather than integrating local customs. These changes fueled deep resentment, particularly among the Vietnamese elite, who found themselves excluded from positions of real power.

Beyond governance, France’s economic policies were designed to maximize profits for French enterprises at the expense of local populations. Under Governor-General Paul Doumer (1897–1902), the colonial economy was structured to ensure financial self-sufficiency for Indochina; though in reality, this translated to intensified economic exploitation. Large amounts of rubber plantations, coal mines, and rice exports generated immense wealth for French companies while subjecting Vietnamese workers to brutal labor conditions. High taxes, land seizures, and state-controlled monopolies, particularly in the lucrative opium trade, exacerbated economic disparities (Khan Academy, n.d.). Though France introduced modern infrastructure such as railroads and ports, these developments primarily served colonial extraction rather than local economic advancement. The majority of Vietnamese people saw little benefit from these projects, which were designed to facilitate resource exploitation rather than improve indigenous livelihoods.

At the same time, France’s cultural agenda reinforced its dominance. Catholic missionaries, protected and supported by the colonial administration, actively focused on converting the Vietnamese population. By promoting Christianity, they hoped to diminish Confucian and Buddhist traditions, positioning European cultural norms as superior (Pac Forum, 2022). Education was also a tool of colonization as French schools were established to create a Francophone elite who could serve as intermediaries between the colonial government and the local population. However, this policy had unintended consequences as many educated Vietnamese, exposed to Enlightenment ideals of liberty and equality, began to question the legitimacy of French rule. Figures such as Ho Chi Minh, who studied in France, would later turn these principles against the colonial system, leading the movement for Vietnamese independence.