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Phan Boi Chau: Asian Revolutionary in a Changing World

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2011

William J. Duiker
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Extract

One of the most striking facts about the history of modern Vietnam has been the persistent strength of the communist movement. In part, of course, this strength must be attributed to the organizational abilities of the communists themselves. But it might also be said that it is a testament to the weakness of the more moderate elements within the nationalist movement. Resistance to French control has a long history in Vietnam, dating back to the original conquest in the mid-nineteenth century. Yet only after the Second World War, when the communist-dominated Vietnam Independence League (Vietminh) led resistance to French authority, did a movement of truly national proportions arise in the country. By their leadership of the Vietminh, the communists became the most potent political force within the nationalist movement. By contrast, non-Marxist parties were consistently plagued by political factionalism and lack of unity, a reality that has been a major contributing factor to the contemporary tragedy in that country today.

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Articles
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The Journal of Asian Studies , Volume 31 , Issue 1 , November 1971 , pp. 77 - 88
Copyright
Copyright © The Association for Asian Studies, Inc. 1971

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References

1 Nghe An is traditionally the birthplace of rebels. For a discussion, see Mai, Dang Thai, Van Tho Phan Boi Chau (The Essays and Poems of Phan Boi Chau) (Hanoi, 1960), p. 38Google Scholar.

2 Much of the biographical information about Phan Boi Chau's life is contained in two autobiographies, Nguc Trung Thu (A Letter from Prison), written in 1914 when he was in prison in South China and published by Dao Trinh Nhat under the title Doi Cach Menh Phan Boi Chau (The Revolutionary Career of Phan Boi Chau) (Saigon:Mai-linh, no date); and Phan Boi Chau Nien Bieu (A Chronological Biography of Phan Boi Chau) (Hanoi, 1957), written by Phan Boi Chau under the title Tu Phe Phan (A Self-criticism) at the end of his life. A French language version of the latter has recently been published by Georges Boudarel in France-Asie (3rd and 4th Trimesters, 1968). There are only minor discrepancies between the two versions, but the latter includes coverage up to his arrest in 1925. For a discussion of the accuracy of the two versions, see Thu, Tran Minh, “Tu Nguc Trung Thu den Phan Boi Chau Nien Bieu” (From Nguc Trung Thu to Phan Boi Chau Nien Bieu) in Nghien Cuu Lich Su (Historical Research), no. 69, December 1964, pp. 46–51Google Scholar; and Chuong Thau, “Ve hai tap tu-chuyen cua Sao Nam: Nguc Trung Thu va Phan Boi Chau Nien Bieu” (Concerning the two autobiographies of Sao Nam:Nguc Trung Thu and Phan Boi Chau Nien Bieu), NCLS (75), June 1965, pp. 37–45.

3 Dang Thai Mai, p. 30.

4 The titles are Dinh Tay Thu Bac (Defeat the Westerner and Restore the North) and Song Tuat Luc (A Tale of Two Years). Both are described briefly in his autobiographies, and in Dang Thai Mai, p. 62.

5 Nien Bieu, p. 33.

6 Dang Thai Mai, p. 33. The quote on Darwin is in Nien Bieu, p. 32.

7 This also is evidently not extant, although a fragment may be located in Van Su Dia (The World of Literature) (33), October 1957. The contents are discussed in Nien Bieu, pp. 36–38 and Doi Cach Menh …, pp. 23–24.

8 Prince Cuong De was a descendant of Prince Canh, older son of Gia Long, whose family was long in disgrace at court. The prince became nominal chairman of the new organization, and Phan Boi Chau the vice-chairman.

9 The best example of Chau's argumentation is located in Chuong Thau, “Hai Van Kien Ngoai Giao Dau Tien cua Phan Boi Chau” (The First Diplomatic Documents of Phan Boi Chau), NCLS (90), September 1966, pp. 61–63.

10 Nien Bieu, p. 57.

11 Hai Ngoai Huyet Thu, Tan Viet Nam, and Ai Viet Dieu Dien, have all been published by Nghien Cuu Lich Su. Viet Nam Vong Quoc Su has been published in Vietnamese and is also available in the original Chinese version in Chung-Fa Chan-cheng (The Sino-French War) (Shanghai, 1957). Volume VIIGoogle Scholar. Viet Nam Quoc Su Khao has been published as a book in Hanoi.

12 Hai Ngoai …, in Dang Thai Mai, pp. 134–135; Vong Quoc Su, p. 1. For a similar quote from Viet Nam Quoc Su Khao, which is not available to me, see Nguyen Due Su, “Chu Nghia Yeu Nuoc cua Phan Boi Chau” (The Patriotism of Phan Boi Chau) NCLS (83), February 1966, p. 33.

13 Tan Viet Nam, NCLS (78), September 1965, PP. 32–39.

14 Dang Thai Mai, pp. 156–157.

15 This dispute is discussed in Nien Bieu, p. 72.

16 For details, see Nien Bieu, passim.

17 Hai Van Kien, pp. 61–62.

18 For his relationship with Sun Yat-sen, see Nien Bieu, p. 67.

19 This organization is discussed in an article by Tikhvinskii, S. L., “Vneshnepoliticheskiee vzglyadi i deiyatelʻnostʻ Sun Yat-sena v 1905–1912 godu” (The Opinions and Activities of Sun Yat-sen in Foreign Affairs from 1905 to 1912), Sinʻ -khaiskaia Revoliutsia v Kitae (The Hsin-hai Revolution in China) (Moscow, 1962), p. 247Google Scholar.

20 Ai Viet Dieu Dien, NCLS (56), November 1963, pp. 40–43.

21 The Dien-Que-Viet alliance lasted only three months before being abolished in both China and Japan.

22 Nien Bieu, p. 153.

23 Nien Bieu, p. 141. According to Phan Boi Chau, it was his own attitude that brought about the conversion.

24 Doi Cach Menh …, pp. 68–70; Nien Bieu, p. 161.

25 Nien Bieu, p. 186.

26 Phap-Viet De-Hue Chinh-kien Thu, translated by Hanh, Nguyen Khac (Hanoi: Tan-Dan, no date), p. 10Google Scholar.

27 Nien Bieu, p. 188.

28 For a pro-French position, see the introduction by Nguyen Khac Han cited in note 25 above. For nationalist reaction, see Dang Thai Mai, p. 86, and Tran Huy Lieu, “Phan Boi Chau, tieu bieu cho nhung cuoc van dong yeu nuoc o Viet-Nam dau the ky XX” (Phan Boi Chau, the model for all patriotic movements in Vietnam in the early 20th century), NCLS (105), December 1967, p. 6.

29 Dang Thai Mai, pp. 74–75. At one time he claimed that the Vietnamese translation was mis leading. See Chuong Thau, “Phan Boi Chau qua mot so sach bao mien nam hien nay” (Phan Boi Chau through a number of articles and books published in contemporary South Vietnam), NCLS (67), October 1964, p. 14. The Chinese original is not available to me.

30 Much of the material on Phan Boi Chau's life during this period is only now being gathered and gradually published. At the moment, researchers are forced to rely on scattered references and excerpts. See Chuong Thau, “Anh huong cua Phan Boi Chau doi voi mot so to chuc each mang Trung-Quoc” (Phan Boi Chau's influence on Chinese revolutionary organizations), NCLS (56), November 1963, pp. 36–37.

31 Nien Bieu, p. 189.

32 Excerpts are located in “Phan Boi Chau, tieu bieu …”, p. 2, citing Truyen Pham Hong Thai, p. 117; and Chuong Thau, Nguon goc chu nghia yeu nuoc cua Phan Boi Chau” (The Origins of Phan Boi Chau's patriotism), NCLS (88), p. 23.

33 Huong Pho, “Gop phan danh gia tu tuong cua Phan Boi Chau” (A contribution to the evaluation of the thought of Phan Boi Chau), NCLS (94), December 1967, p. 26. In Nien Bieu, p. 201, Phan Boi Chau says he altered his program to meet the suggestions of Nguyen Ai Quoc, but is unfortunately not specific.

34 “Gop phan …”, p. 26; Tran Huy Lieu, “Nho lai Ong Gia Ben Ngu” (In memory of Phan Boi Chau), NCLS (47), February 1963, p. 43. References to his “socialism” are scattered throughout many of the articles in NCLS cited above.

35 There is an interesting controversy about Thien Ho De Ho. See “Phan Boi Chau qua mot so …”, pp. 16–17. His anti-Christian sentiment probably reflected the rise in anti-missionary feeling in China during that period.

36 For comments of this nature, see baud, Louis Rou, Vietnam, La Tragedie Indochinoise (Paris: Librairie Valois, 1931) p. 234Google Scholar; Viollis, Andre, Indochine S.O.S. (Paris: Gallimard, 1935), pp. 93–94Google Scholar. As an indication of nationalist confusion over his views after 1925, see Dia Vi Cu Phan o Quoc Dan Ta (The Place of Phan Boi Chau among our people) (undated publication located in the Biblio-theque Nationale in Paris).

37 Located in Thien, Luu Tran, Phan Boi Chau, Tieti Su va Van Tho (Phan Boi Chau, A Short History and Selected Writings) (Ngay-mai, 1940), pp. 113–127Google Scholar. This essay, in particular, shows the lingering influence of Confucianism on the thought of Phan Boi Chau.

38 Symbolic of his difficulty in approaching the masses was his use of Chinese as a medium of written expression. Although his articles were translated into Vietnamese, even the Vietnamese is of a rather literary style. Much of his behavior might be a result of the secret society mentality so much a part of nationalist attitudes during this period, For a discussion, see Coulet, Georges, Les Sociétés Secrètes en Terre d'Annam (Paris: Ardin, 1926)Google Scholar.