From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tonkin Affair
Tonkin Affair
The Tonkin Affair (French: l’affaire Tonkin) of March 1885
was a major French political crisis that erupted in the
closing weeks of the Sino-French War. It effectively de-
stroyed the political career of the French prime minister
Jules Ferry, and abruptly ended the string of Republican
governments inaugurated several years earlier by Leon
Gambetta. The suspicion by the French public and polit-
ical classes that French troops were being sent to their
deaths far from home for little measurable gain, both
in Tonkin and elsewhere, also discredited for nearly a
decade the advocates of French colonial expansion.
The ’Lang Son telegram’
General Louis Brière de l’Isle (1827-1896)
Tuyen Quang. Without waiting to sift the misleading in-
formation contained in Herbinger’s alarmist cables from
Lang Son, Brière de l’Isle concluded that the Red River
Delta was in jeopardy and fired off a pessimistic telegram
on the evening of 28 March to the French government,
warning that the Tonkin Expeditionary Corps faced dis-
aster unless it was immediately reinforced:
Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Gustave Herbinger (1839–86) I am grieved to tell you that General de Négrier is
seriously wounded and Lang Son has been evacu-
The "Affair" (as most French political scandals are still ated. The Chinese forces advanced in three large
termed), was triggered on 28 March 1885 by the contro- groups, and fiercely assaulted our positions in front
versial Retreat from Lang Son. The retreat, which threw of Ky Lua. Facing greatly superior numbers, short
away the gains of the February Lang Son Campaign, was of ammunition, and exhausted from a series of ear-
ordered by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Gustave Herbinger, lier actions, Colonel Herbinger has informed me
the acting commander of the 2nd Brigade, less than a that the position was untenable and that he has
week after General François de Négrier’s defeat at the been forced to fall back tonight on Dong Song and
Battle of Bang Bo (24 March 1885). General Louis Brière Thanh Moy. All my efforts are being applied to con-
de l’Isle, the commander-in-chief of French forces in centrate our forces at the passes around Chu and
Tonkin, was in Hanoi at the time, and was planning to Kep. The enemy continues to grow stronger on the
shift his headquarters to Hung Hoa, to supervise a Red River, and it appears that we are facing an en-
planned offensive against the Yunnan Army around
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tonkin Affair
tire Chinese army, trained in the European style
and ready to pursue a concerted plan. I hope in any
event to be able to hold the entire Delta against
this invasion, but I consider that the government
must send me reinforcements (men, ammunition,
and pack animals) as quickly as possible.[1]
The news contained in the ’Lang Son telegram’, as it was
immediately dubbed, ignited a political crisis in Paris:
There was enormous feeling throughout France.
This retreat of 2,500 men, who had returned to their
starting positions without even being pursued by
the enemy, took on from a distance the proportions
of an irretrievable disaster. On the stock exchange
on 30 March the 3% fell by three and a half francs; it
had only fallen by two and a half francs on the day
that war was declared in 1870. All the newspapers
were full of accusations against the Cabinet, of false
accounts of the ’bitter combats’ that the 2nd Bri-
gade, enveloped by the Chinese, must have fought
to disengage, of fears for the entire expeditionary
corps, whose situation was depicted as tragic. In
the House, the deputies who were systematically
opposed to our establishment in Tonkin were jubi-
lant, and the proponents of a colonial policy did not Jules Ferry
dare defend their views of the previous day.[2]
Brière de l’Isle’s cable of 28 March gave the impression
The fall of Ferry’s ministry, 30 that a catastrophe had befallen the Tonkin expeditionary
corps, and none of his later reassurances was able to en-
March 1885 tirely efface this initial impression. Although it knew by
the evening of 29 March that Herbinger had halted his re-
treat at Dong Song and that Brière de l’Isle was stabilis-
ing the situation, the army ministry remain stunned by
the news that Lang Son had been abandoned, and decid-
ed to disclose the contents of both cables to the Nation-
al Assembly on 30 March. Ferry attempted to use the oc-
casion to demand an emergency credit to reinforce the
Tonkin Expeditionary Corps. The debate that followed
was one of the most vitriolic in France’s political history.
On the morning of 30 March, a deputation from the
Union républicaine and Gauche républicaine, the two groups
which accounted for the bulk of Ferry’s support during
the undeclared war with China, pleaded with the premier
to resign before the debate. Ferry was under little doubt
that his administration would fall, but he refused to go
without a fight. In the afternoon he entered the chamber
amid the disapproving silence of his supporters and a
storm of imprecations and insults from his opponents,
led by Georges Clemenceau. He had not slept the night
before and walked towards the rostrum slowly and
gravely, his face pale and anxious, like a condemned man
to the scaffold. From the rostrum he gave the Chamber
of Deputies the latest news on the military situation in
Tonkin and explained the measures he had taken in re-
Georges Clemenceau sponse. ’We must avenge the check at Lang Son,’ he said.
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tonkin Affair
’We must do this not only to secure our hold on Tonkin, inese!’ No French premier had ever before faced such an
but also to safeguard our honour around the world.’ Ge- outpouring of hatred.[3]
orges Périn, one of Clemenceau’s supporters, interjected
excitedly. ’Our honour, yes! But who was it that compro-
mised it in the first place?’ The Chamber broke into a
Aftermath
clamour. Eventually, when he could again make himself The immediate consequence of the Tonkin Affair was to
heard, Ferry demanded an extraordinary credit of 200 bring about a rapid end to the Sino-French War. The
million francs, to be split equally between the army and sudden and ignominious end of Jules Ferry’s second ad-
navy ministries. He went on. ’I cannot go into the details ministration removed the remaining obstacles to a peace
of this expenditure in this forum. We will discuss them settlement between France and China. Ferry’s successor,
further with the scrutiny commission.’ Clemenceau Charles de Freycinet, promptly concluded peace with
shouted scornfully, ’Who will ever believe you?’ Ferry China. The Chinese government agreed to implement the
implored the deputies not to consider the vote on the Tientsin Accord of 11 May 1884, implicitly recognising
credits as a vote of confidence. If they wished, they could the French protectorate over Tonkin, and the French
overturn his cabinet afterwards and choose a new admin- government dropped its longstanding demand for an in-
istration. But for the sake of the French troops in Tonkin, demnity for the Bac Le ambush. A peace protocol ending
they must first vote to send out more ships and more hostilities was signed on 4 April 1885, and a substantive
men. He concluded by formally moving that the credits peace treaty was signed on 9 June by Li Hongzhang and
be voted. the French minister Jules Patenôtre.[4]
His opponents erupted in anger. Périn yelled ’Don’t The longer-term effect of the Tonkin Affair was to
keep on exploiting the honour of our flag! You’ve discredit the partisans of colonial expansion in France.
wrapped yourself in our flag for far too long! Enough In December 1885, in the so-called ’Tonkin Debate’, Henri
is enough!’ Clemenceau attacked the premier in savage Brisson’s administration was only able to secure fresh
terms. ’We’re completely finished with you! We’re never credits for the Tonkin Expeditionary Corps by the very
going to listen to you again! We’re not going to debate narrowest of margins. Jules Ferry would never again
the nation’s affairs with you again!’ The Chamber erupt- serve as premier, and became a figure of popular scorn.
ed in applause, and Clemenceau went on. ’We no longer The collapse of Ferry’s ministry was a major political em-
recognise you! We don’t want to recognise you!’ There barrassment for the proponents of the policy of French
was a new burst of applause. ’You’re no longer ministers! colonial expansion first championed in the 1870s by Leon
You all stand accused’ — there was a roar of applause Gambetta. It was not until the early 1890s that French
from the deputies of both the left and the right, and Cle- colonial party regained domestic political support. [5]
menceau paused dramatically — ’of high treason! And if The consequences to colonial policy stretched be-
the principles of accountability and justice still exist in yond Tonkin, or even Paris. Writes one historian of
France, the law will soon give you what you deserve!’ French colonialism in Madagascar, "There was a general
Ferry’s opponents demanded immediate discussion desire to have done with other colonial expeditions still
of Clemenceau’s interpellation. Ferry countered by mov- in progress." [6]
ing that the vote on the credits should be taken first. That said, the forces which drove French colonial ex-
Amid scenes of angry turbulence, the deputies voted on pansion were little slowed by a loss of political populari-
Ferry’s priority motion. It was defeated by a handsome ty. French Indochina was consolidated under a single ad-
margin of 306 votes to 149. This defeat spelled the end ministration just two years latter, while in Africa, mil-
for his administration. His opponents greeted the result itary commanders like Joseph Gallieni and Louis Archi-
of the vote with howls of delight. nard continually pressured local states, regardless of the
As Ferry sought to leave the palais Bourbon to return political climate in Paris. Large trading houses, such as
to the Elysée Palace, he had to run the gauntlet of a fu- Maurel and Prom company, continued to expand their
rious crowd of demonstrators gathered together by Paul overseas operations, and demand military support for
de Cassagnac. The demonstrators yelled abuse at the fall- this expansion. The formal creation in 1894 of the French
en premier, jabbing their fingers towards him violently. Colonial Union, a political pressure group funded by such
’Down with Ferry! Death to Ferry!’ Ferry’s friends hustled interests, marked the end of the post Tonkin climate in
him past this baying pack. But there was worse to come. Paris, and as such was short lived.
The news of the cabinet’s fall had gone round Paris like
wildfire, and in front of the palais Bourbon an excited
mob, estimated by journalists at around 20,000 people,
Notes
thronged the pont de la Concorde. This crowd had been [1] Thomazi, 259
whipped up to a frenzy by agitators from the far-right [2] Thomazi, 261
parties, and at the sight of Ferry it gave tongue. ’Down [3] Le Journal des débats, 31 March 1885; Reclus, 334–49;
with Ferry! Throw him in the Seine ! Death to the Tonk- Thomazi, 262
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tonkin Affair
[4] Lung Chang, 369–71; Thomazi, 261–2 • Harmant, J., La verité sur la retraite de Lang-Son (Paris,
[5] See: Ageron, C.R., France colonial ou parti colonial. 1892)
Paris, (1978) • Lecomte, J., Lang-Son: combats, retraite et négociations
[6] Deschamps, Hubert. Madagascar and France, in (Paris, 1895)
Desmond J. Clark, Roland Anthony Oliver, A. D. • Lung Chang [龍章], Yueh-nan yu Chung-fa chan-cheng
Roberts, John Donnelly Fage eds, The Cambridge [越南與中法戰爭, Vietnam and the Sino-French
History of Africa, The Cambridge History of Africa War] (Taipei, 1993)
(1975) p.525 • Reclus, M., Jules Ferry, 1832–1893 (Paris, 1886)
• Thomazi, A., La conquête de l’Indochine (Paris, 1934)
References
• Billot, A., L’affaire du Tonkin: histoire diplomatique du
See also
l’établissement de notre protectorat sur l’Annam et de • Imperialism in Asia
notre conflit avec la Chine, 1882–1885, par un diplomate • French colonial empires
(Paris, 1888) • Jules Ferry
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonkin_Affair"
Categories: French Indochina, Sino-French War, French Third Republic, Conflicts in 1885, 1885 in France
This page was last modified on 25 February 2010 at 07:17. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of
the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.Contact us
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Mobile view
4