Initial Conquest of Vietnam

      In the 19^th century, France colonized Vietnam (1). With economic profit in mind, they exploited the land and forced Vietnamese peasants to become servants (5). After taking control over the Mekong Delta, a prime trade location, the French felt obligated to culturally influence Vietnam (5). First came religion, as French missionaries began to introduce Catholicism to the Vietnamese and later came literature, language and history (6). This resulted in a mix of economic, cultural and political affairs.