Essay
Vietnam and the 20th Century Experience

Introduction This paper analyzes the sociopolitical, cultural, and economic characteristics of European nations that drove them to establish policies of overseas colonization. Societies developing within the constraints of the European landmass had many incentives to move beyond their own borders into other regions, areas often occupied by another culture. European nations have a long history of being competitive with one another. Cultural and religious pride and arrogance, and an intolerance of differing cultures and religions, were used to justify imperialistic policies of domination and suppression of local peoples. Europeans, of necessity, would bring along their economies of technology and infrastructure to support their control of the local population. This would also include their Latin-based language and educational systems. Attempts to assimilate local culture into the European culture were often a source of conflict within the overseas colonies.
European Cultural Characteristics Religion, and particularly the evangelical mission of Catholicism, has strongly influenced European cultures since the Middle Ages. The French utilized Catholic Missionaries as a way to access many overseas regions, including that part of Asia later to be known as “French Indochina.” Missionaries are typically non-violent and non-threatening. They often could enter a foreign country and merge with the local culture without opposition. Missionaries would often convert the elite land-holding population into their way of thinking (Moss, 2006). They would also be able to initiate a strong influence on the local culture by importing their Latin-based languages and educational system.
European Sociopolitical Characteristics Competition for resources within the boundaries of the European landmass promoted a sociopolitical