Vietnamese Famine of 1945
The Vietnamese Famine of 1945 centered around Hanoi, the capital and largest city in Vietnam, as well as across the country. The famine began in October 1944 and lasted until May 1945 as over two million people died from starvation across the country. The famine was caused by the colonial powers including the French puppet government and the Japanese by imposing economic conditions that only benefited themselves as nations whether it be to fund the nation economically for a war or physically with food to fuel a war, instead of benefiting the Vietnamese population.For example, as the French and Japanese were getting actively bombed and attacked during WWII, they demanded rice and produce to fuel their nations with food during the war, leaving the Vietnamese hungry without food. Another example of how the colonial powers caused the famine was how the Japanese and French demanded the growth of cash crops like rubber and coal instead of rice and produce leaving the Vietnamese food production rate plummeting and the citizens starving. Finally, the Allies began bombing the cities, ports, and supply lines of the nation during WWII making it increasingly hard to transport food throughout the country.This famine created widespread unrest and peasant rebellion directed toward the Japanese and French puppet government.Ho Chi Minh used this turmoil to his advantage by helping the peasants steal food from the Japanese by hijacking rice box cars and trucks. With the stolen food, he gained and strengthened public opinion of the Viet Minh and nationalistic beliefs as the citizens looked to those with power and food within their own population who opposed the colonial powers. All in all, the Vietnamese famine of 1945 allowed for an increase in trust and support within the Viet Minh and more importantly, nationalistic values of the citizens of Vietnam.
Vietnamese Nationalism
- Through the cruel treatment and starvation the citizens of Vietnam endured, nationalistic values and beliefs prospered in growth as they opposed the colonial powers including the French and especially the Japanese.
- As the Viet Minh hijacked food and gave it to the citizens of Vietnam, the promoted their nationalistic beliefs and values which grew and spread among the people of Vietnam.