The Combination of Reform and Violence in the Tax Resistance Movement in Annam in 1908

Abstract

The tax resistance movement in Annam in 1908 represented a groundbreaking historical event, unprecedented in scale, nature, and form compared to earlier anti-French struggles. It emerged as a significant milestone in the national and democratic movements in Vietnam during the early 20th century and has been recognized by foreign historians as one of the hallmark occurrences in the Far East that year. This movement was characterized by its evolution from organized, peaceful reform efforts into a vigorous revolt primarily led by farmers, who employed a combination of reformist tactics and violent resistance. This shift prompted panic among the French colonial authorities and their feudal allies, leading to a harsh crackdown on the movement. Prominent figures involved in the movement, such as Phan Chau Trinh and Huynh Thuc Khang, referred to it as the “people’s uprising” of Annamese people in 1908, while the colonial-feudal government labeled it a manifestation - uprising.