CAUSES OF FAILURES OF RENOVATION TRENDS IN VIETNAM IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY

Abstract

Since the second half of the 19^th century, the protection of national sovereignty independence from the West’s invasions became imperative in foreign policies in Eastern countries. Whereas China, Japan or Thailand tried to integrate modern elements of the West’s culture and civilization into their development, in Vietnam, the situation was completely different. The Nguyen’s feudal dynasty chose closed-door solutions, making the country gradually fall into the grip of foreign invaders. In the face of new requirements of history, many Confucian scholars and intellectuals, motivated by their patriotic zeal, started campaigning for the country’s reform. Although they were not realized into the social life, the renovation trends in this period helped to warm up the nation’s patriotic tradition, paving the way for a reform movement in the country at the beginning of the 20^th century. Accordingly, what were the causes of these renovation trends? And why efforts to renovate the country in this period could not come to fruition?