Nghe Tinh Soviet Movement

Huong Khe Uprising - the peak of the Can Vuong movement

PV • DNUM_DBZBAZCACE 15:57

The Huong Khe Uprising (1885 - 1896) was the peak of the Can Vuong movement, and its failure also marked the end of the 10-year leadership mission against French colonialism by the Vietnamese feudal literati. The main leader of the uprising was Doctor Phan Dinh Phung (1847 - 1895), and his effective collaborator was General Cao Thang (1864 - 1893).

PV• 10/31/2024 15:57

The Huong Khe Uprising (1885 - 1896) was the peak of the Can Vuong movement, and its failure also marked the end of the 10-year leadership mission against French colonialism by the Vietnamese feudal literati. The main leader of the uprising was Doctor Phan Dinh Phung (1847 - 1895), and his effective collaborator was General Cao Thang (1864 - 1893).

In July 1885, after the plan to attack the French army in the capital of Hue failed, Ton That Thuyet and the war faction in the Nguyen Dynasty decided to take King Ham Nghi to Tan So (Quang Tri) and Au Son (Huong Khe, Ha Tinh), issued the "Can Vuong Edict" calling on all classes of people to continue fighting, creating a large anti-French movement across the country. One of the major and typical uprisings of this period was the uprising in Huong Khe organized and led by Phan Dinh Phung.

Huong Khe is a mountainous district in the west of Ha Tinh province, where the headquarters of one of the major uprisings, which spread across the four provinces of North Central Vietnam and lasted the longest in the Can Vuong movement at the end of the 19th century (from 1885 to 1896). With an undying spirit of patriotism, always putting the interests of the nation and people above all else, along with courage and spirit, patriot Phan Dinh Phung stood up to lead the uprising.

Although before that, when he was a Royal Historian in the Hue court, Phan Dinh Phung had been stripped of all his positions by Ton That Thuyet and exiled to his hometown for speaking out against Ton That Thuyet's dethronement of King Duc Duc, who had only been on the throne for three days. But when he heard that King Ham Nghi and Ton That Thuyet had issued the Can Vuong proclamation calling on scholars, mandarins and people across the country to rise up to fight the enemy to help the king and save the country, the patriot Phan raised high the Can Vuong flag, ready to sacrifice for the Fatherland "even if it meant death, he would not refuse".

With that determination, in the period of 1885 - 1888, Phan Dinh Phung prepared his forces and built the fighting base of the insurgent army. One of Phan Dinh Phung's effective assistants was the excellent military leader Cao Thang. Cao Thang actively recruited soldiers, equipped, trained and built bases in the mountainous areas of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces. From 1888 to 1896, the insurgent army entered a period of fierce fighting. After a period of going to Bac Ky, finding ways to contact the literati and scholars, Phan Dinh Phung returned to Ha Tinh, and together with Cao Thang directly led the uprising. The Huong Khe insurgent army was organized into 15 military units, under the command of talented generals.

The Huong Khe uprising quickly ignited the flame of patriotism among the people, creating a vibrant armed movement against French colonialism, lasting continuously in four provinces and throughout the country, lasting for more than 10 years. With such roles, significance and contributions, the Huong Khe uprising marked an important milestone in the patriotic movement against French colonialism of our nation in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The images of Phan Dinh Phung and Cao Thang have become symbols of patriotism every time the country fought against foreign invaders.

The insurgents have continuously won many resounding victories, typically:

Battle of Bai Say (1889): The insurgents defeated the French army, killed more than 100 enemies, and captured many prisoners; Battle of Ngan Truoi (1890): The insurgents defeated the French army, killed more than 200 enemies, and destroyed many enemy machines and weapons; Battle of Vu Quang (1892): The insurgents defeated the French army, killed more than 300 enemies, and liberated Vu Quang.

These victories made the Can Vuong movement in Huong Khe rise, spreading to all four provinces in the Central region. The French colonialists were forced to increase their troops and launch many sweeps to destroy the Huong Khe insurgents.

The Huong Khe uprising failed due to many reasons, mainly because the insurgents did not know how to unite, gather forces, and develop into a nationwide movement. Because they were isolated in the mountainous areas of 4 central provinces, the logistics were exhausted, causing the insurgents to be worn out and disorganized. These were also the limitations of the times, and of the leadership of the Can Vuong movement in general.

Although the Huong Khe uprising as well as other uprisings of the Can Vuong movement were ultimately unsuccessful, “before Vietnamese history entered a new phase with a new leadership class, the Can Vuong movement was still a national movement of which Phan Dinh Phung's uprising was a typical example”. The uprising lasted for 10 years, was large-scale, had a relatively tight organization, achieved many feats and caused heavy losses to the French army. The uprising mobilized to a high level the support and great potential of the people (Kinh and Thuong people, both in the plains and mountains). In terms of military, the insurgents proactively used flexible and creative combat methods, mass-producing French-model rifles to strengthen their equipment.

At the same time, this uprising had great significance for the history of the Vietnamese nation, demonstrating the patriotism and the indomitable fighting spirit of the Vietnamese people during the French invasion. The uprising lasted for 10 years, going through many difficult and challenging stages, but the insurgents still fought persistently, never wavering. This demonstrated the patriotism and indomitable fighting spirit of the Vietnamese people during the French invasion, determined not to submit to the enemy.

Along with that, the uprising demonstrated the leadership ability of the feudal literati class in the resistance war against French colonialism. Phan Dinh Phung was a patriot, a talented leader with strategic vision, who led the Huong Khe uprising to many important victories. This demonstrated the leadership ability of the feudal literati class in the resistance war against French colonialism./.