ABSTRACT
The advent of the Second Empire in 1852 marked a decisive stage in the development of French policy towards Vietnam. Heartened by the victory, the French pressed forward through the Mekong delta and captured a number of places such as Bien-Hoa and Mytho, which were readily accessible by river navigation. The countryside in between, however, for the most part eluded their control and remained in the hands of men who acknowledged only the authority of Hue. The French Minister of Finance was particularly enthusiastic at the prospect of a solid accession to his annual revenue, and it was arranged that a new draft treaty would be sent to Hue providing suitable terms for the redemption of the three occupied provinces. The Christian community supplied a certain number of volunteers, but in too many cases there was nothing for it but to depend on the services of the least reliable section of the population.
