On the Negotiations between Đại Nam and France in the Giáp Tuất Year (1874): A Reassessment

Abstract

The Treaty of Giáp Tuất (1874) was the second unequal treaty concluded between Đại Nam and France, marking the complete end of the Huế court’s hopes of redeeming the six provinces of Cochinchina. This article analyzes the context, negotiation process, and contents of the treaty, while also comparing domestic and foreign sources in order to clarify the impacts of the treaty on both sides. The study demonstrates that after 1874, France consolidated its sovereignty in Cochinchina and laid the groundwork for expansion into Tonkin, whereas the Huế court was forced to confront the increasingly imminent danger of national loss.