France and Viet Nam sign the Second Treaty of Saigon

Background. The treaty concluded the French annexation of Cochinchina, which had begun in 1862. The immediate context was the Garnier Affair, where a French force caused havoc in Tonkin in December 1873. Philastre took control of the French expedition on 3 January 1874, initiating a withdrawal from Tonkin that was completed by the end of February, setting the stage for the March negotiations.

Terms. Vietnam made economic and territorial concessions to France. In exchange, France waived a previous war indemnity and promised military protection against China. The treaty effectively made Vietnam a protectorate of France, further recognizing the full sovereignty of France over Cochinchina, which had been ceded in the 1862 Treaty of Saigon.

Aftermath. The treaty was controversial. In 1880, Britain, Germany, and Spain debated Vietnam's fate, and the Chinese Embassy in Paris openly rejected the 1874 agreement. Prime Minister Jules Ferry later proposed a direct military campaign to revise the treaty. The Nguyễn dynasty, which ruled independently until 1883, was forced to give up sovereignty over Southern Vietnam.