VIETNAMESE LABOR DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR (1914-1918): A PERSPECTIVE ON THE PROCEDURE OF FRANCE’S LABOR RECRUITMENT

Abstract

When World War I broke out, Indochina sent approximately 49,000 laborers, primarily Vietnamese, to France to work in factories and defense enterprises. A question arises: what factors influenced the process of recruiting Vietnamese laborers to France? Based on documentary sources and through historical and logical research methods, the study elucidates: 1) France's perspective on human resource recruitment in Vietnam; 2) the factors influencing the recruitment and transportation of Vietnamese laborers to France; and 3) the impact of these factors on Vietnamese workers in France. Research results indicate that, driven by an understanding of geopolitics, ethnicity, and demographics in Indochina, the French colonialists predominantly recruited Vietnamese individuals to work in France. However, upon arrival in France, Vietnamese laborers encountered discrimination, both societal and governmental, exacerbating social and psychological challenges. Despite these adversities, these experiences also fostered awareness of labor rights and solidarity within the Vietnamese labor community in France.