The Treaty of Saigon transferred three southern Vietnamese provinces and Saigon to France, marking the formal beginning of French colonial rule in Cochinchina.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 5 June 1862
- Provinces ceded to France
- Bien Hoa, Gia Dinh, and Dinh Tuong
- Island ceded
- Poulo Condor
- French signatory
- Louis Adolphe Bonard
- Vietnamese signatory
- Phan Thanh Giản
- Confirmed by
- Treaty of Huế, 14 April 1863
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following France and Spain's military campaign in Cochinchina, their coalition forces defeated Vietnamese imperial resistance. Emperor Tự Đức of the Nguyễn dynasty faced overwhelming colonial military pressure and was compelled to enter negotiations, resulting in conditions deeply unfavorable to Vietnam.
On 5 June 1862, representatives of France, Spain, and Vietnam signed the Treaty of Saigon. The agreement was concluded between Admiral Louis Adolphe Bonard, Carlos Palanca Gutiérrez, and Phan Thanh Giản, formally ceding Saigon, the island of Poulo Condor, and three southern provinces—Bien Hoa, Gia Dinh, and Dinh Tuong—to French colonial authority.
The treaty established the foundation for the French colony of Cochinchina, giving France a strategic foothold in Southeast Asia. The cession was confirmed by the subsequent Treaty of Huế in April 1863, entrenching French imperial control over southern Vietnam and setting the stage for broader colonization of the Indochinese peninsula.
Political Outcome
Vietnam ceded Saigon, Poulo Condor island, and three southern provinces to France, formalizing French colonial control over southern Vietnam.
Southern Vietnam under the sovereign rule of the Nguyễn dynasty emperor Tự Đức
Three southern provinces and Saigon under French colonial control, forming the basis of Cochinchina