The Southwestern Frontier of Dai Nam (1802 - 1867): A Geopolitical and Strategic Analysis

The article looks at the defensive policy that the Nguyen Dynasty carried out on the Southwest border of Cochinchina (Nam Bo) from 1802-1867. This is examined through geopolitics and military strategic thinking. The Southwest border was a strategic location that connected the Mekong Delta to the countries of Cambodia (Chan Lap) and Siam (Siam La). It was considered a geopolitical bulwark (“phen dau”) that safeguarded the security of the whole southern region and the sovereignty of the Nguyen Dynasty. This article shows that the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty took pro-active actions to build a synchronized defensive policy with very flexible military and diplomatic actions combined with socio-economic measures such as state-sponsored migration and the creation of military colonies (don dien). Using imperial documents compiled by the Cabinet of the Nguyen Dynasty, this article explains how the kings of the early Nguyen Dynasty worked to assert and maintain national sovereignty over the southwest border with many local and foreign geopolitical obstacles.