The French ruled Vietnam but allowed the emperors to remain as a figurehead. He ruled the country as far as when things interfered with the French, then he was censored. He was effectively a puppet of the French.
The French's police force was called 'gendarmerie'.
Bao Dai was Vietnams last emperor he cooperated with the French and became a Francophile - accepted the French culture.
The French were in Vietnam to exploit human and natural resources. The French educated and setup French schools for the Vietnamese. The Vietnamese who collaborated with the French were called 'nguoi phan quoc' (traitors) Boa Dai could never escape this label.
…
