COCHINCHINA CAMPAIGN

A Franco-spanish expeditionary force launches an attack against the Nguyen dynasty in Vietnam. Although the campaign initially has small punitive aims, the French turn their offensive into a war of conquest. Saigon is captured and a colony is established, which begins a century of French colonial dominance in Vietnam.

French warships capture Saigon after a two-year siege. The victory is of great strategic importance and paves the way for the conquest of Cochinchina