Battle of Hanoi (1882)

Hoàng Diệu

Henri Rivière

The Battle of Hanoi on 25 April 1882, was the illegal capture by French captain Henri Rivière, acting without his superiors' orders. The French handed the city back later.

The Citadel of Hanoi was almost totally unprepared and the entire attack lasted less than an hour, and ended with only four French soldiers wounded. The Nguyễn dynasty Vietnamese defenders suffered heavy losses including, at his own hand, governor Hoàng Diệu, following the dispatch of a final message to the Emperor Tự Đức in Huế.^[1][2][3][4]

References

1. Bradley Camp Davis, States of banditry: The Nguyen government, bandit rule, and the ... - Page 232 University of Washington - 2008 "Consistent with his threat and to the great shock of Hoang Dieu, Riviere occupied the citadel on April 26. The entire attack lasted less than an hour, and ended with only four French soldiers wounded.15 Hoang Dieu, defeated and ashamed, ."
2. Đình Hoà Nguyêñ From the city inside the Red River: a cultural memoir of Hanoi Page 76 - 1999 "The governor was said to have sent an apologetic message to the emperor (based in Hue) to confess his failure in defending the citadel with an outnumbered and out-equipped army. At any rate, Hoàng Diệu dismounted from his elephant,"
3. Knowledge on Viet Nam through ancient post cards Khắc Cần Nguyễn, Cao Lê Nguyễn, Thị Thu Hằng Đoàn - 2002 "In 1883, Hanoi Provincial Governor Hoàng Diệu committed suicide_and was buried near the Education Hall (now the new Hanoi Railway Station) in Trấn Quý Cáp Street.
4. Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O - Page 433 Tony Jaques - 2007 "Carrying 250 reinforcements, his ships then bombarded the citadel and took it by storni after Governor Hoang Dieu hanged himself to avoid capture."